Sheep Without A Shepherd

Saint Matthew notes that Jesus looked at the crowds with pity, “for they were like sheep without a shepherd” (9:36). The particular Greek verb for “being moved with pity or compassion” is used only of Our Lord (with the notable exception of the “Good Samaritan” of the eponymous parable—he, after all, is a type of Jesus Himself). It is related to the Greek word best translated as “gut” and suggests the OT rahamim, Yahweh’s mercy upon His people.

William Barclay tells us that Jesus entered the world of the sick, the blind, and the possessed; the sorrowful whom He declared blessed; the hungry who long for justice; and the lonely who dwell in the shadows of those whom this world deems important. Jesus is the Shepherd of the downtrodden (and of their oppressors!), and He came to their need. Saint Mark adds that Jesus “began to teach them many things” (6:34). God sends His incarnate Son as the definitive response to the observations of the prophet Hosea: “My people perish for want of knowledge!”—words directed to the errant priests. These words equally apply to spiritual and physical fathers today. We can say that we are in a crisis of understanding and acceptance of God’s knowledge, because we are in a crisis of spiritual and physical fatherhood.

The story is told of a father whose son was misbehaving. He told the son that the next infraction would result in being sent to the attic for the evening without dinner. Sure enough, the son acted up. The father said to his wife, “Surely I can’t go back on my word now.” He sent his son to his room, but soon came up to the attic with his son for the evening. No doubt he could convey some lessons with his words, but his action—his presence—spoke much louder, conveying a clear example of a father who was both firm and compassionate.

Recently the nation suffered the loss of a renowned journalist, Tim Russert. His fellows spoke of him as a man who appreciated his father as well as the gift of his own fatherhood. Russert’s peers roundly acknowledged his passion for his family, for politics, and for his Catholic faith. Each of these passions involves accountability to God and others—not the relationship of a worker to a superior, but a communion with others steeped in good will, involving mutual rights and responsibilities, such as family, politics, and religion serve to foster.

We pray that our spiritual and physical fathers may take courage and be men of living faith. Sheep need shepherds, and children need fathers who can offer clear direction based on truth and experience.