Reflection - Choosing

By Steve Hall

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/020522.cfm
I Kings 3:4-13
Mark 6:30-34

As Solomon began his tenure as King of God’s people the text tells us that he had a good start. He asked God for what he most needed to be a suitable King for the people. His desire was fulfilled and he was blessed with even more besides. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the later years of Solomon’s life. In those days he gave free reign to the pagan beliefs and practices of his numerous wives, many of whom were foreigners. He himself contributed to these practices by establishing worship centers (which the Scripture calls ‘high places’) for them right there in the Promised Land. We can only guess, but we certainly must wonder what changed in his character that seemed so promising at the beginning.

When we turn to the gospel text we may wonder about the description of the people: “they were like sheep without a shepherd.” These were the people of God, the Chosen People. How should we interpret the meaning of those words? Naturally we turn to the role and work of the shepherd. The twenty-third psalm can help us there.

The shepherd seeks and finds green pastures and still waters for his flock. He leads them on paths and trails that are secure, such that the sheep will fear no attacks from wild animals. His rod and his staff, the principal tools of his occupation provide comfort in assurancing that the flock will remain together.

The people that Jesus encountered as he disembarked from the boat could count on none of these things. The treaties and alliances their kings had made with foreigners had brought little but taxes and tribute, restrictions and disdain. The Law they had inherited, especially as it had been interpreted by the Pharisees, had become an obstacle to their spiritual growth. Their faith was under attack from the pagan cultures which threatened to overwhelmed them. Once more they lived under a foreign power with little control over their very lives.

The Scriptures selected for today present two different images of those whose spiritual lives have departed from the trail markers set before them. On the one hand we have King Solomon. The record of his encounter with the Lord can only be viewed as auspicious with the potential for a Kingdom even greater than that of his father, David. But it is David, not Solomon, whom Biblical history remembers as the one who was “after God’s own heart.” (I Samuel 13:14) Why? Because somewhere along the way Solomon took a path of his own choosing. In doing so, he effectively abandoned the faith of his fathers.

The second image is that of a large group from among the Chosen People. Between the foolishness of so many earlier kings who had chosen their own path, the proprietary spiritual leadership of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and the unavoidable influence of the pagans among them, they had little more than their spiritual culture to carry them along. In the past God had spoken with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Samuel, David and so many others. Then there was an extensive period when the Word of God came to those known as prophets: Samuel, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Amos, Hosea, Obadiah, Micah, and again, so many others. In Jesus’ day neither spiritual leader nor prophet had appeared on the scene for four hundred years. Is it any wonder that the people would appear to be “sheep without a shepherd.”

Jesus’ response to the situation is instructive: “he began to teach them many things.” Although we are given no indication of what he taught in this situation, it seems safe to assume that he taught them the same truths that he taught elsewhere in the Gospel texts: God loves you. He is here with you. He will not leave you. If you would live in his Kingdom value it and pursue it; place nothing and no one before him; love your neighbor, even your enemies.

There are many reasons why people wander from the path that leads to salvation. Some may depart but a short way as they spot something that begs for closer inspection, others may decide on an alternative that beckons with its mystery. I suspect that most either don’t pay attention to where they are going or have never been educated to read the trail markers that guide the way. We live with both the blessing and the burden of free will. God lets us choose. As long as we remain on or close to his path he can and will provide guidance for the next step and the next choice. If we elect to choose our own, to do it our way, the potential for his assistance is diminished both because we march to the beat of a different drummer and because we have learned to disregard the word he speaks.

The drum of culture is loud and unceasing. The drum of the self-sufficient individual is the same. In our day, the beats that celebrates material success, the pursuit of pleasure and mind numbing entertainment are all strong. Only relics from the past still measure success by the strength of our faith and our closeness to God. Only remnants still regard the pursuit of the Kingdom and the holiness it requires to be useful. Only the few find the presence of God in their identity as His People.

Like the people Jesus encountered on the shore, many yet today are like “sheep without a shepherd.”

The spirituality that once was enmeshed in our culture is but a shadow from the past. Once more Jesus is there to teach us many things. His words are still the same: if you would fill the emptiness in your lives you must learn that Your Father loves you. He is here with you. He will not leave you. If you would live in his Kingdom value it and pursue it; place nothing and no one before him; love your neighbor, even your enemies.