THE GOOD SHEPHERDPastor/the civil rulers of Judah as well as the priests, are false shepherds in contrast with the true one that God will raise up. The Lord is the true shepherd of His flock. The accusation, “scattered my flock” was literally as well as spiritually true. As a result of the neglect, tyranny, weakness and apostasy of the rulers, the Israelites were dispersed into Egypt, Assyria,Babylon…He says He will make them return to their fields. Though certain and final doom was to fall upon the shepherds, or rulers, there was hope for the remnant of the flock. The prophet brought these messages of hope to Judah at the very time when the besieging armies of Babylon were being brought against Jerusalem, perhaps during the time Jehoiachin was being besieged in 597. God “shall feed them”. The evil shepherds fed themselves and fed not the flock. God planned that the shepherds of the restoration should be true to their name and trust and be faithful undershepherds of the chief Shepherd. (1Peter 5:2,4). A just branch and a king shall reign:Christ will rule as King (a David figure) Judah and Israel shall be saved/restored by ” The Lord our righteousness”. This title calls to attention to the fact that righteousness comes only through Christ. In the gospel reading, Jesus has compassion on a great multitude. Moved with compassion, Jesus left the secluded spot on the hillside where He and His disciples had spent some time together (for relaxation/respite and instruction) and graciously welcomed the people and began to teach them many things. In the second reading, Paul says that we are made near (referring to gentiles, strangers, those without God /Atheoi,hope) by the blood of Christ. It is said the lady who authored that beautiful hymn “Rock of Ages” was converted by hearing a sermon on Eph. 2:13 preached by a working man in a barn. Christ is not only the peacemaker,He Himself is peace, the bond of union and of peace. In Him, all divisions of mankind are to be abolished. By being their peace before God,Christ effected peace between Jew and Gentile. In the sacrifice of His body on the cross, Christ abolished the law of commandments contained in ordinances thereby doing away with the enmity. (Here it can be argued reasonably that Paul is referring to the ceremonial law, not the moral law. It is true that the ceremonial law came to an end at the cross because it pointed to Christ and Christ had fulfilled its types. After the crucifixion, it was no longer necessary for the child of God to engage in the ritual of Judaism. The cross was the means of reconciliation and the place where enmity was destroyed. The cross is the great leveler ,the common denominator for all men,because Christ died for all, and there is no other means of salvation. Jesus preached peace to the far off and nigh. The rending of the Temple veil at the death of Christ (Mat 27:51) not only symbolised that type had met Antitype and thus the ceremonial system had come to its end ,but also symbolised that dividing wall between Jew and Gentile was broken. The Jews needed reconciliation as much as the Gentiles did ,for while they had a knowledge of God, they were separated from Him by their traditions and their sins (Isaiah 59:2)