From: Ezekiel 34:11-12, 15-17
The Lord, the Shepherd of Israel
[11] ”For thus says the Lord God: Behold, I, I myself will search for
my sheep, and will seek them out. [12] As a shepherd seeks out his
flock when some of his sheep” have been scattered abroad, so will I
seek out my sheep; and I will rescue them from all places where they
have been scattered on a day of clouds and thick darkness. [15] I
myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down,
says the Lord God. [16] I will seek the lost, and I will bring back
the strayed, and I will bind up the crippled, and I will strengthen
the weak, and the fat and the strong I will watch over;” I will feed
them in justice.
[17] ”As for you, my flock, thus says the Lord GOD: Behold, I judge
between sheep and sheep, rams and he-goats.
Commentary:
34:11-22. Ezekiel says that God has made himself a shepherd for his
people (v. 11); he always looks out for them (vv. 12-16), neglecting
none. This solicitude includes the practice of justice (vv. 17-22); in
this new stage it becomes clearer that divine love and mercy are
compatible with condemnation of the wicked (v. 20): in fact, love can
never exclude justice. This beautiful oracle resounds in our Lord’s
parable of the Good Shepherd who takes care of his sheep (ef. Jn
10:1-21), in what he says about the Father’s joy on finding the lost
sheep (cf. Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7), and in things he has to say about
the Last Judgment as reported by St Matthew (Mt 25:31-46). In a sermon
on pastors, St Augustine comments: “He stands guard over us when we
are awake and while we sleep. If an earthly flock is safe in the
vigilant care of a human shepherd, how much more secure are we, who
have God as our shepherd, not only because he desires to teach and
help us, but because he is our creator. "As for you, my flock, thus
says the Lord God: Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep, rams and
he-goats" (Ezek 34:17). Why are he-goats to be found among God’s
flock? Goats who will be sent to the left, and sheep that will be
called to the right side of God, are to be found in the same fields
and by the same streams; and He tends together those who will later be
separated. The meek patience of sheep is an imitation of the patience
of God. He will separate the flock later, sending some to the right
and some to the left” ("Sermones", 47).
Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text
taken from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries
made by members of the Faculty of Theology of the University of
Navarre, Spain. Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock,
Co. Dublin, Ireland.