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Meditation – Sunday before advent Year A
Ezekiel 34: 11-16, 20-24
Psalm 95 or 100
Ephesians 1: 15-23
Matthew 25: 31-46


There is a message of intense intimacy, and some startling surprises, in the Bible readings for this week. Ezekiel paints an amazingly tender portrait of the Lord as a shepherd who “himself” searches for his sheep, rescues them, gathers them, pastures, tends and heals them. (Ezekiel 34 v 11-16a) There is a shock in verse 16b, though; “the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the sheep with justice.” The explanation follows in verses 20-24; it is the sheep who mistreat the weak, shoving and butting and driving them away, that the Lord will judge so that his flock will no longer be plundered. It is hardly a realistic picture of farming practices; what sort of farmer would rid his flock of the strong, sleek and fat sheep in favour of the weak? But it gives us the image of a superlatively kind and just shepherd who seeks to protect those most in need of his care...

Created by Susan Thorne on behalf of LWPT (Leaders of Worship and Preachers Trust) for more information click here.

Publisher: LWPT - view more
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