In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

     While our lessons today do not include the classic and familiar passage from John 10, where Jesus declares himself the Good Shepherd, there is an over-arching sheep and shepherd theme to our lessons today. It begins with the warning of the Lord, through the prophet Jeremiah to the kings of Israel and Judah, that they dare not be shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of the Lord's pasture, lest they be attended to for their evil doings, and the Lord, himself, come gather the remnant of the flock to bring them back to their fold, and raise up new shepherds over them who WILL shepherd the flock of the Lord faithfully. That's the message about sheep and shepherds in our first reading. Our psalm picks up that theme, as the psalmist proclaims, "The Lord is my shepherd, therefore, I shall not be in want." As we heard in Jeremiah, though the flock of God's people belonged to the God of Israel, the kings raised up by the Lord were to be undershepherds-what we call "pastors"-who were supposed to tend the flock for the Lord. But as the kings and rulers of Israel and Judah became increasingly untrustworthy and unfaithful in their pastoring, the people turned to the Lord God himself, placing their trust, not in kings and rulers, not in human guides and providers-they turned to God, saying, in the words of the psalmist, "The Lord is my shepherd-the Lord is the one who provides for me-the Lord makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters.yes, it is the Lord himself who guides me and comforts me, taking me, finally, to dwell in His house, forever." That's what we hear in the beloved 23rd Psalm, about sheep and shepherds. And then, we turn to our Gospel lesson from Mark 6, and what do we hear in this passage? Well, at first, you don't notice much about sheep and shepherds at all. As I pointed out last week, we are in a continuous reading from the Gospel of Mark, with the exception of the verses that are exluded from this week's lesson-verses 35-52. From the Gospel of Mark this summer, we've heard about Jesus preaching and being rejected in his own hometown, in his home synagogue; we've heard about Jesus sending out his disciples to preach repentance; we heard last week about the beheading of John the Baptist. And then this week, we hear about the apostles returning from their preaching mission, telling Jesus all that they had done and taught. Realizing how difficult and stressful things had been recently, Jesus invites the disciples to "Come away to a deserted place all by yourselves and rest a while", for so many were coming to them, that they had no leisure even to eat. And Jesus and the apostles went away in a boat to a deserted place by themselves, for some much needed rest and spiritual revitalization. But as many people saw them going, these people hurried there on foot from all the towns and arrived there ahead of them. So that when Jesus went ashore, there they were-a great crowd-so that there would be no rest and renewal for Jesus and the twelve disciples. And does Jesus send the crowds away? Does Jesus deny them, because he and his disciples need some quiet time? St. Mark tells us, "Jesus had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd, and he began to teach them many things." And while that is the only reference to sheep and shepherd in our gospel lesson today, that says it all. Jesus, the Shepherd, sacrifices his own rest and renewal, for the sake of the people who were like sheep without a shepherd. Jesus becomes, for them, the good shepherd. But we have to ask, what does it mean for people to be like sheep without a shepherd? We miss the complete meaning of this passage, because our appointed gospel lesson excludes verses 35-52! Because just after Jesus sees that the crowds are like sheep without a shepherd, Jesus does two things. First, as we hear in verse 34, "he began to teach them many things".and then, in the passage that's missing from our gospel lesson, Jesus feeds his disciples in the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand with five loaves of bread and two fish. As you remember, the disciples were ready to send the people off into the country and villages by themselves to buy themselves something to eat, but Jesus tells them, "You give them something to eat." And in a miraculous feeding that, in the actions of Jesus, prefigures the Last Supper, Jesus feeds the multitude-those who were sheep without a shepherd. And in his teaching and in his feeding of the sheep, Jesus shows us what it means to be.sheep without a shepherd. For what is the purpose of a shepherd? Well, to protect and guide his sheep. But why must sheep be protected and guided? Because they have to eat! A shepherd in Jesus' time could easily have built an enclosure that would have kept the sheep in, and kept predators out. But sheep need to eat! So, shepherd took their flocks out onto the hillsides where there would be grass for grazing and water for drinking. The shepherd led his sheep to good pastures, and to still, healthy waters, all the while watching over them and watching out for them. But all of this was because, sheep needed to eat. The shepherd had no need to lead his sheep around the countryside for exercise-he didn't take the sheep out to sight-see. The shepherd's primary task was to guide the sheep to good pasture, and fresh water, and to protect them on their way so that none would be lost. That is the role of the shepherd, to feed and water the sheep-- and so, we see that sheep without a shepherd, would be hungry and thirsty! And indeed, that's how the crowds of people appeared to Jesus-hungry and thirsty! Why else would they follow him wherever he went, crowding around him, begging him that they might touch even the fringe of his cloak? Because they were starving for the bread of life! They were hungering and thirsting for what only Jesus could provide! They needed, desperately, the Word of Life, the presence of God in their lives; they needed forgiveness and reconciliation and healing and new life and eternal life! Because they were like sheep without a shepherd, they'd been wandering aimlessly through life, wandering here and there, to and fro, never finding the green pastures and the still waters that they needed for healing and for wholeness. And it is that which Jesus provides-as seeing their need, he immediately began to teach them many things-He shared His Word with them, and then, He fed them with miraculous food. And what does that sound like, but Sunday worship!

     Because aren't people today, very much like sheep without a shepherd? Don't we get to Wednesday or Thursday each and every week, and find we are spiritually hungry, yearning for Word and Sacrament? Aren't there people in our world today who are wandering aimlessly, because they know not where to find green pasture and living water? Aren't we wandering here and there, looking for something real, and substantial that will fill our hunger and quench our thirst, for love and acceptance, forgiveness and healing, for life!? Sometimes, we find we are filling ourselves with all kinds of activities, information, and pursuits that look intriguing, and keep us busy-but ultimately leave us empty, because they are like so much fast food-momentarily tasty, but not providing real nourishment and good health. And partly, it's because people today just don't know where to look to find green grass and still water-the staff of life that makes us healthy and strong-spiritually. We go to the new age store, we watch hour after hour of television programming trying to glean from Oprah or Dr. Phil-help for living, how to be healthy, guidance for relationships. We spend hundreds of dollars on self-help books at Barnes and Noble, only to find that, though all of that may provide momentary assistance-a marker along the way-none of it-none of it has eternal significance. None of it can feed us, not just for life, but for eternal life. None of it can provide us with the guidance and nourishment we need, for salvation, and so for life transformation. In that regard, we remain like sheep without a shepherd. In that regard, the one who can revive our soul, and guide us along right pathways, and help us to fear no evil though we walk through the valley of death-the one who can feed us in the presence of our enemies, and anoint us with the oil of gladness, and cause our cup to runneth over-the one who can ensure that goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life-is the Lord, Jesus, who is our shepherd! The Lord Jesus, who sees us, and has compassion on us, and feeds us, with his Word, and with His miraculous food-that we may be, not aimless in life, but directed and purposeful; that we may not be spiritually hungry, but filled with His presence; that we may not be sheep without a shepherd, but lambs who are nourished and strong, because of the Good Shepherd-because of the Lord who is our Shepherd.

     And that's why Jesus comes to us, each and every Sunday-that's why Jesus sees us here, and has compassion on us, and speaks His Word to us, and -and feeds us with His holy, miraculous meal of bread and wine, that become His incarnate presence-because we need His shepherding. We need Him to feed us and guide us. We need the gift of His presence, and the gift of His grace, in us, and in our lives. And just as that's why Jesus comes to us, that's why we keep coming to Him-because we realize we are hungry and thirsty-we realize we must be fed with spiritual food. We realize that without Word and Sacrament, we go hungry.and sooner or later, without this spiritual nourishment, we will wither and die, spiritually. So, just as Jesus comes, we know He will come, and so we come-to be in His presence, to receive Him, in Word and Sacrament, to be fed, and nourished, and strengthened-for life, and for health, and for service in the world. So, all ye who are hungry and thirsty and need to be eat, come-to the green pastures and the still waters-come, for the meal has been prepared for you!

     In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.