Have you ever had someone lead you astray from the path you were going on? I think of the college student who is all prepared to spend the evening studying for a test until a friend comes along and says, ‘you will have your whole life to study, this party is only going to be tonight.’ Or the desert you are not planning on eating until someone says, ‘are you sure you want to skip it, it is homemade with the best of ingredients.’
We have only ourselves to blame when we are no longer on the path we set out to be on. But it can be hard to stay focused if you see what others have and you think, ‘why not me, what is the worst that can happen.’ It is like we all have this fear that if we stay on the path of righteousness, then we will miss out on some appealing and enjoyable things.
But the risk of being led astray is not only from that which is within our sinful hearts. Satan is trying us and challenging us to go astray every day. Remember the movie “Back to the Future”, where the one insult that Mary McFly cannot manage to let slide has a way of shaping his destiny. “What’s a matter McFly, Are you Chicken?”
As he chants his rally call that nobody calls him chicken- he has relented from any form of self control or composure that he would normally aspire to. What might be the weak point that Satan uses to take you off your game? You should probably know what it is, because Satan certainly does.
The world around us also stands as a ever present obstacle to our focus on the way of righteousness. There are people all around us with the potential to lead us astray. Some people in our world cannot get enough of opportunities to influence and lead others in their image. Perhaps it serves to validate their sense of identity.
The directions the world pushes us to go is part of what it means to live in a fallen world, everywhere you turn there are going to be people who are looking at what you might bring to them, often seeking their own interests instead of yours.
Have you heard of YouTube channels that people run? You can find people who put on their own content up for hours each day on You Tube channels with the express purpose of getting a following of devoted subscribers. When people are accumulating followers, we should ask, what influence do they have on their followers? Are they encouraging their followers to abide in Christ, or is there some other path they are leading people to?
Picture what it would be like if people were following you through every step in life. What guidance would you give to people? How do you know you if you really have their best interests in mind?
In our Old Testament reading from Jeremiah chapter 23 we hear a pronouncement of severe judgment toward those who lead others astray: “Woe to the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” Who are these shepherds? Those in charge in society, heads of households, leaders of families, priests scribes, elders. They have scattered the people in hopelessness. Following the example of Adam, they have cared for themselves before others. And soon there is more division than unity, more discord than peace.
How did the shepherds of Israel get this way? Did they think to themselves, let’s go as far from the Lord’s guidance as we possibly can. Not likely. Instead, what happened is that the shepherds of Israel lost sight of the Lord and tried to lead the people out of the reservoir of their own impoverished and empty hearts. Without a connection to the Lord, they had little to offer to the people they were entrusted to care for.
The Lord spoke through the prophet Jeremiah that this kind of leadership would not go on forever unchallenged. The LORD promised to bring back those who have been scattered, to shepherd those who have not been attended to. Where people failed, the LORD himself acts.
And so the people were promised shepherds who will care for them. And what is more a promise was made of a shepherd who would come from the branch of David who will bring justice and righteousness to the land. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”
Jesus of course is this shepherd of righteousness. The Lord Jesus is the only one who can shepherd us and give us security. The name ‘the Lord is our righteousness’ helps us to see that when we are in the wilderness of this world, the Holy Spirit connects us to Jesus and makes us righteous. He leads us on the right path, the narrow path of salvation and righteousness. And Jesus does this through love and mercy and kindness.
Jesus does not scatter the people who come to him. Instead, he cares for them and offers hospitality. As we heard in the feeding of the 5,000 this morning, Jesus has compassion on others in a way that could easily change or complicate his agenda for the day. Jesus’ love puts to shame all of those other paths in life that we may be drawn to. Jesus drives away Satan one lie at a time, showing with God’s Word that His truth prevails over all.
We are much like the shepherds of Israel, the fruits of our self centered agendas in life can easily serve to scatter or destroy the sheep fold. In our human capacity we do not have what it takes to shepherd people. After all, how much provision can we give to others when we ourselves so often struggle to stay afloat- glad if we are at least treading water for the time being.
But the truth is in Christ we are not just treading water, we are soaring out of the water. Jesus has overcome Satan and the sting of death. Whenever Satan tries to hold us down, it is only a temporary trial. We know in Christ we will soar through the air, and on the last day we will soar into the sky and meet Jesus in the air.
In the desolate place Jesus provided to the people. We face wilderness day by day as we are tested by Satan and endure spiritual attacks. Jesus alone gives us strength to manage trials of this word- and to care for those who are our neighbors. Only in Christ as a new creation can we live out our relationships where we care for one another day in and day out, year by year.
Think of what it would be like to journey through an actual stretch of wilderness and desert. How much water would you need to carry with you? Think of how important it would be to know where you are going so you do not go in circles. Consider how important it would be to have a supply of food, and how some foods with empty calories would not be worth carrying.
It is the same in the wilderness of this life. How can we afford to go in circles by looking to Jesus one day and looking to the false idol of the week the next day? How can we afford to pack liquids that does not satisfy or quench our thirst? Only in God’s Word can we find all of the refreshment and strength we need.
We have the gift of the Holy Spirit so that the Lord is our Shepherd wherever we go. As we prayed at the start of our worship service: “You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”