TRAMPLED GRASS AND MUDDIED WATER

Is it not enough for you to feed
on the good pasture?
Must you also trample
the rest of your pasture with your feet?
Is it not enough for you to drink clear water?
Must you also muddy the rest with your feet?
Must my flock feed on what you have trampled
and drink what you have muddied
with your feet?

Ezekiel 34:18-19 (read 34:11-24) - NIV

Biblical writers often use the word "sheep" to describe human beings. They almost always pass the image of helpless creatures that depend on a pastor in order to survive. Their nature makes them unable to overcome dangers. They are dependent on leadership and easily conduced. Churches take advantage of this image in order to secure their members within the safety of the "fold" and encourage them not to go beyond its limits! Whoever goes out of bounds becomes a "black sheep". The pastor is portrayed as a strong figure to lead weak sheep.

The prophet Ezekiel portrays the other side of the personality of “sheepness”, a lack of mutual solidarity. Ewes and bucks can be nasty, mean and disrespectful to each other. Ezekiel treats the flock as a "miniature world". Some get fat, trample the grass and dirty the water while others are condemned to be skinny on a diet of trampled grass and dirty water. The weak and sick are abused and butted out of the flock.

This symbolism is simple and deep, an accurate portrayal of the history of mankind! Today this comparison goes further to describe the social situation of the planet Earth than when it was written many centuries ago. With the overpopulation of the world, the human being is becoming a "virus" and a "plague." The virus destroys its host and the plague consumes resources until all is destroyed. The world today is divided between a few "fat sheep" and great numbers of "skinny sheep". But there has appeared another aggravating factor: There may not be enough good grass and clean water left over even for the "fat sheep". All will end up being affected by the misuse of grass and water.

The prophet was right: judgment will come. We do not know how. It may be through humanly induced social or ecological disasters, by volcanic action or a meteorite striking the Earth in an apocalyptic fashion.

The prophecy represents a deep yearning of human beings for justice and peace. We want to see things come together in order, the end of evil and the attainment of good and happiness to everyone. Since the prophet Isaiah, 2750 years ago, there are prophecies of a successor to King David who will bring order to the "pasture". But with the passing of centuries this solution seems increasingly remote. The Jews still await the Triumphant Messiah and Christians continue to hope for the Conquering Christ's return in the clouds. But will the solution be an intervention coming from above? Don’t count on it! Probably the solution rests with us who created the situation in the first place or with us as citizens of the Kingdom.

We claim that Jesus is among us, but we do not live out His presence. Jesus said that the Kingdom of God is within us and that we are already a part of it. Independent of any catastrophic event in the future we can share the "pasture" and live without "trampling the grass", "dirtying the water" or "butting the sick" out of the herd. Regardless of a future, we can let the Eternal guide us here and now.

EZEKIEL 34:11-24 – NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION (NIV)

“‘For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I myself will search for my sheep and look after them. As a shepherd looks after his scattered flock when he is with them, so will I look after my sheep. I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered on a day of clouds and darkness. I will bring them out from the nations and gather them from the countries, and I will bring them into their own land. I will pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in all the settlements in the land. I will tend them in a good pasture, and the mountain heights of Israel will be their grazing land. There they will lie down in good grazing land, and there they will feed in a rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. I myself will tend my sheep and have them lie down, declares the Sovereign Lord. I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice.

“‘As for you, my flock, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: I will judge between one sheep and another, and between rams and goats. Is it not enough for you to feed on the good pasture? Must you also trample the rest of your pasture with your feet? Is it not enough for you to drink clear water? Must you also muddy the rest with your feet? Must my flock feed on what you have trampled and drink what you have muddied with your feet?

“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign Lord says to them: See, I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you shove with flank and shoulder, butting all the weak sheep with your horns until you have driven them away, I will save my flock, and they will no longer be plundered. I will judge between one sheep and another. I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd.  the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken.