14th Sunday after Pentecost • Year C

Historical Collect

O Lord, help your people to avoid the infection of the evil one, and with pure hearts to follow you, our only Lord. Grant this, we pray, through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. (Gelasian Sacramentary, 7th Century)

Thematic Collect

Heavenly Father, you desire that all people might come to the knowledge of your mercy through your Son, Jesus. By your steadfast love and everlasting mercy bring us into your kingdom and teach us to live lives that embody your marvelous saving work; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

The Common Thread

Even David, the shepherd king of Israel, needed rescuing from sin. Only God can deliver such people who are scattered and lost in sin. Not leaving this task to faithless shepherds, God takes upon himself the role of the Shepherd of the sheep, seeking even the lost sheep, as they are of great value to him. When he finds them, he delivers them to the safety of his fold, feeding and caring for their every need. This is accomplished by his ministers teaching pure doctrine, not arguing over religious rules, but directing the sheep to their Shepherd, that they may repent and have the benefit of his abundant grace.  

First Reading • Ezekiel 34:11–24

You cannot count on prophets or pastors. That is what God declares. And so, God himself takes on the humble task of being a shepherd. Since no one else does, God finds strays and brings them back to the flock. He feeds them and provides clear water and protection. The word then goes out to shepherds, as well as the sheep: do not set up yourself as better than the rest, battering the weak, trampling down the pastures, muddying the waters. The weakest among you is the one whom the Shepherd of the Sheep has rescued. The Shepherd King is over all the sheep.

Psalm • Psalm 119:169–176

King David, the shepherd turned king, admits that even as shepherd over Israel, he too has gone astray. In humility, he asks for understanding according to God’s word, for deliverance from his own poor counsel, and for salvation. The shepherd to whom all his sheep look must first look to God or he has nothing to offer his sheep.

Second Reading • 1 Timothy 1:5–11, 12–17

The first (optional) reading from the Epistle urges pastors (shepherds) to teach pure doctrine. One of the best ways to do this is to instruct those teaching strange or different doctrines not to do so (v3). The aim of sincere faith is always directed at Jesus. It is never vain disputation about laws. The law is only of good use when it points to the grace of Christ’s gospel.

The second reading from the Epistle shows the apostle admitting that he, like David, had gone astray. He did so by teaching vain doctrines of the law, as though there was salvation to be found in keeping rules. When the grace of Christ Jesus overflowed in his life, there were two results. The first realization was that the Good Shepherd had saved the very sinners Saul (Paul) once condemned. The second profound insight was that he, himself, was the worse than those sinners.

God uses poor sinners like us to put on display his perfect patience so that wayward sheep might believe.

Gospel • Luke 15:1–10

Never give up on one of the flock. They may seem like a lost cause but the Good Shepherd specializes in such sheep. The irony of the passage is that Jesus was eating with not only tax collectors but other sinners too. It is easy to see that these sinners include Pharisees and Scribes. Yet the collection of sinners includes us as well. Thank God that Jesus also dines with us, offering himself as the meal of salvation.