Friends,
We can see that in Old Testament times, too, there were misleading religious leaders. Even among those following the true God, there can be misguided or ill-intentioned individuals. This is a sad reality that speaks not of any weakness on God's part but on own. In the Old Testament reading today (Jer 23:1-6), God promises to punish the bad shepherds and appoint good ones. God promises to protect His people, His Church, overall and keep them gathered to Himself. What a powerful promise that is, that we may find poor individual leaders and pastors - weak humans, like all of us - but trust in God's care and the Church He established for His children.It is worth noting, too, that while the second paragraph prefigures Christ - the righteous shoot of David, the king to reign and govern wisely - the first speaks of appointing shephers in the plural. God is giving us not just Chirst - as if that wasn't gift enough! - but promising us human shepherds that we can trust as well God protects the Church He made, against which "the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail". (Matt 16:18)
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