Psalm 55; Ezekiel 34:1-17
Matthew 27:1-11
Psalm 23, John 10
I am amazed at how many people have felt betrayed by their pastors, church leaders, or fellow Christians. We come with such high expectations--finally "we have found a home, a family, a place to belong, people to trust." We open up and allow ourselves to be known. We place trust in leaders. And then it happens--the pastor runs off with the church secretary, sexually abuses a child, absconds with the building fund, betrays a confidence, gossips, or simply lets us down in our time of greatest need.
David was betrayed. He states "If an enemy were insulting me I could hide from him. But it is you, a man like myself, my companion, my close friend with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship as we walked with the throng at the house of God" [who betrayed me.] (Psalm 55) Jesus was betrayed for thirty pieces of silver by his disciple and friend, Judas.
God tells Ezekiel to reprimand the shepherds of Israel saying, "Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should shepherds not take care of the sheep? . . . You have not strengthened the weak or healed the sick or bound up the injured. You have not brought back the strays or searched for the lost. You have ruled them harshly and brutally. So they were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth and no one searched or looked for them" (vv.2b-6). People are often "scattered" because they have felt betrayed by those in whom they trusted.
Betrayal is a fact of life and if we fail to overcome betrayal we are wounded for life. We become self-protective, distrustful, cynical, angry, suspicious and critical. but how can we possibly overcome such great hurt? The answer is by following the True Shepherd (John 10). One who is not only willing to die for his sheep, but actually does die for the sheep. One who will never fail and who gives us the grace to forgive those humans who have failed us. God tells Ezekiel "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 pasture them . . . I will tend them . . . I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak . . . (vv. 11-16).
Do not stay scattered by bitterness. Allow the Shepherd to do his work in you. Let him bind your wounds and bring you back into the fold where you will be cared for once again. Yes, humans are fallible and they have the power to hurt you, and perhaps you will be hurt again, but the True Shepherd binds the wounds and brings you into safe pasture, satisfies your thirst with cool water, and prepares you a feast in the presence of your enemies. David knew this, do you? "The Lord is my shepherd."
