Today, in the Gospel, Jesus seeks to take His little group away to a quiet place and rest, only to find when their boat puts in to shore that a crowd of people are already there before them and are waiting for them. The planned holiday now give way to the needs of this hungry people, who are hungry for more of what Jesus has to offer them. The sight of these people has a profound effect on Jesus. He is deeply moved by what He sees – people who seem lost and directionless, people who seem vulnerable to every wind that blows. St. Mark, writing this Gospel story, says the people were like sheep without a shepherd. Shepherds, as we know, provide leadership and good guidance for sheep, finding new pastures for them and keeping guard over them in the watches of the night, so that predators may not attack and kill them. Everyone deserves to be loved and cared for, but the world is full of sorrow.
The world needs shepherds. Everyone needs a shepherd. Without the care and love and protection of a shepherd we will all be lost. Sometimes people fall through the cracks in society. No one seems to be responsible, and young people and poor are left to die by the wayside. But we are all involved. Jesus could have turned that boat around and gone off in search of another place for peace and quiet. But to do that is to close your heart to human need. Jesus, the good shepherd, tells us differently.