Was it not enough for you to feed upon good pastures? but you must also tread down with your feet the residue of your pastures: and when you drank the clearest water, you troubled the rest with your feet.
הַמְעַ֣ט מִכֶּ֗ם הַמִּרְעֶ֤ה הַטּוֹב֙ תִּרְע֔וּ וְיֶ֙תֶר֙ מִרְעֵיכֶ֔ם תִּרְמְס֖וּ בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֑ם וּמִשְׁקַע־מַ֣יִם תִּשְׁתּ֔וּ וְאֵת֙ הַנּ֣וֹתָרִ֔ים בְּרַגְלֵיכֶ֖ם תִּרְפֹּשֽׂוּן׃
4 Church Fathers comment on this verse
Is it not sufficient for you that you are feeding on rich pastures? The descendants of Levi, skilled in the law and partaking of what seems like a lush pasture and refreshing water—the teachings of Moses—have, in a sense, trampled on the pasture and stirred the waters, presenting coarse, earthly, and impure teachings to followers who, like sheep, are led astray by them.
He now addresses the flock, referring to both the sheep and goats within the community, as well as those in positions of leadership among them. He questions them, saying, "Was it not sufficient for you to feed upon the rich pastures of the Scriptures? Why have you also trampled upon the remaining fields with your feet? You have sipped from the purest waters of God's utterances, yet you have sullied the other waters by your actions, allowing my people to consume the pastures you have desecrated and to drink from muddy waters. They receive what is good in itself, but which has been tainted and spoiled because of you. This behavior is a mark of all heretics, who seek to diminish and undermine the teachings of the Scriptures.
Additionally, those within the Church who stray from authentic doctrine, crafting beliefs from their own perspectives and being swayed by personal opinions, fall into similar deception. They persuade the faithful of the validity of their inventions, drawing applause and stirring up approval, leading the people to overlook their ignorance. They elevate themselves with a show of authority, manipulating their speech and mannerisms to assume the role of teachers.
The message is directed towards those who are affluent, relying on their wealth in a lavish manner, utilizing it not merely for their necessities but also for excess. This is a reality that persists, as evidenced by the parable of Lazarus, which illustrates that the wealthy individual failed to share even the scraps from his table with the beggar. The story of Lazarus clearly demonstrates that the rich man neglected to offer even the remnants of his abundance to the less fortunate.
There are individuals who meticulously examine the principles of spiritual knowledge and are diligent in their pursuit of theological understanding. However, their actions contradict the insights they have gained, rendering their teachings and admonitions, which stem from a singular theory and are often unsupported by practice, ineffective and inconsistent. Their proclamations fail to align with their behaviors. Thus, when a shepherd traverses rocky terrain, it is not surprising that the flock following him may fall into peril.
The Lord condemns the careless understanding of these shepherds, addressing them through the prophet with these significant words: “As ye pasture your sheep in the good pasture, and trample upon your own feet, and drink of the water that is still, and stir up the water that is still with your feet; and my sheep live by the trampling of your feet, and drink of the water that is stirred up with your feet” (Ezekiel 34:18-19). Indeed, true shepherds enjoy nourishing pastures and pure water when they derive their teachings from the untainted source of truth and comprehend it meaningfully. Yet, they simultaneously spoil that pasture and contaminate that water through their sinful actions, which obscure and tarnish the sacred doctrines to which they aspire through deep reflection. Consequently, their sheep partake of food and water that have been disturbed by their shepherds’ feet; for it is often the conduct and examples of those in authority, rather than merely their words, that have the most significant impact on their followers.
Passages read together with this verse.
THEOSIS