Jesus' heart was moved with pity for the vast crowd, for they were like sheep without a shepherd. Today’s Gospel reading picks up from where last Sunday’s Gospel Reading penned off. Having seen that the twelve were ready for ministry, Jesus commissioned and sent them in pairs to go and proclaim the good news of the kingdom. The mission of the twelve was met with success, and once all of them had come back, Jesus led them to a deserted place where they could be by themselves in order to rest and rejuvenate. However, it appears they had to wait for another day to have their deserved rest, for the people soon found out where they were planning to go and preceded them there. At the sight of the people, Jesus and the twelve had to shelve their plans for a restful moment in order to attend to those who were in need of their services. Jesus could not afford to send them away or leave them unattended. As the account in Matthew puts it, they appeared troubled and abandoned (cf. Matthew 9:36). Jesus realized that the people were looking for someone to shepherd them. They were in need of a shepherd.
A shepherd plays a very important role in the life of a herd or flock. While mostly seen to be wielding a "supervisory" role, the shepherd is a very essential part of any herd. A shepherd assumes the life of the herd. He/she becomes one with the herd. He/she must know each and every sheep in the flock, even to the extent of giving them names at times. The shepherd's role is that of looking after and taking care of the herd. The shepherd must know where the green pastures are, as well as how to get there. The shepherd is always on the lookout for wolves and other predatory animals, and is always ready to put his/her life on the line for the herd.
Jesus was not the first one to use the shepherd-flock imagery. The Hebrew Scripture already identifies God as a shepherd (cf. Isaiah 40:11; Jer 23:1-6, 31:10; Ez 34:31; Ps 23; 80:1, 95:7, 100:3). God assumes the role of a shepherd, with the understanding that God's role is to gather and tend the flock. However, the shepherding role was not only God's: the leaders of the people were as well drafted into this responsibility by God (cf. Numbers 27:17; 2 Sam 5:2; Jeremiah 23:2). As shepherds, the responsibility of the leaders of the community was to ensure both the material and spiritual wellbeing of those entrusted to their care. As the first line of defense of their communities, the leaders were to remain close to their people, instructing them in the ways of the Lord and leading them away from danger. In other words, it was the leaders who determined the direction taken by the community. And so when Jesus compared the gathered crowd to a shepherd-less flock, he was pointing to the failure of the appointed leaders of the people in living out their call. The leaders had deserted the people they were supposed to lead and guide. The barrier that their way of life created between them and the people meant that they could not be as close to the people as they were supposed to. The leaders had basically failed in their role as shepherds. This is why in the First Reading, we see the Lord God, through Jeremiah the prophet, pronouncing judgment on the leaders who were failing in their shepherding responsibility. The Lord declares that he will assume the shepherding role in order to gather the scattered members of the flock. Most importantly, he promises to raise up from the stock of David a perfect shepherd who will govern the people wisely and lead them to life without end. This promise was fulfilled in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.   
Jesus was aware that his mission was a fulfillment of not only the prophecies of old but also of God’s promise to raise up a shepherd for his people. He was the shepherd sent by God to gather into one flock the scattered members of the human race. When Jesus later declared himself as the good shepherd (cf. John 10:1-18), he did so because of the manner in which he has embraced the shepherding responsibility. Unlike the shepherds who neglected their duty, Jesus assumed the life of the flock and became close to the sheep. The Gospel accounts present the crowds always mobbing Jesus because he gave them life. Jesus was able to heal those who were sick and possessed by demons because he shared in their lot and understood their predicament. He was able to feed those who were hungry and cloth those who were naked because he had experienced their plight. As one of them, Jesus knew what it meant to be hungry, cold, and naked. Jesus was able to pity them because he knew them by name. They were his very own.