I Am the Good Shepherd

I am the Good Shepherd

Jn 10: 11 – 17

Fourth Sunday of Easter

Today’s gospel reading is about Jesus the good shepherd. The image of a  shepherd has often been used in the Old Testament to symbolize God’s role in leading his people Israel. God is a shepherd who provides for his people (Ezekiel  34: 1- 31). 

The image of a shepherd leading his sheep is a very familiar image especially in a country like Israel where sheep and goats are a common livestock. Sheep and goats need to be tended well and cannot be left on their own. This is why a shepherd is always there to take care of them.

The dependency of the flock on the shepherd is real. The sheep cannot survive without a shepherd. Without a shepherd, it is impossible for the flock to navigate through vast and at times dangerous terrain to find food and be protected from all sorts of predators.

It is no wonder therefore, that God uses the imagery of the shepherd and the flock to describe his relationship with his people Israel. God takes care of Israel as his own flock. He guards them and feeds them and protects them from whatever harm may come their way.

In our reading today, however, the image of the shepherd is appropriated by Jesus himself when he said: “ I am the good shepherd.” The imagery that was used to describe God is now claimed by Jesus himself.  In doing so, Jesus reveals to us that the God who is known to be Israel’s shepherd is now present and alive in him. He is now the shepherd of Israel.

It is also important to notice how Jesus uses the words “ I am” in making such claim. In the gospel of John, the statements of Jesus that begin with the words “ I am” echo the name of Yahweh which means : “ I am who I am” (Exodus 3: 14). Jesus now claims this title of shepherd as one who is God himself.

It is interesting to see how Jesus makes the distinction between the good shepherd and what he calls the “ hired man.” On one hand, Jesus says that the hired man is not even a shepherd because the sheep are not his own. This is the reason why the hired man runs away at the first sign of danger. The good shepherd on the other hand, lays down his life for the sheep because they are his own. For Jesus, ownership is a whole world of difference between one who is a good shepherd and one who is not. This sense of ownership drives the good shepherd to protect the sheep at all costs, risking his own life for the sake of the sheep. Such commitment and devotion Jesus says, results in a deep and intimate knowledge between shepherd and sheep: “ I know my own and my own know me.”

In describing his relationship with the sheep, Jesus makes this constant reference to his relationship with the Father. He knows his sheep just as he knows the Father and as the Father knows him.  Similarly, Jesus loves his sheep and the Father loves him in return because he lays down his life for his sheep. This constant reference to Jesus’ knowledge and love for the Father and his sheep seem to form an unbreakable triangle of intimate relationship. The sheepfold then becomes an integral part in the relationship between Father and Son.  

When we reflect on Jesus the good shepherd, we cannot just imagine how much love is invested on us. The ever present Jesus who keeps watch over us will not hesitate to lay down his life for our sake. At the first sign of danger, Jesus moves to protect us so we can be led safely and secure.  He establishes with us a personal relationship that allows him to claim and say: “ I know my sheep and my sheep know me.” Jesus knows us through and through with the knowledge that equals the knowledge he has of the Father. He loves us in the same way that he loves his Father.

When we are known and loved in such an incredible way, is there anything else that we should want or desire? If we are known and loved in the way Jesus describes it, is there anything else that we should be afraid of? It is our ignorance and lack of faith in the good shepherd that creates so much anxiety and fear in our lives; so much uncertainty, so much insecurity.

Yet it is the gentle Jesus who tells us that all is well as he keeps watch over us; that there is nothing to fear or nothing to be insecure about since he leads us gently to the right path. In the gentle arms of the shepherd who is not afraid to lay down his life for us, we can rest and feel secure. And when we have fully placed our faith in this divine shepherd we can confidently say and declare:

“ The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley I fear no evil for you are with me…” . Amen.  - (Psalm 23)