Acts4, 8-12 / 1Jn 3, 1-2 / John 10, 11-18
The
image of shepherd that Jesus uses to describe himself comes from a long Old
Testament tradition. Abel was a shepherd. Moses worked as a shepherd. The young David was a shepherd. And God, “Yahweh”, was called “the Shepherd
of Israel”. In John’s gospel Jesus calls
himself “the good shepherd”. That is a
rather tame translation of what the gospel actually says in Greek. There it uses the Greek word “kalos”, meaning
beautiful, wonderful. Jesus actually
says: “I am the wonderful, the beautiful shepherd.”
But
what makes him such a beautiful, wonderful shepherd? He tells us.
“A wonderful shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” That image and language of “laying down your
life” is quite unique to Jesus. It is
not found elsewhere in the Hebrew Scriptures.
Here Jesus is referring to a practice that his listeners would have been
very familiar with. In Jesus’ time, as
evening was coming on, all the sheep in a village would be herded into a common
corral or sheepfold. Then, as night came
on and the villagers were going to bed, one shepherd would stay the whole night
at the corral. This shepherd would lie
down across the opening to the corral. He’d
stay there all night – till dawn. Any
sheep wanting to go out would have to do so over the body of the shepherd. And any wolf seeking entry into the sheepfold
would likewise have to come in over the shepherd’s body. So, the good shepherd, the wonderful shepherd
stayed there all night with the sheep. He
did not get up and run away at the sight of a wolf. The wonderful shepherd literally put down –
laid down his body, his life for the sake of the sheep.
We
might reflect that at this liturgy Jesus continues to be a wonderful shepherd –
for us. In the Eucharist Jesus lays down
his life, his body for us. And he says
to us: “Take, eat: my body for you. Take,
drink in: my life for you.”
But
there’s something else here that I think is very important for us to
appreciate. Jesus says he lays down his
life freely – but also that he had to learn how to lay down his life. He had to learn how to be a wonderful
shepherd. And he tells us he learned
that from the Father. Jesus sensed the
Father laying down his life for him. He
experienced the Father giving him his own life, his own love. Jesus watches the Father sharing with him his
own life, holding nothing back. He sees
that love and obeys its movement. He
receives life and love from the Father in order to give that same life and love
further – to others – to us.
Something
truly astounding is being proclaimed in this gospel. When we watch and learn from Jesus as our
Wonderful Shepherd – when we do as he did, laying down our lives and our bodies
for others – then the Father’s own life and love is passing through us into
others.
Now
I find that truly astounding and awesome.
We are where God’s life and love take on concrete shape in our
world. I am not talking about some vague
spiritual intentions. I am not talking
merely about some church prayer service or liturgy. I am talking about when we give ourselves to
one another concretely. That is never
vague. It’s always specific,
particular. It means doing concrete,
particular things: changing this diaper, getting up at that hour to go to work,
working to get this grandparent into that retirement community. And it includes making specific plans to come
to church at a particular time.
In
all of this the Father’s life and love is taking on real shape and
substance. God’s holy life and love happening
in us and through us. Giving our lives
is giving life – giving God’s life – to others.
Our every act of love comes from the heart of God; it breathes God’s own
breath – God’s own Spirit.
And
Jesus further says that those who do not belong to the flock will see this love
and be drawn into the flock. There will
be one flock and one shepherd – because in the end all of us, as human beings,
will come to recognize the goodness of a love which gives itself away and will
want to follow such love. In the end,
the prayer that we pray in the Our Father will be answered: God’s will, God’s love will come down to earth
and be done – be done by us all.
“Beloved,
see what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children
of God. And so we are. We are God’s children now!”[1Jn 3, 1-2]
Fr. Pat Earl, SJ
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