The Fourth Sunday of Easter is celebrated each year as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel for the day is taken from John 10 where Jesus uses the image — “I am the Good Shepherd” — and the other reading for the day pick up the theme. The image of God as shepherd is a common one in the Bible and it makes sense in the pastoral environment in which the Bible was written. What is somewhat surprising is how modern people who have never seen a shepherd in their lives have embraced the symbol as well. How many funerals have you been to where Psalm 23 was proclaimed or sung! “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want … he leads me to green pastures. I shall dwell in the house of Lord for years to come.” The second reading assigned for today is from the Book of Revelation: “the Lamb who is in the center of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to springs of life-giving water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” That modern people connect with this image is surprising because of the way we thing about sheep. To be sheep for contemporary thinkers is to be passive, to follow blindly, to be submissive — not the values we promote for people today.
I have spoken of my own personal encounter with shepherds before because it was formative in my own understanding of what Jesus means as the Good Shepherd. I was in the hills above Mexico City when a large flock of sheep started moving toward me. They were wandering each on their own path eating as they went but always in the same direction. That was because the shepherd was behind them, pushing them in the right direction, bringing those who were wandering off back to the fold, urging the laggards to keep up. Instead of being out front like an infantry captain (“Follow me, boys”) the shepherd was behind the scene, more of a coach keeping the team in the game. The sheep, therefore, were each going their own way but always with the prompting of the shepherd.
The Good Shepherd does have a plan for us, a green pasture toward which we are going. However, there is more than one way to get there. We will at times get off the right path. We will at times lose our connection with the rest. But the Shepherd will be there, making sure that we find our way back to the fold. On this Good Shepherd Sunday let us remember that as members of his flock, Jesus promises us life. When we feel lost or confused his voice will call us back and point us in the right direction.
