Posted by The WORD in other words (2018) by Fr Simon Boiser SVD – Hamburg, Germany
4th Sunday of Easter – B
“The Lord is not my shepherd for I am not a sheep,” said a small boy to his teacher during a religion class. Young children often take things literally; they cannot understand symbolic language. Many skeptical adults, who make fun of religion, may also use this literal approach to disclaim expressions of faith.
In the Letter of John, we are reminded of our deeper identity as God’s children. We are created in God’s image, according to the Book of Genesis (Gen 1:27). Our ultimate self-worth is based on God’s love for us, not on our success, riches and popularity.
Being part of God’s family, we are encouraged to live like Jesus did but not instantly overnight. Our Christian life is a process of becoming, of growing towards resembling God. We can do this by purifying ourselves, trying to live morally straight, free from the corruption of sin. One who knows God, will purify himself or herself accordingly, because God is pure.
However, we are sinful creatures and we cannot save ourselves by our own effort. Jesus is our savior, like a good shepherd.This typical biblical image of shepherding resonates with the occupation of many figures of the Old Testament: Abraham, Jacob, Moses, David, and Amos were shepherds. The challenging part of shepherding is not the sheep, which are usually placid and obedient. It is often the difficult weather, the physically demanding work and loneliness.
During the time of Jesus, shepherds travelled on foot for days without seeing another human being. They often slept in tents and had no source of running water for days at a time. When Jesus said he was willing to sacrifice his life for the sake of his flock, he knew the demands of the job.
All of us are dependent on God. We are like sheep, completely dependent on shepherds, who provide them with shelter and guidance, help them when they are hurt and sick.
Jesus is our good shepherd and we are his flock. This also means we have to “know” the voice of the shepherd. “Knowing” God means having an intimate and obedient relationship with him.
Our tendency to put ourselves in danger’s way and our inability to guide ourselves remind us about our need of a shepherd. May we find in Jesus the true Shepherd of our souls.
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