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In some traditions the 4th Sunday after Easter is known as Shepherd Sunday, so it’s very apt that the Bible readings for today are John 10:22-30 and Psalm 23 – which both reference sheep and shepherds. They tell of God and Jesus as Shepherd and us as the sheep who are called to follow the Shepherd.
The image of shepherding was well known to the Israelites. From Genesis 45:15 when Israel blesses Joseph with the words “God who has been my shepherd all my life”, to the shepherd king, David (Psalms), to Ezekiel who explains that good shepherds look after their flock (Ezekiel 34), to the many images in the New Testament of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Bible Gateway.com shows 114 Bible references to shepherd!
At one level, we probably don’t want to think of ourselves as sheep. Some say they are ignorant, and that sheep are stubborn, obstinate, headstrong creatures like to have their own way. But sheep are good at following a leader. Once our family was visiting friends who ran a large station a few hours west of Winton in Queensland. It was shearing time. The grazier had gone out to bring in the sheep with a couple of muster dogs. A few hours later he came back, and I looked to see where the sheep were. “Where are the sheep?” I asked. The grazier said “They’re on their way. In about 15 minutes you’ll see them appearing through the trees over there”. He explained, ‘Sheep are followers and being able to point the leader in the right direction will bring them home.” And sure enough, they appeared, the muster dogs bringing up the rear!
Jesus would have watched shepherds around Nazareth caring for their small groups of sheep. They didn’t have the big flocks like we do in Australia. Even today in Israel and Palestine shepherds stay with their small groups of sheep in open fields. When it’s time to go home at night the shepherd gives his or her distinctive call, bringing the sheep into the safety of the sheep fold.
In the Gospel reading today, Jesus is at a festival in Jerusalem. Some Jews try to entrap Jesus. Jesus doesn’t get into speculation around beliefs or causes of unbelief. Jesus simply says that he is the Good Shepherd and that his sheep hear his voice and follow him and, because they follow him, and they will not be snatched away from his safe keeping.
