Word to the Wise
Sunday, April 13, 2008 - Fourth Sunday of Easter
[Acts 2:14A, 36-41; 1 Peter 2:20B-25; John 10:1-10]I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.
Even the simplest and commonest cultural icon or image has multiple dimensions of meaning! The image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd is a very traditional one and is derived from his images in both the Synoptic Gospels as well as in the Gospel of John. This Sunday is traditionally called "Good Shepherd Sunday" because the Church uses a different part of the imagery about the shepherd and the sheep for each of the three Sunday cycles,A,B,and C! I recommend to my congregation that they read all the verses from 1 to 30 first and then come back to the part for this Sunday, verses 1-10. This will enable you to appreciate more fully the multiple levels of meaning and find greater resources for personal application! The image presumes the Middle Eastern practice of placing all the sheep belonging to shepherds from a particular village in a common corral at the end of the day with a gatekeeper to keep watch and guard. There are three major physical images in the overall picture: gate, shepherd and sheep. Today's scripture takes only the "gate" portion for consideration. Even here there are at least two ways of viewing the gate. First of all, the gate is the way in which any good shepherd gets to the sheep. That true shepherd has a particular call that only his own sheep recognize. The second way is to see the gate as the way in which the sheep may go out and find pasture ('life"). Jesus sums up both meanings when he says, Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. There is more than a little relevance in this lengthy and rich metaphor. The relationship between leadership and membership comes immediately to mind. Do the membership hear the voice of Christ the true shepherd or do they fail to recognize that voice. Note the misunderstanding of the image by Jesus' listeners! Is the shepherd who calls a shepherd who will truly lead the flock to good pasture, or is he merely a hireling who will runaway at the first sign of danger? The visit of Pope Benedict XVI to our shores in a few days time illustrates the power of the image. Although he is the "chief" shepherd, most Catholics relate to the voice of their diocesan bishop! The credibility of these shepherds has suffered considerably in the past 10 years. What can the Chief Shepherd do to restore that kind of trust? The exercise of the imagination in understanding Jesus' imagery of gate, shepherd and sheep can lead us to a deeper understanding of the role of the shepherd and its importance for the sheep. Jesus speaks well of the sheep even if popular cultural images in our own day are not so positive. Going back to the original cultural image and the bonds of care that Jesus speaks to can help us to shape our own expectations in faith and in practice. AMEN
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