John 10,1-10.
The Lord as Shepherd is one of the best loved images for God in the Old Testament. In his preaching Jesus used the imagery of “flock, sheep,” to describe his followers, and that of shepherd for himself. The sheepfold or pen was a square of ground fenced off where the sheep were gathered overnight to protect them from marauding wild dogs or wolves.
In today’s parable Jesus is making the point that there is only one proper way of entering the sheep fold, through the gate attended by the gatekeeper. The thief and brigand, because they haven’t the welfare of the sheep at heart, try to enter the sheepfold by some other way. The gatekeeper lets the genuine shepherd in. The sheep recognise his voice and as he calls each sheep and leads it out of the sheepfold. Each sheep would have its own unique name based on some distinctive feature it possessed. Once outside the sheepfold, the shepherd leads the sheep out to pasture, and they respond to the sound of his voice and follow him. This shows the most intimate bond between the shepherd and the sheep. They won’t recognise the voice of strangers or follow them. The Pharisees, wilfully blind, (9,41) don’t understand that Jesus is talking about them.
In a second attempt to explain his message Jesus describes himself as the gate to the sheepfold and anyone who enters through him will be safe and find pasture. All others who have come before Jesus, including the Pharisees, are thieves and brigands who comes to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus may be alluding also to the bad high-priests who before the re-dedication of the Temple (c 164 BC) compromised the worship of the one true God to suit their oppressors wishes.
Jesus is the gate to the sheepfold. Once all the sheep had entered the sheepfold, and since the sheepfold had no gate to keep them safe within it from unwelcome intruders, the shepherd would lie across the gate to keep the sheep inside the sheepfold, and to keep dangerous intruders outside.
In contrast with those false shepherds, who steal and bring death to the flock, Jesus comes to bring them life to the full. He is the true shepherd who guards and cares for his flock, reveals the truth and love of God to them which guarantees an abundance of life to be found from no one else, or nowhere else.
God is life, God gives life and God loves life. We are made in the image and likeness of God and we share his life. In today’s gospel Jesus reminds that he has that we may have life and have it to the full. St Paul reminds us that in Christ “we live and move and exist.” Acts 17, 28). St. Irenaeus informs us that “the glory of God is a person fully alive.”
We witness to God best when we acknowledge and use to the full the life and gifts He has given us; when we develop our potential, and enable others to do the same.
We witness to Him when we promote, protect and affirm the beauty and dignity of all human life from the first moment of existence to the last.
The risen Christ is the gateway to salvation for all. He loves his flock, has given his life for them. He invites them/us to imitate him.
Today, being Good Shepherd Sunday, we pray for an increase of vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Father Geoff O’Grady