Homily, April 21, 2024
From The Pastor
Why does Jesus identify himself as the Good Shepherd? There are seven ‘I am’ statements made by Jesus in the New Testament. I am statements are more than a metaphor. They are direct statements of Jesus’ identity with God, as God. Jesus applies the I am name to himself to express his oneness with God as the revelation of God Incarnate.
Consider the seven I am statements: I am the Light of the World. I am the Bread of Life. I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. I am the Gate. I am the True Vine. I am the Resurrection and the Life. I am the Good Shepherd. Each title or name expresses a different aspect of God’s love and care for the world. Christ brings the world out of darkness into the Light of goodness and truth. Jesus as bread feeds the world in its hunger for meaning, truth, and love, as well as bread for the body through those who show compassion to the poor. Jesus is the way to God, the truth of God, and the life of God. One comes to the life of God through the gate of Jesus who is the Shepherd of the sheep. We enter through faith in Jesus and can come in no other way. Jesus is the Vine who nourishes and prunes the branches. Jesus is the Good Shepherd who alone is willing to give his life for his sheep. We are the sheep of his flock whom he leads with tender and protective care lest we become lost or snatched away by the wolf, losing faith in the ways and disorder of the world.
Today’s image is that of the Good Shepherd. It is one of the most well-known and beloved of all the I am expressions of Jesus. Why does Jesus use such metaphors? The images are used to invite faith, secure hope, and instill the life of God in all who seek him. To believe in someone and come to love them is dependent on knowing them. The power and the life of faith we hold is in the person of Jesus; Jesus the Christ of God who willingly gave his life to assure our union with God here and hereafter. Our relationship with God, with Jesus, is the premier and most essential relationship any of us will ever have.
This might sound like an overreach, but it is not. Consider that every other trusted, loving, life-giving relationship you have is grounded in God through Christ. In deep friendships and healthy marriages most will say the other is their best friend; they say they feel trust, love, security, and commitment from the other.
How many people of faith can say that about God, or Jesus? Seriously, have you ever said that Jesus or God was your best friend? God is love and where there is love, there is God. God is ever-present in all we do, all we are, and all we have. God can be seen and realized in any relationship of love. Despite the inevitable trials and hurts of our relationships, we persist because of the love that binds and holds us together. Never is this truer than in our relationship with God.
This is one reason Jesus identifies himself as the Good Shepherd. Jesus is not merely a caretaker of the sheep through whom he gains income or advantage. Jesus loves his own and has given his life to assure that those who seek him will find a safe home in him.
Notice the language Jesus uses. “I am the Good Shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father; I will lay down my life for the sheep.” The way Jesus knows the Father, he knows you, deeply and in perfect love. Jesus knows and wants to know everything about you. If that seems scary or vulnerable to you, then the best remedy is to get to know Jesus more deeply to relieve your fears and concern.
Do you know Jesus in a deep and trusting way beyond your practice of religion? This is the invitation of the Good Sheperd. The Shepherd is approachable, kindly, and caring to all who come to him. Using the image of a shepherd is not by accident. Sheep will not follow a stranger. Once they know the shepherd and his sensitive and protective care, they will love him and stay close to him. This is the invitation and desire of Jesus our Good Shepherd.
How do I come to know the Shepherd with trusting faith and secure hope? First, having an active faith in Jesus as the Son of God, our Redeemer, Lord, and friend. This kind of knowing is dependent on a personal relationship of prayer, openness, honesty, and maturing trust. Relationships need time and will grow with commitment and mutual sharing. Open yourself to Jesus. More than just prayers, devotions, or ‘the way I have always done it,’ pray from your heart. Reveal to Jesus your deepest longings, needs, hurts, and loses. Share your failures, shame, or mistakes with Jesus. In doing so, you will learn and perceive deeply his patience, understanding, and mercy in a way no devotional prayers could convey. You will come to know the protection and peace of Jesus in good times and bad, in joy and in sorrow. Jesus will become real for you, as real as your Father’s love. Then you will know him as a Good Shepherd following with surety, peace, and commitment.
Father John Esper
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