Shepherds and Sheep

23/4/2021

A Reflection on the Gospel for April 25th, 2021:
Fourth Sunday of Easter

John
10.11-18

Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away — and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.

“I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.

“For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.”

Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

For a year or more, Jesus and I have been discussing our relationship. I am the sheep and Jesus is the Good Shepherd. I follow Him, and He gives me rest by peaceful waters, leads me through darkness to safety, and restores my soul. A year may seem a long time to spend on this, but I am finding the analogy so rich that I’m still not done mining that vein and Jesus is not done handing out the treasure.

This Sunday’s Gospel, which also explores the sheep-shepherd dynamic, focuses less on the nature of “sheephood” and more on what motivates the shepherd — which is, of course, love for the sheep.

Jesus, the shepherd, cares for me not because He is contracted to do so (like the hired hand) but because He is completely devoted to my well-being. He spends time getting to know me. He watches over me. He is ready to lay down his life for me.

We should never feel demeaned when Jesus calls us His sheep, for He values us above Himself. Being reminded that we are sheep serves three valuable functions: 1) it rescues us from thinking too much of ourselves, 2) it reminds us that we cannot care properly for ourselves without Christ’s help and strength, and 3) it demonstrates the gulf of consciousness and understanding between us (sheep) and Jesus (the shepherd).

Here’s an insight from the Gospel that the last year did not turn up (until now): at the same time that Jesus is the Good Shepherd, he is also a sheep. In fact, He is the sheep, the Lamb of God. It is as both shepherd and sheep that He lays down His life for us. He does so freely; no one takes His life from Him.

Jesus is a model for us in every circumstance. He is no distant God and, unlike the hired hand, He never abandons us. He becomes what we are — divine to human, shepherd to sheep — to show us the way in all our circumstances. He is the Way.

Like Jesus, we are called to be both sheep and shepherd — vulnerable and self-sacrificing. As shepherds we are called to lay down our time, our convenience, our pride. If we insist on saving those things for ourselves, we are not good shepherds. “For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will save it.” (Luke 9:24)

Lord, may I open my heart, as You have opened Yours. May I allow myself to be known, as You are known. May I value the sheep You have entrusted to me more than my own life, and may I follow Your Way in all things.

Donna Davis

8 Comments

Alana

23/4/2021 07:43:16 am

Amen Donna! So beautiful. I love the realization that Jesus is both sheep and shepherd - vulnerable and self-sacrificing. So powerful. Thank you for this! 😊🙏🏻💕xo

Donna Davis

25/4/2021 03:39:55 pm

I love it too, Alana, There is nowhere that we will ever go that Jesus is unwilling to go with us. In Him, servant leadership is made perfect. Bless you, sister.

Suzanne LeBlanc

23/4/2021 08:39:49 am

Both sheep and shepherd. It's right there, though I've never thought of it! Thanks for this Donna. <3

25/4/2021 03:49:05 pm

Like you, Suzanne, I have never seen this before, despite more than a year of reflecting on shepherding. The Word of God is so rich and bears turning over and over in our minds. So amazing, isn’t it?

Lori

24/4/2021 12:18:52 pm

I am so grateful that I get to bear witness to how God is opening up this analogy in you for the benefit of all of us who have been journeying through these reflections together!

There is a good word here for me in the call to be both sheep and shepherd. And there seems to be an order to it, though I'm not sure Jesus commands that explicitly. Well, actually, yes, He does, in that I am to love Him first. So, I believe I am to first embrace my sheephood, following the Shepherd obediently, before I can truly be a good shepherd to others. It is in my imaging The Good Shepherd that I can become a good shepherd myself.

It's a simple revelation, but I hadn't thought of it in this way before. Thanks so much, Donna, for being an obedient sheep who then shepherds us to follow The Shepherd. 🧡

25/4/2021 04:11:57 pm

Well, Lori, I thought I was getting to the bottom of this sheep and shepherd exploration — but then Jesus says, “Aha, well have a look at it this way!” What a wonderful path the Lord has us all on. For me, yes, like you, He’s inviting me to understand sheephood first - a good approach for me because it has helped me see how much He loves me and wants to guide me. I needed that reassurance before accepting the role of shepherd with confidence (in Jesus, of course, not in myself per se), which is a bigger role. I realize I’ve been in the shepherd role already, but I’ve been a “backseat driver” kind of shepherd, checking in on Jesus to make sure He’s paying attention and doing a good job of managing things. It’s that darn self-reliance that I’ve been battling all my life. What Jesus is wanting me to do now is accept my shepherding role in obedience to Him. There’s nothing abstract or theoretical about His approach. It’s surprisingly practical. Sometimes we first have to learn to be a good sheep before we can be a good shepherd. Thanks for accompanying me on this search. I’m so happy to have friends to share it with!

Lisa Matheson

25/4/2021 07:55:51 am

I love this reflection Donna. Although I am constantly struggling with the idea that Jesus is 100% human, and yet 100% God, I hadn’t really considered that paradox also being reflected in the shepherd/sheep analogy. It never ceases to amaze me that just when I think I grasp a new concept, there is yet another layer of meaning. Another way for Him to prove who He is. Another level of depth to His love for me. 🙏❤️

25/4/2021 05:00:54 pm

I couldn’t agree more, Lisa — layers. We’re like archaeologists. We start sweeping the top layer of soil away with a little broom, but there’s so much under the surface, we have to get out the pick and shovel. Next thing you know, the backhoe is coming in and hauling up one treasure after another, and we’re all going, “I had no idea this was here!” Lord, “Open my eyes, so that I may behold wondrous things out of your law (Psalm 119:18). Bless you!