Readings: Acts 4:8-12, Ps. 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18
“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11)
Last Sunday, we read Luke’s account of the events of Easter Sunday. Luke reveals that Thomas was not the only one who doubted the news of Jesus’ resurrection. All the disciples doubted, and even when Jesus appeared to them, they were frightened, thinking He was a ghost. Although Jesus was disappointed at their behaviour, He did not punish or cast them away. Instead, Jesus acted as a merciful shepherd; He showed them his hands and his side (to prove He wasn’t a ghost), ate a piece of broiled fish in their presence and explained the Scriptures concerning Himself.
Today, the fourth Sunday of Easter is also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. This is because today’s liturgy allows us to reflect on Jesus Christ as the shepherd of our souls. For instance, in today’s Gospel passage, Jesus describes Himself as the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep. In today’s Psalm, Jesus is the Good Shepherd because, without Him, everything falls apart; He is the stone rejected by the builders but has become the cornerstone. In today’s Second Reading, St. John reveals that through the sacrifice of Christ, the Good Shepherd, we have become the privileged children of God, and for this, the world hates us. Today’s first reading contains an example of this hatred. Peter and John cured a cripple at the beautiful gate, but instead of receiving praise, they are brought before the Jewish council of rulers and elders.
What qualities of a Good Shepherd are found in Jesus Christ, and how can we imbibe these qualities as we shepherd those under our care? How do we differentiate a Good Shepherd from a Bad Shepherd (or Hireling)? What rights and privileges do we enjoy as God’s Children (the sheep of Jesus, the Good Shepherd)? Can anything disqualify us from being God’s children? Why does Jesus, the Good Shepherd, allow us, His Sheep, to face difficulties and challenges (like Peter and John, who were persecuted for doing a good deed), and how are we to respond to these challenges arising from the world’s hatred? These are some questions we shall examine as we consider today’s lessons.
1. What Qualities Make Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd?
In today’s Gospel passage from John 10:11-18, Jesus provides four answers to this question: 1. Sacrifice - “The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (verse 11). 2. Knowledge - “I know my own, and my own know me.” (verse 14). 3. Unity – “I have other sheep, that are not of this fold; I must bring them also, so there shall be one flock, one shepherd” (verse 16). 4. Power – “No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord.” (verse 18). To be good shepherds, we must imbibe all four qualities; shepherding a people (leadership) is not just about power. Power comes last. In our society, people struggle for power and are ready to do anything to attain it, but they lack other qualities.
_A good shepherd must make sacrifices for the sheep._ Leadership should never be seen as a business enterprise; it is a special vocation which does not enrich the shepherd but secures the wellbeing of the sheep. Jesus is the Good Shepherd by excellence because He willingly offered His life for us on the Cross of Calvary. “The Son of man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45). I wish we could boast of good shepherds in our country, Nigeria. I wish our political shepherds would realise that they have been appointed to serve rather than be served and are there to give their lives as ransoms for the average citizen. I also wish those aspiring for such positions would have sacrifice as their motto.
_You cannot be a good shepherd if you do not know your sheep._ This is another serious problem in our society. Our leaders are completely isolated from the people. Before the elections, they are everywhere – frying Akara in the market, jumping up and down in the church, sitting with children in dilapidated classrooms, sharing money with the local chiefs, etc. They behave like messiahs, but once elected, they move around with bullet-proof vehicles, their convoys as long as the length of their village. To see any of them, one must go through twenty security layers. They no longer feel the pain of the citizens as they spend their days in power flying from one country to another.
_A good shepherd unites the people._ However, we have shepherds who are experts at using religion and ethnicity to divide us. When they sense any atom of unity among the people, they know their power is threatened. To remain relevant, they go to the church or mosque to make inciteful statements in their native language. They know that we Nigerians do not play with our religion because religion is the only source of strength (hope, motivation) that keeps us going amid widespread poverty, hunger and abysmal failure of government. So, they make us believe that adherents of one religion (or tribe) are set to destroy adherents of the other. We swallow this bait and start fighting each other instead of fighting to remove these bad shepherds. We are so distracted hating each other that we do not know our real enemies, the bad shepherds who get into power to steal, kill, and destroy. (Cf. John 10:10).
2. What kind of Shepherd am I? A Good Shepherd or a Hireling
It is easy to know a bad shepherd – one who does not sacrifice for his flock, one who stokes flames of disunity and one who does not know the living conditions of his flock. Above, we have sufficiently used our political leaders as examples. Let us now point our fingers at ourselves. As a Reverend Father, I am powerful because people respect me as a man of God. However, am I working only for my pocket? Am I faithful to my vows (poverty, chastity and obedience), which symbolise sacrifice? Do I know my flock? How often do I call to check on them? Do I even respond to their calls or messages? Do I unite my flock? If I am failing in these, I am a bad shepherd. As a parent or teacher, how do I fare in terms of sacrifice, knowledge of my children or unity? As a leader in any capacity (be it a small social media group such as an admin on WhatsApp or a large corporation with over 500 employees), what kind of a shepherd am I?
3. We are God’s Children Now, and We Shall Be Like God
While Jesus describes us as His sheep, in today’s second reading, St. John adds that through Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, we have been raised to the status of children of God. St. Paul explains the full weight of our adoption as God’s children when he says: “When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, ‘Abba! Father!’ So through God, you are no longer a slave but a son; if you are a son, then an heir. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were in bondage to beings that by nature are no gods; but now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and beggarly elemental spirits, whose slaves you want to be once more? (Galatians 4:4-9).
Recall that I mentioned that to see a political leader in Nigeria, you must go through twenty layers of security. Do the children of a senator, governor, minister, etc, go through such layers to see their parents? As children of God, we have direct access; we don’t need any protocol to talk to God. In other words, we are powerful. This was the power that Peter tapped when he said to the cripple: “I have no silver or gold, but what I have I give you; in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, stand up and walk.” (Acts 3:6). Many Christians do not know they have this power; they don’t even relate with God as their Father - like children of a politician begging for food on the streets because they don’t know their father is a governor.
On the other hand, just as the children of a senator (or any other political leader) are expected to behave themselves, we must realise that though we live in the world, we are not of the world. (Cf. John 15:19). Sin, while not disqualifying us from our status as God’s children, alienates us from God.
4. Tough Times Are Meant to Strengthen Us
Why does Jesus, the Good Shepherd, allow us, His Sheep, to face difficulties and challenges (like Peter and John, who were persecuted for doing a good deed), and how are we to respond to these challenges arising from the world’s hatred? Tough times are good for us because they help keep God’s fire burning in us. God is all-powerful – if our enemies appear to be winning, it is not because they have defeated God but because God has permitted them. God is all-loving – if He permits our enemies to deal with us, it is not because He hates us but because He wants to bless us.
I trust God completely. I know He is a Good Shepherd. I know that even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He is there with me. I that His rod and staff will comfort me. With His rod, He will fight my battles. He will beat my enemies until they repent, as He beat Saul until he became an evangelist. With His staff (that looks like a hook), He will draw me back whenever I go astray.
I know that God will not destroy my enemies to keep me on my toes, but in the presence of these enemies, He will prepare a table before me so that they will see with their eyes that the traps and stumbling blocks they set for me have become the pedestal for my elevation. I know that those who rejected me in the past will one day realise that I have become their cornerstone. I know He will anoint my head with oil and fill me with wisdom like Peter, who spoke eloquently before the rulers and elders. I know that God is my shepherd; when my season of plenty comes, my cup will overflow. (Cf. Psalm 23:4-5)
Let us pray: Almighty, ever-living God, work in and through me to shepherd those under my care. Through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen
Remember, amid all challenges, choose to be happy. Live with a positive mindset and believe in God’s plan for you. God bless you abundantly. (4th Sunday of Easter. Bible Study: Acts 4:8-12, Ps. 118:1,8-9,21-23,26,28-29, 1 John 3:1-2, John 10:11-18).
@Rev. Fr. Evaristus E. Abu