At the grocery store the other day, I met some friends who read my daily reflections. They sweetly thanked me for my effort. They also shared that they especially enjoyed my Lent 2023 editions. I observed the season by revisiting my Holy Land album. Every day, I shared my impressions of some of the wonders I’d encountered there. Though Jesus has always been an important part of my life, walking where Jesus walked so long ago added an unexpected dimension to our relationship.
When my friends and I parted, I breezed through the rest of my grocery list. The smile I offered the cashier who rang up my groceries remained as I loaded the car and nestled into my seat. After inserting the key, I switched the radio to CD mode and pressed PLAY. During the drive home, I listened to the CD I’d purchased during our boat tour on the Sea of Galilee. As our singing captain sang of his love for Jesus, images of his content smile filled me up. When I returned home, the house was quiet. I stowed the groceries quickly and then went to my office to write. This is Eastertime and my mental return to Israel was perfectly timed.
This Fourth Sunday of Easter, the scripture passages from Acts (2:14a, 36-41) and 1 Peter (2:20b-25) highlight the disciples’ enthusiasm. None of them could contain the good news of Jesus’ resurrection. They encouraged all who listened to open themselves to the Good Shepherd who had paved the way to God for us all. Though I’ve always treasured this image of Jesus, in Israel, I discovered the realities of shepherding. This isn’t easy work! Today, John’s gospel (10:1-10) addresses Jesus’ willingness to embrace that difficult role for each one of us.
Modern-day shepherds continue to work on the hillsides where Jesus walked. They take their work as seriously as Jesus’ contemporaries did. They teach their sheep to follow their voices and their scents. Though a shepherd smells much like his flock by the end of a long day, his sheep instinctively sort through the aromas in the air to find him. Christmas Card images of shepherds carrying lambs around their necks suggest their shepherds’ affection for them. In reality, shepherds carry wandering lambs over their shoulders to familiarize them with their scent. This gesture indicates far more than fondness for a wayward lamb. It’s a lifesaving effort.
Jesus’ efforts on behalf of his sheep were also life-giving and lifesaving. This is the reason Jesus spoke harshly regarding those who stole sheep. Those thieves had no intention of caring for their captives. Rather, they used them for food or for sale. Their covert efforts drew unsuspecting sheep into their grasp because no sheep would approach them on its own. On the day John describes in his gospel, Jesus referenced the Pharisees as similar robbers. Rather than getting close to the people to better know, love and serve them, they set themselves apart from those whom they were given to love and to care for. In Jesus’ eyes, the temple hierarchy missed the best of what their work among the people should have been.
It occurs to me that Jesus intends for us all to take his lessons in shepherding to heart. It isn’t possible for us to personally get to know every one of our fellow humans. However, it is possible for us to make the most of the opportunities we do have to get to know, love and care for one another. In some cases, these will be lifelong encounters as parents, children, and siblings. In some cases, these opportunities will come in decades-long marriages, friendships, or workplace affiliations. Most often, these will be chance, short-term encounters which take up only a fraction of the time we’re given on this earth. Whatever the case, our Shepherd asks only that we make the most of these encounters just as he did: To get up close and personal and to care for one another as only you and I can.
©2023 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved
Mary Penich 
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