Who will be your Shepherd?

Readings for Sunday May 15, 2011 4th Sunday of Easter

A sheep found a hole in the fence and crept through it. He wandered far and lost his way back. Then he realized that he was being followed by a wolf. He ran and ran, but the wolf kept chasing him, until the shepherd came, rescued him, and carried him lovingly back to the fold. In spite of everyone's urgings to the contrary, the shepherd refused to nail up the hole in the fence. –Anthony de Mello

In last Sunday’s readings, Jesus started a Fire in the hearts of his disciples. This week we see Jesus the Shepherd who watches over us and promises us eternal life, and now all we need to do is follow Him. Why would Jesus want us to think of him as a Shepherd? And us as his Sheep? Being a Shepherd is kind of Woosy isn't it? After all Little Bo Peep was a shepherd and she lost her sheep. Wa!Wa!Wa! What a Woos!!!
But wait a minute the responsibility of shepherding is first and foremost to protect the herd as they graze and to lead them home come nightfall. Sounds easy enough, YES?? Simple, NO!!! One thing sheep and goats love to do is graze in the open, unprotected spaces. A habit that places them "at risk" in addition getting them home can be tricky since sheep possess (I am sorry to say) no sense of direction. In spite of all this, the basic idea behind being a shepherd is not to LOSE anybody. Losing even one sheep, as Jesus constantly reminds his followers, simply will not do. If you’re going to be a shepherd, you must account for every last KID!! Even in the face of pressure from the media that tells us that losing one, two maybe even three sheep is no big deal, we can always buy more.
Who will be your shepherd? Will you choose Jesus? Or maybe you'll choose the wolf in sheep's clothing, will you be able to tell the difference. So often, when we meet a good person, it is hard to accept that goodness at face value. In the back of our minds we are always questioning; "What's her angle? What's in it for him? What's he up to?"
I think, perhaps, one of the most striking things about Jesus, was that he had no angle, and it did not take long for the people to see that, his simplicity, and his innocence.
He was a Good Shepherd, concerned only with the will of the sheep. He was just himself, no airs, no put-ons; He had a genuine concern for the people. Unlike the Scribes and the Pharisees, Jesus had no airs. He was just himself. He was poor and had nothing, and was content. He had one robe, which his mother had probably woven for him, a seamless robe, and the one the soldiers gambled for at the foot of the cross. Jesus said on one occasion, "The birds of the air have their nests, the foxes have their dens, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."
Wow!! He never had a home, Jesus never had a home, and often he slept in the fields or on a hillside after spending hours in prayer. On a morning after a night in the hills, he would reappear in a nearby village. What did He look like? Did he look fresh and neatly dressed? Where would He have found a place to wash, to shave, or to comb His hair? His hands and arms showed the toughness of a hard-working carpenter. Walking the long distances He did on His endless missionary journeys, and not finding restaurants along the way, he must have been slim, though strong and muscular.
Could you picture Jesus' eyes looking at you? His eyes must have riveted people's attention. Eyes, the mirror of the soul, express so much of what we are. When people looked into Jesus' eyes, what did they see? I suspect, each person has an eerie feeling; "This man knows me. I can tell. I can see it in His eyes. When He looks at me, He is looking into the very depths of my soul. He seems to know my deepest secrets, and seems to be telling me, "I know all about you. I know what happened yesterday. I know how bad you feel. I also know how you struggle to do the right thing, and how you reach out to hurting people and in quiet ways help them.
That's what the people saw when they looked into Jesus' eyes and those same loving eyes are looking into our hearts at this very moment. He is our Shepherd and he cries when we are lost, but he will fight with all the power of God to bring us back to Him.
Enjoy the readings, pass them on….. God Bless You, tommyk

Sources cited: Jesus the Christ-Thomas Zanzig, The Godbearing Life- Kendal Dean- Ron Foster

Reading 1 Acts 2:14a, 36-41

14a Then Peter stood up with the Eleven, raised his voice, and proclaimed: 36 “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” 37 Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and they asked Peter and the other apostles, “What are we to do, my brothers?” 38 Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is made to you and to your children and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call.” 40 He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them, “Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.” 41 Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand persons were added that day.

Questions for Discussion:

1. When asked by the crowd, “What are we to do, my brothers?” What was Peter’s response and how many listeners responded to the message?

2.How does Peter help others come to know Jesus?

3.What made you seek Jesus in your life?

Reading 2 1 Peter 2:20b-25

20b Beloved: If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God. 21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps. 22 He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth. 23 When he was insulted, he returned no insult; when he suffered, he did not threaten; instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly. 24 He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross, so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25 For you had gone astray like sheep, but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.

Questions for Discussion:

1. Christ’s innocence and lack of vengeance show us what God’s love is like. Does he leave you an example to follow? How can suffering be an occasion of grace?

2. Peter is referring to a kind of suffering that is inflicted on a person for doing something good. Give examples in which this has been the case. Have you had this experience?

3. Discuss the place of suffering in the life of a Christian, as it is presented in verses 20-22.4. What does it mean to “live for righteousness”?

Gospel John 10:1-10

1 Jesus said: “Amen, amen, I say to you, whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber. 2 But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice, as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has driven out all his own, he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they recognize his voice. 5 But they will not follow a stranger; they will run away from him, because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.” 6 Although Jesus used this figure of speech, the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them. 7 So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”

Questions for Discussion:

1. How does the image of good shepherd help us understand God’s unending love for us?

2. A good shepherd put his sheep first, his own needs second. In what ways do you also do that?

3. A good shepherd protected his sheep from harm, led them to food and water, cared for their injuries, and guided them back to the flock if they started to wander away. In what ways have you experienced Jesus doing some form of those things for you?

4. The sheep follow their shepherd’s voice. Do you believe that you have become so familiar with Jesus that you can quickly discern his voice from the other voices of this world?

5. How can you show others that Jesus is your shepherd this week?