Jesus said: “I am the good shepherd. A good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. A hired man, who is not a shepherd and whose sheep are not his own, sees a wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf catches and scatters them. This is because he works for pay and has no concern for the sheep. I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. These also I must lead, and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock, one shepherd. This is why 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 on my own. I have power to lay it down, and power to take it up again. This command I have received from my Father.”
Gospel Trivia:
"I am the good shepherd." Much can be said about the meaning of these five words uttered by Jesus.
From the Old Testament, God has constantly revealed himself as the shepherd of his people:
- Psalm 23 acknowledges God as the shepherd: "The Lord is my shepherd."
- Moses became a shepherd in Midian during his self-exile from Egypt. This was his preparation for the great task of leading his flock from slavery, through the great pastoral saga of the Israelites through the desert, and reaching the promised land where the sheep can be fed and nurtured.
- the unworthy kings of Israel were referred to by the prophets as the bad shepherds, in contrast to David who "shall feed the sheep and be their shepherds" (Ezekiel 34:23).
In the New Testament, Jesus declares himself as the good shepherd:
- the word "good" in the "good shepherd" comes from the Greek word "kalos" which refers to a person who performs his job well, as in the "good doctor."
- "I am" is a self proclamation of Jesus and his declaration that he assumes the entire responsibility for the flock of God. It is a divine promise: yesterday, today and tomorrow, Jesus will be at our side as the good shepherd.
Reference:
- Nil Guillemette, SJ, Hungry No More (Makati: St. Paul's Publications, 1989), 138-142.
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