Do You Know the Shepherd?

I took some theology courses at Fordham University in the Bronx. The college would invite a well-known theologian or Christian writer several times yearly to speak as part of a Symposium. Unfortunately, I cannot remember the name of the gentleman who came to talk about the theology of the Good Shepherd.  

He was very learned and spoke about symbolism and the tradition of being a shepherd at the time of Jesus. I remember being captivated by what he said. As the lecturer finished his presentation, he asked if someone would like to come up and read the 23rd Psalm as the closing prayer.  

An elderly Franciscan brother, in his habit, came forward carrying his battered bible and offered to read the Psalm. There was some rumbling in the room as people began to get their things together to leave. 

The Brother read…perhaps more accurately; he prayed the Psalm deeply with love and wonder in his voice. We knew from the love in his voice that he had prayed that Psalm many times.  

In a simple, straightforward, well-aged voice, the Brother began to read, “The Lord is my Shepherd I shall not want. He leads me in green pastures where he gives me rest….” Absolute stillness fell over the auditorium. His slow and prayerful reading was captivating. When he finished reading, an awe-filled silence descended on the room. It seemed people had even stopped breathing for fear of disturbing the holiness of the moment. 

The guest speaker returned to the podium and, with complete humility, said, “I know everything there is to know about the theology of the Good Shepherd, but, my friends, Brother knows the Shepherd.”

We are called to know the Shepherd. We need to know Him so well that those who hear us speak of Him are in awe, and silence fills the room. We need to know Him so well and love Him so dearly that when we talk of Him, we will be brought to a humble, holy silence in His presence.

In the Gospel, Jesus says I am not the Shepherd, and I lay down my life to protect the sheep. Before praying with this reading, I envisioned an enclosed fenced-in pen with sheep safely inside its boundaries.

It came as an aha moment when I realized, in Jesus’ time, there were no sheep pens. The Shepherd had the sheep out on the hills grazing by day, and when night came, he would gather them and often place a circle of average, easily moved stones around them. The rocks provided no more than a boundary. Any predator could quickly get to the sheep if they wanted to kill them. The sheep would sleep inside the stone circle. Sheep are defenseless creatures. They do not have claws or loud howls. Sheep cannot run fast or fly away when danger comes. The entrance to the circle is the gate. The gate would be a vast open space in the circle of stones. So, the Shepherd would lay his body across the opening to protect his sheep. What a fantastic image!  

Jesus said He was the Shepherd and would lay His body down to protect His sheep. The people of Jesus’ time understood the depth of the meaning of laying down your life for the protection of the sheep.

Those who belong to the Shepherd recognize His voice, and they follow. And when there is a chance of danger, Jesus, our Shepherd, lays His body down to protect us from evil.  Even when our lives get complicated, the Shepherd keeps calling our name. If we lose track of Jesus, He never loses track of us.

Jesus is our Shepherd. It is His voice that stirs our hearts. It is His call that we follow. In the noise of our lives and all that competes for our attention, the Shepherd is continually calling our name. We need only to be attentive and follow. Jesus will lead us to safety. He will protect us and bring us home. Jesus lays down His life to guard and protect us. The Son of God laid down His life to save us from evil, to give us hope, and to show us the way to eternal life.

The Lord is my Shepherd…there is nothing more I need to know.

In God’s Unending Love,

Gwen