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Sunday Scripture Study

Fourth Sunday of Easter - B

April 26, 2015

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Opening Prayer

First Reading: Acts 4:8-12

Psalm: 118:1, 8-9, 21-23, 26, 28-29

Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-2

Gospel Reading: John 10:11-18

This Sunday’s gospel reading is closely tied to the episode of the healing of a blind man in the preceding chapter (John 9ff). Jesus’ opponents steadfastly refuse to believe he has performed this miracle, probably because it would mean accepting his authority. As a result, they remain blind guides to the people (John 9: 39-41; Matthew 15:12-14).

In contrast to these leaders, Jesus presents himself as the Good Shepherd (this discourse actually starts at verse 10:1). The theme of God as a shepherd was very important in the Old Testament (Ezekiel 34; Genesis 48:15; 49:24; Micah 7:14; Psalm 23:1-4; 80:1, etc). King David, composer of Psalm 23, was the Old Testament proto-type of the shepherd (see 1 Sam 17:32-37), as was Moses and his successor, Joshua (Numbers 27:15-23).

As the Good Shepherd, Jesus will watch over his own, protecting them and keeping them united as one flock attentive to only his own voice (verse 16). Ironically, immediately following this discourse (verses 20-21), Jesus’ opponents show a marked lack of unity among themselves.

QUESTIONS:

In the 1^st Reading, how many times is the “name” of Jesus invoked? What power is there in his name?

In the 2^nd Reading, what is the basis of our great dignity in being Christians? Where did this great dignity come from? How and why is this sometimes hard to see in our lives? What, ultimately, is our destiny in Christ?

Who is Jesus speaking to in today’s Gospel Reading (John 9:40; 10:6-7)? How does the story in chapter 9 flow into Jesus discourse about the Good Shepherd in chapter 10?

What do the sheep, shepherd, sheepfold and stranger represent? Who are the “thieves and robbers” (Jeremiah 2:8; 10:21; 23:1-4; Ezekiel 34:2ff)? How is Jesus unlike them?

How do the sheep respond to the shepherd? How does this relate to the Pharisees’ difficulty in accepting Jesus (chapter 9; 10:19-39)?

Who are the other sheep Jesus must bring also (Ephesians 2:11-22)? What characterizes his flock?

What final claim does Jesus make (verses 17-18)? Why do his listeners respond as they do? How would you have responded?

What was the turning point for you in terms of hearing “God’s voice” and responding? How do you discern his voice from all the voices that vie for your attention?

How does it make you feel to think of God as caring for you as the Good Shepherd?

Closing Prayer

Catechism of the Catholic Church: §§ 60, 609, 614, 649, 753-754

He did what he said he would do: He gave his life for his sheep, and he gave his body and blood in the Sacrament to nourish with his flesh the sheep he had redeemed (John 6:51). ~St. Gregory

Jesus, Our Good Shepherd

Pastor’s Column

4^th Sunday of Easter

April 26, 2015

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want….

Though I walk through the valley of darkness, I shall not fear.”

Psalm 23

The 23^rd psalm is one of the most beloved passages in all of Scripture, the Lord, our Good Shepherd. We hear it sung at almost every funeral, and with good reason. Our lives are filled with both mountains and valleys alike, and we are comforted to know that Christ is with us through it all. What are some of the characteristics of Jesus, our “Good Shepherd?”

Jesus will guide us on a path we need to travel on, not necessarily the most pleasant one. Notice that he promises to be our guide in green pastures (which we all want) as well as through dark valleys (which most of us would prefer to avoid). Valleys and darkness are as essential to our growth as green pastures are, yet when we enter such a time of trial and difficulty, we can feel that God has abandoned us, our Shepherd no longer is with us, or our sufferings are meaningless. Yet nothing could be further from the truth. It is easy to follow Christ in the good times; the test is trusting him in the darkness.

The Good Shepherd remains by our side even when we can’t see him or sense him. How easy it is to follow Christ when it is sunny and warm and we are in a place with lots of “green pastures!” But love is proved by sacrifice and difficulties, not just in good times. Love that is not tested does not mature. Our whole eternity is being decided precisely by our response to the times of both green pastures and darkness. Earth is a time of testing, and we grow the most when we are deeply challenged. Yet Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows our limits and will give us no more than we can endure, if we trust him to the end.

The teacher is always quiet while the test is being administered. The spiritual life goes in cycles of light and darkness. Jesus often allows us to have experiences of his presence and closeness, times when we are deeply fed so that during the tests (the times God seems to grow silent), we will remember our experiences of him and his words and persevere. This is how it was with the disciples as the cycled through three years of his presence, the darkness of the crucifixion and abandonment, and the joy of the resurrection. Christ the Good Shepherd is with us through it all.

Father Gary