A Shepherd With A Clear And Unambiguous Voice

Jesus is the good shepherd with a clear and unambiguous voice; we are to hear and follow his voice. Jesus as our Good Shepherd calls us to recognise his voice amid the noises of our world. Our response is to listen closely, follow faithfully, and extend the same shepherding care to others. The liturgy of the day invites us to reflect on one of the most beloved images of Jesus – the Good Shepherd. In John 10 we hear Jesus declare, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep… My sheep will hear my voice and I will lead them to life eternal."

We have grown up seeing images of Jesus the good shepherd carrying a little lamb on his shoulders. One of the most consoling imagery of god through the Christian scriptures is of God as shepherd. We pray in psalm 23, “The Lord is my shepherd, nothing shall I want… he will lead me to green pastures… he will save me from the shadow of death.” In Luke 15 we have the parable of a good shepherd who goes in search of a lost little sheep, until he is found. And in John 10 we have the good shepherd discourse by Jesus, where he asserts, “I am the gate of the sheep… I am the good shepherd… my sheep listen to my voice and I know them, thy follow me.”

All those who have money may be able to buy sheep, grow it for milk, wool, meat and money; but all can’t be good shepherds. Good shepherds are rare breed. Listen to this story. The train was fast approaching; and a shepherd was on the railway track with his sheep. Any one of us would instinctively jump out of the track and save himself. But that shepherd began to push the lethargic and slow-moving sheep, one by one, out of the railway track. Finally, he managed to push the last little lamb before he was run over by the speeding train. A good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep. While we read and hear about the good shepherd and the flock, when we see the images of the good shepherd searching after the lost sheep or carrying it on his shoulders, we clearly know it is not about sheep and shepherds. It is about a good master and his disciples, it is about a good leader and his followers, and it is about Jesus and us.

The central identity and attribute of a good shepherd is sensitivity, understanding, empathy, compassion, and all encompassing mercy. He does not look for profit and numbers, and he does not place safe. Take the example of the parable of the Lost Sheep (Luke 15: 1-7). The good shepherd leaves the ninety-nine on the wilderness and goes after the one lost sheep. He is not concerned about the cost of the ninety-nine or number of his followers, or the difficulties involved and play safe. I would read this passage a bit more differently; when we got to make a decision on a person, we will have a ninety-nine concerns to take care of and answerable to; he leaves behind ninety-nine concerns in the wilderness and goes after the only concern that mattered—mercy. The rest everything took a back seat.

The Good Shepherd knows each of us by name. In a world where we often feel like mere numbers or statistics, Jesus reminds us that we are personally known and loved. He knows our strengths and weaknesses, our hopes and fears, our virtues and sins; and loves us completely. This knowledge isn't distant or theoretical; it's the intimate knowledge that comes from walking with us through every moment of our lives. Understanding this Pope Francis, addressing the priests said, a shepherd should have the smell of his sheep, meaning, the shepherd's ability to understand and relate to the people they lead, to share their experiences, and to be genuinely present with them in their lives.

The second aspect of the good shepherd and flock relationship is a listening and following flock. “My sheep will listen to my voice and I will lead them to eternal life” is the confidence of Jesus. What is his voice that leads us to eternal life? It is to do mercy above every other concern.

Eternal life is an abstract concept. We could read this passage along with Matthew 25: 31-46. The scene is of the Last Judgment; Jesus is welcoming people to his father’s house; ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me. Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you as a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison, and go to visit you? The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

This is the clear voice of the good shepherd, have compassion and mercy as a priority above every other concerns. Listen to that voice and be close to the good shepherd. An American pastor Jerrid Wilson put it beautifully, “The closer we are to the shepherd the safer we are from the wolves.”

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