The Fourth Easter Sunday, Year B
Theme: How To Be A Good Shepherd? 如何成為善牧？
In ancient times, social mobility was relatively low. Fathers were mentors and their sons were apprentices who would inherit and succeed the business of their fathers. Thus, the crown prince would inherit his father’s kingdom. The male-offspring of priests would be priests, sons of carpenters carpenters and sons of fishermen fishermen etc. If a man had no male inheritor, he would groom the son of a close relative to be his inheritor or take concubines. Thus, before Isaac, carefully groomed and protected Lot (Genesis 12:4; 14:11-16;18:22-23) and even fathered Ishmael from an Egyptian handmaid Hagar (16:1; 15-16). King Saul fought and died with Jonathan his son (1 Samuel 31:2) in battles against the Philistines. People expected John the son of Zechariah the priest in Judea to be a priest (Luke 1:61) and Simon the son of Jonah (Matthew 16:17) a fisherman and Jesus the son of Joseph the carpenter (John 6:42) to be a carpenter in Nazareth of Galilee etc. However, God has other plans for all of them.
Instead of being the ancestor of the Israelites, Lot became the ancestor of the Moabites and Ammonites (Genesis 19:37-38). King Saul died with his three sons in battle. So, it was David the shepherd boy who had previously defeated Goliath the giant and subsequently united the 12 tribes of Israel to be the second king of the Kingdom of Israel (2 Samuel 5:1-4). John the son of Zechariah became the Baptist (Mark 1:4). The story of Simon, son of Jonah gives us more information how God gradually reveals His plan for the elected. At first, Jesus called his first disciples to be “fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19, Mark 1:17). It is a mission his fishermen disciples were able to understand and to generalize their skills of catching fish to those of recruiting disciples. However, this generalization of concept might not be good enough. It is because after catching fish, fishermen would select the good ones and throw away the bad ones (Matthew 13:47-48). This practice would contradict the Catholic doctrine of inclusiveness for the Kingdom of Heaven which sanctifies sinners. Therefore, after his resurrection, Jesus turned Peter into a shepherd (John 21:15-17).
Firstly, Jesus further explains what He means by being the Good Shepherd, “I am the good shepherd and I know mine and mine know me” (10:14). As a Jew, Jesus means more than intellectual knowledge when He uses the word “know”. It means building up an intimate relationship like the usage in “Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain” (Genesis 4:1) and “Then said Mary unto the angel, how shall this be, seeing I know not a man?” (Luke 1:34). Thus, being the Good Shepherd, Jesus has intimate relations with His followers and lays down his life for them. Notice that it is not enough for Jesus to love his followers and was crucified on the cross for them once and for all. On the other hand, it takes time for the followers to appreciate this love and love Jesus back in return. Love is in essence reciprocal and mutual. In the end, the followers also lay down their lives to bear witness to this love of the Good Shepherd. So martyrdom is the highest form of witness to this love. In light of this understanding of “know”, we may better understand the next verse Jesus speaks, “Just as the Father knows/loves me and I know/love the Father; and I will lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:15). The love between the Creator-Father and the Redeemer-Son of the Blessed Trinity is beyond our creature-wise understanding. But it can be illustrated by Jesus’ laying down His life for His followers on the cross and we are able to understand this love!
Secondly, love alone is unable to distinguish Jesus the Good Shepherd from the martyr-leaders who lay down their lives voluntarily to overthrow tyranny out of patriotism, the love for one’s motherland. It is immortality, which distinguishes the Good Shepherd from all other martyr-leaders. They die. Period. That is the end of their stories. Others may follow their footsteps and they all end up dead. However, the Redeemer-Son is different. He died on the cross but it is the beginning of a new chapter in human history. Jesus says, “No one takes it [his life] 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” (10:18). In the story of the Samaritan woman, Jesus says, “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me and to finish His work” (4:34). Food meets the basic physiological needs of men. So when Jesus dies on the cross, He is not being idealistic in sacrificing His life for a greater good like other martyr-leaders. It is His very basic essence! Not only does Jesus love the Father by loving His flock, but He also accomplishes His sole mission on earth by laying down His life for His disciples. In short, the Good Shepherd is the embodiment of DIVINE LOVE, not somebody who heroically dies for the greater good. Furthermore, while all other martyr-leaders die and perish, Jesus is able to take His life up again and comes out of the tomb. He has truly risen because He is the author of life. That is why, in the first reading today, Peter was able to boldly claim before the Sanhedrin that Jesus Christ is the Saviour of the world, saying “There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved” (Acts 4:12). Moreover, Jesus is able to give us His flesh and blood to be our food that endures for eternal life (John 6:27, 55). The Good Shepherd feeds His flock by giving them His flesh and blood. Blessed are those whose shepherd is the Good Shepherd!
Can we become good shepherds like Jesus? Of course we can and we should. We can because we are able to unite with Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd through the Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist. In studying the Bible and in continual praying, we may be able to know the Good Shepherd more intimately and become part of the embodiment of DIVINE LOVE ourselves. We should because we are ambassadors for Christ to reconcile the world to the Father (2 Corinthians 5:18-20). Life as an ambassador/apostle is not an easy one as Simon Peter had amply demonstrated. He dared to risk his life even up to entering the courtyard of the High Priest. But then Peter was overwhelmed by his own fear and denied his master three times. Luckily the Good Shepherd had already prayed for him that his faith might not fail and once he had turned back, he had the duty to strengthen all the others (Luke 22:32). On the other hand, Judas took his own life, hanged himself and denied God the opportunity to forgive him.
Beloved brethren! When we get lost in our life, don’t lose it. The Good Shepherd is there to accompany us to break new ground. One day, we will emerge from the ashes of a carpenter to become a shepherd. Amen. God bless!
2021 Reflection
Picture Credit: en.wikipedia.org
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