Most people have a love/hate relationship with the concept of Jesus being Our Shepherd. We love the idea of being cared for and provided for, but we are not so fond of having someone else telling us what to do and where to go. Most of us love thinking of ourselves as being independent and self-sufficient. Those concepts are woven into our identity as Americans. However, there are times that we realize that we need help.
We do not know everything, and we are not able to do all that is necessary for our care or the care of our loved ones. The fact is that none of us can completely “go it alone”. We do need help, and at times we need to be led. The only real question is, to whom should we look for leadership?
Many people today want to lead all of us. From politicians to actors people are telling us what to do and even what to think. The problem that I see is that often these people have no more experience or expertise than we do, and often don’t really care about us at all.
Jesus offers himself to us as our shepherd in this Sunday’s gospel. Not only that, but he offers himself as our Good Shepherd. He tells us that he knows us and lays down his life for us. The fact is that he has already laid down his life for us on Good Friday and has known us and called us by name in our baptisms. The Good Shepherd is the leader who cares for us and cares about us. The Good Shepherd can be trusted.
Pastor Bill