This weekend is the Fourth Sunday of Easter, also known as Good Shepherd Sunday. The Gospel reading comes from chapter 10 of the Gospel of John, describing Jesus as the good shepherd who enters the sheepfold through the gate, as opposed to the thief and robber who eneter through other ways. The thief and robber enter through violence to benefit from the sheep’s misfortune, but the shepherd takes care of the sheep. When Jesus endured His Passion, the people released a robber instead of Him and Jesus hung on the Cross between two robbers, showing how far His way is from the way of violence. Some biblical commentators have explained that the gatekeeper who lets the sheep into the sheepfold is God the Father, who leads the apostles to Christ. Just as the gatekeeper lets the shepherd lead the sheep to the pastures, God the Father sent Jesus to lead all peoples to the pastures of everlasting life. In the previous chapter, chapter 9, Jesus healed a blind man persecuted and driven from the synagogue by the Pharisees. The Pharisees sought to scatter the sheep, whereas Jesus sought to gather them. The good shepherd calls each sheep by its name, just as Jesus called His followers by name, like Peter, Lazarus, and Mary Magdalene. The sheep do not follow strangers, but follow their shepherd faithfully. Jesus is our Good Shepherd and He understands our every need and problem, so we must not only listen to Him by studying the Scriptures and the Church’s teachings, but also respond to His voice by imitating His example.
「Spiritual Talk」Fourth Sunday of Easter – Fr. Anthony Ho
