By Father Paul Nord, O.S.B.
Sunday Scripture
First Reading: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Responsorial: Psalm 23:1-6; Second Reading: 1 Peter 2:20b-25; Gospel: John 10:1-10
In the Acts of the Apostles 2:1-13, Jesus’ disciples receive the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Today’s reading comes next: The Holy Spirit gives the apostles courage. So Peter stood up with the Eleven … and (publicly) proclaimed: “Let the whole house of Israel know for certain that God has made both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” Only a short time before, Peter and the apostles had fled in fear when Jesus was arrested and killed. But now the Holy Spirit gives them courage to risk their lives to proclaim Christ’s Gospel.
Many who hear Peter’s words show contrition. Peter tells them: “Repent and be baptized … in the name of Jesus Christ.” Three thousand accepted baptism into Christ. Their sins were forgiven, and they received the gift of the Holy Spirit — so that they too had courage to proclaim Christ’s Gospel like Peter and the apostles.
Next, the first letter of Peter tells us: “If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good, this is a grace before God.” Uniting our sufferings with the suffering of Christ “is a grace.” This reading shows how the sufferings of Christ fulfill the prophetic text of the Fourth Suffering Servant Song of Isaiah 53:4-12: “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth” (53:9). First Peter continues: “When he was insulted … when he suffered, he did not threaten … He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross.” Christ fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah 53:4–6: “our sufferings he endured … he was pierced for our sins … He bore the punishment that makes us whole, by his wounds we were healed. We had all gone astray like sheep.” The early Church recognized that Jesus had powerfully fulfilled Isaiah’s Suffering Servant Songs (see also Acts 8:29-35).
Today’s Gospel is part of a larger section of John’s Gospel (7:1 – 10:21), which occurs during the Feast of Tabernacles. This feast has two great symbols: water and light. When the Temple in Jerusalem still stood, these symbols were central to two ceremonies during this eight-day feast. First, there was a daily water libation ceremony, in which water was ceremonially brought in a golden pitcher from the pool of Siloam and poured upon the Temple altar. Second, four huge golden lampstands were placed in the Temple’s Courtyard of the Women. These produced an enormous light, which symbolized the pillar of fire by which God led the Israelites at night during their 40 year wilderness journey after their exodus from Egypt.
In John 8–9, Jesus twice proclaims: “I am the light of the world.” Jesus adapts the light imagery of the Feast of Booths, and shows how he, as God’s Son, is revealing God to humanity through his Incarnation. Jesus transforms humanity’s relationship with God, such that mere men and women can become God’s sons and daughters. Jesus is the light of the world who reveals God the Father to us, so that we may know God intimately — entering into a communion of love of God and neighbor.
In John 9, Jesus also heals a man born blind. In this way, Jesus brings light to a man in darkness. Further, Jesus brings this blind man to belief that Jesus is “the Son of Man,” who acts on behalf of God. At the end of John 9, Jesus praises the spiritual sight by which the (formerly blind) man recognizes that Jesus is sent by God. In contrast, Jesus rebukes the Pharisees for being “blind.” The Pharisees fail to believe when Jesus says that he is “one with (God) the Father.” They are spiritually blind.
This leads into today’s Gospel reading from John 10:1-10. Here Jesus continues to rebuke the Pharisees. Jesus suggests that they are not good shepherds, but rather they are “thieves and robbers.” Jesus’ words are similar to Jeremiah 23 and Ezekiel 34, which rebuke unfaithful leaders of Israel by calling them bad shepherds. In contrast, Jesus calls himself “the good shepherd” in John 10:11 and 10:14 – just after today’s Gospel. Jesus teaches: “I am the gate for the sheep … Whoever enters through me will be saved.” Here “gate” is an image of protection — Jesus protects his sheep from danger — he “calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.”
Jesus also says that the sheep will only follow the voice of the shepherd. They will not follow the voice of strangers. Jesus calls for his followers to listen to his voice and follow him. In this way, his disciples will not be subject to the destruction of thieves who come “only to steal and slaughter and destroy.”
The most famous shepherd imagery of the Old Testament is from Psalm 23, which is today’s Responsorial: “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.” Psalm 23 describes God as leading the psalmist to “verdant pastures” and “restful waters.” A shepherd provides his sheep with food (pastures) and drink (waters). God “refreshes my soul.” The psalm continues: God “guides me in right paths” and protects me “even though I walk in the dark valley.” This shepherd imagery presents God as protector. Trusting in God, the psalmist “fear(s) no evil” and has “courage.”
The psalm illustrates God’s protection with the images: “your rod and your staff.” A shepherd uses the rod to drive away animals who would attack his sheep. A shepherd uses his “staff” to steady himself while walking, and also uses his staff to nudge the sheep to stay together on the right path, away from danger.
So Psalm 23 shows God as protector and provider for his people — like a shepherd. By his Incarnation, Jesus has entered into our human condition, acting as a good shepherd who protects and provides for God’s children in an intimate way. A good shepherd accompanies his sheep through every difficulty, and so Jesus accompanies us through life’s sufferings, which he himself has known. So we pray to the Father in Jesus’ name in all things.