4th Sunday of Easter

Gospel –John 10:11-18

Mary Had a Little Lamb

Verdant Pastures / Restful Waters of Sea of Galilee

Mary had a little lamb……….. you know the rest. We hear a lot about sheep/shepherds in today’s readings.  But unless we grew up in the country or worked on a farm, our experience of sheep is probably limited to nursery rhymes and petting zoos.

Sheep, especially from a child’s perspective, are cute, cuddly.  They seem so innocent and trusting.  But in a word, sheep are DUMB!   Without any guidance, they will wander anywhere; they will eat anything.  They have no natural defenses and, without a protector, they are food for any predator.

They need a shepherd, someone who watches over them full-time.  There is no such thing as a day off for a shepherd; he lives with them day in and day out.  He feeds them, guides them, and protects them.  That is what it means when the Psalm says: the Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.   In verdant pastures he gives me repose; beside restful waters he leads me; he refreshes my soul. He guides me in right paths for his name’s sake.  Even though I walk in the dark valley, I fear no evil; for you are at my side.

A shepherd protects his flock; he lays down his life for them.  At night, he leads them into his cave/corral.  But there is no real gate.  The shepherd lies down at the entrance and becomes a living gate to protect them from any predators or robbers.  Anything that tries to attack his sheep has to face him first!  A shepherd literally lays down his life for his sheep.

Jesus truly is the Good Shepherd; He knows His sheep and we know Him.  Throughout our lives, He guides us, feeds us, and protects us.  Even when we are so stubborn that we refuse to listen, when we want to go our own way, to ignore His direction, He gently calls us back to Him, calms our fears, stays with us and leads us to restful waters.   We are weak but His strength gives us courage.  We are defenseless but He protects us.  On our own, we are lost but He guides us along the right path to eternal life.

Mary did indeed have a little lamb, the Lamb of God, the Good Shepherd who gathers us here today to hear His Word and then to trust in Him as we face the day.

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