Why "Sheep" and "Shepherd" was the Perfect Analogy for Jesus's Time

 
When I read John 10:31, my mind is drawn to ask the question: "What had Jesus done to make the Jewish leaders so angry that they wanted to pick up rocks and stone him?"

Well, if you look at the passage just prior to this, they had been pressing Jesus to basically stop beating around the bush and tell them plainly if he was the Messiah. Jesus answered them, saying, “I told you, and you did not believe me. The works I do in my Father’s name testify to me. But you do not believe, because you are not among my sheep. My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me.”

Since there were a lot of shepherds in Jesus’ time, the Jews knew very well what he meant by this. I also raised sheep for many years and so when I read this, it was very clear to me as well.

Back when I had sheep, whenever I called them, their ears perked up, their heads turned towards me, and by the second time I called, they would be coming my way. If they thought they were going to be fed, they were running to me. My wife Carolyn always got a good laugh whenever I called the sheep because I would shout, “Let’s go girls,” and here they came. If my wife or anyone else called the sheep, they just ignored them, but when they heard my voice, they responded immediately. It didn’t matter how far away they were or even if it was pitch dark; if they heard my call, they came.

Jesus’ statement about the Jewish leaders not believing he was the Messiah because they, “Were not among his sheep,” infuriated them because they knew exactly how sheep reacted when called by their shepherd. They knew that no matter the circumstances, when the shepherd called, the sheep responded. They knew that Jesus had said he was the Messiah. They had seen his works and heard his call but responded by not believing in him and by turning their backs on him, denying him, and seeking to kill him. He didn’t fit their preconceived notions of who the Messiah should be.

In today’s gospel, Jesus went on to say, “If I do not perform my Father’s works, do not believe me; but if I perform them, even if you do not believe me, believe the works, so that you may realize that the Father is in me and I am in the Father.” This further infuriated the Jewish leaders because by saying this, he was asserting that his words and deeds were, in fact, the words and deeds of God.

We see that the leaders of the Jews didn’t respond well at all to Jesus’s call. And we know that very soon, in their pride, selfishness, and desire to have things their way, they would imprison, torture, ridicule, humiliate, and kill God incarnate, their savior, their long-awaited Messiah, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

But today, in our time, what is our excuse when we ignore the call of Jesus? We have the distinct advantage of hindsight, learning from the mistakes of both the Jews and Christians throughout time, and even today, who have lost their way, in addition to the blessings of having the scriptures, the teachings of the Church, and the writings of the Saints, Church Fathers, and Doctors of the Church at our disposal. Not to mention that through the grace we receive in the Sacraments, God has given us everything we need to follow Jesus unreservedly.

We also know in gory detail what happened to Jesus, how he responded to persecution, and how in his humility and love, he gave his human life to give us the opportunity of salvation and eternal life with him. He gave us the immeasurable blessings of not only forgiving our sins but also, and even more importantly, of sharing his life with us, both now and forever.

As Christians, as Catholics, we know this, but the question is how are we responding to Jesus’ call? Do we respond as the Jewish leaders did by denying him or by getting angry when we are faced with the facts that Jesus is calling us to holiness, when what we really want is to have things our way, even if our way is clearly opposed to God’s way?

The path to happiness in this life does not come through the ways of the world. The path to true happiness and joy comes through holiness, and the path to holiness comes only through Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life.

Let us truly surrender ourselves to the Lord, body, mind, and soul. Let us take all our Sin and Shame, our Guilt and Pain, our Pride and Sorrow, as well as all our Faith, Hope, Love, our Prudence, Fairness, Courage, and Self-Control. Let us take everything we are, everything we have been, and everything we ever could be, and give it all to Jesus.

Let’s not be afraid to lay it all at the foot of the cross. We have nothing to lose, and everything to gain.

Amen!