With this reflection I am going to do something a little different. I have to because these stories about the good shepherd are poetry for the soul. Just as talking to you about the quality of a certain cup of coffee will not help you experience the rich aroma and taste of the brew, so also lecturing you about sheep and shepherds will not allow you to experience our shepherd, the good shepherd, Jesus the Christ.
Therefore, in this reflection, I am going to ask you to get your own cup of coffee so that you too can experience its rich taste. In other words, I am going to ask you to open yourself to the possibility of experiencing your shepherd. I am asking you to get comfortable right now, take a deep breath or two, actively engage your imagination, and imagine yourself as one of Jesus’ flock of sheep. Surely this was much more effective in the church with eyes closed, but at least you will not have to sit on a pew. Today, jump in to the imagery of the good shepherd and his sheep.
The LORD is my shepherd,
I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul.
He leads me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;for you are with me;
your rod and your staff — they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
my whole life long.
Continue to imagine with me as we explore deeper the imagery found in John. As the last rays of the evening sun filter away, your shepherd gathers you into the sheepfold. In the safety of its strong wooden fences with your shepherd laying across the opening, making his body the gate, you feel safe from the shadows of the darkness that lurk just beyond. You settle down in the warmth of everyone else who has been gathered in.
Piercing slightly the silence of the night, a voice is heard. It is not the voice of your shepherd. That voice you know. It is another voice. The voice speaks smooth words which entice you toward the edge of the sheepfold. Someone is found sitting on the fence. What this shadow has to say is easy to understand. The words are clear and the directions given do not need to be thought about. Sometimes your shepherd is not easy to understand. Sometimes you struggle to interpret his words. The clear words of the shadow ringing through the cold night air make you feel important. You take a deep breath of pride. The words make you feel smart. The words make you turn around and look at the other sheep as if they were pitiful little lambs who are lost. Of course you are not lost, you are important.
This thought, prompted by the smooth words of the stranger, do cause a slight discomfort though. The words seem too easy. The words cause your heart rate to go up. Even though the words of the stranger are perfectly clear and make sense, they are not the words of your shepherd. They are entrancing, but they are not familiar.
Suddenly, you hear your shepherd’s voice as it pierces your thoughts, and at once your heart rate calms. He calls to you, and you leave the stranger, going back to the comfort of all those warm bodies. Only him will you follow. Though his words are sometimes confusing, at least they are the words of the one who knows you by name. He loves you, and you love him.
As sun breaks the seal of night and orange and pink bathe the sky, the shepherd gets up from the opening of the gate and calls each sheep by name. Hearing your name, precious on his lips, you follow with the other sheep out of the gate into the world beyond the sheepfold. You do not know where he is taking you, you do not know what sort of dark valley you will have to wander through as you go, but you look at the hands of your shepherd. In them are his staff and his club. With protection in his hands, you trust that in the end you will find yourself in a lush green field of soft grass.
Walking through a tight, dark canyon with those around you, the smooth voice is again heard from the cliffs nearby. It tells you that there is lush grass just up a small ravine on the side of the canyon. The voice advertises it as a small, abundant patch of lush grass for you and only you if you do not tell anyone else. It could by yours. You sway a little toward the voice. Dare you look up the small ravine?
The smooth voice speaks nice words, but they are not the words that would come from your shepherd’s mouth. Your shepherd cares for all the sheep. You have never worried about needing your very own grass before. You have never worried that there would not be enough for you in the past. Why should you now?
You feel the rod of your shepherd lightly tap you away from the smooth voice, you feel the warm body of the shepherd move to your side, getting in between you and the smooth voice. In your heart you know that your shepherd will go to any length to keep you safe. Surely, the smooth voice, so willing to forget the rest of the herd for a small patch of lush grass would do no such thing. It is the voice of a bandit.
You continue to follow your shepherd. You don’t know where this tight canyon will lead eventually, but he has always guided you and those walking beside you to lush valleys before. This time will be no different. He leads the entire herd and soon you see the green of the huge valley beyond. Jesus, your shepherd, gives everyone life, and the life is abundant.
All Scripture quotes are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyrighted, 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A., and is used by permission. All rights reserved.
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