Fr. Frank Majka, SJ – The Bridge

Our Shepherding God (Easter 4)

In chapter 34 of Ezekiel’s prophecy, God, in effect, gives a pink slip to Israel’s leaders, accusing them of living off the sheep (the people) instead of feeding them, leaving them exposed to danger instead of protecting them, and ruling them with harshness rather than compassion.  Instead, God promises that he himself will shepherd the people.

That chapter of Ezekiel was clearly in Jesus’ mind when, in this Sunday’s gospel, he called himself the Good Shepherd; he was telling the leaders of his day (especially the religious leaders) that they had failed, as had happened in Ezekiel’s time, and that he, Jesus, would do what God had done then. He would be the shepherd for God’s sheep; he would be the Good shepherd.

In our day, people have become suspicious of traditional leaders and role models, whether religious or political or social. People who have responsibilities to care for others’ money or health or faith life or security or basic rights haven’t always done their duties, and people have been hurt. But that doesn’t mean that we are simply left to fend for ourselves.

On the contrary, we believe that no matter how well or poorly human leaders act, ultimately it is God on whom we rely because he is unlimited in his ability to care for us and he is committed to watching over each one of us individually and all of us together. Psalm 23 says it all: God is our shepherd. We have his word on it.