Today's readings: Acts 9:36-43; Psalm 23; Revelation 7:9-17; John 10:22-30
(Text for reflection is below the video)
Revelation 7:17 makes a remarkable statement: “For the Lamb at the center of the throne will be their shepherd.” Generally in scripture it is us who are the sheep and God who is the Shepherd, but John the Baptist (for one) announces Jesus to his followers as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29), and in Revelation Jesus is the sacrificial Lamb. This imagery gives a strong sense of identity with us: God (the Shepherd) became one of us (the sheep) in Jesus (the Lamb). In this passage of Revelation the image is reversed again: the Lamb becomes the Shepherd.
This shift in imagery from Shepherd to Lamb to Shepherd presents us with a beautiful picture of a God who identifies deeply with his people. The Lord who is our shepherd and leads us beside quiet waters (Psalm 23) is not a far-off God with unrealistic expectations of us and little to no understanding of what it means to be human. No, this God became flesh and dwelt among us. You might say (in keeping with the image) that the Shepherd became wool and grazed in green pastures with his sheep!
So Jesus, our Shepherd, understands our weaknesses and limitations, because he has tested in all the ways we have (Hebrews 4:15-16). He accepts and guides us not in ignorance but in full, intimate knowledge of our struggles and our needs.
The Shepherd knows what it’s like to be a sheep, so let us approach Him with confidence and gratitude!
This week's readings: Acts 11:1-18; Psalm 148; Revelation 21:1-6; John 13:31-35
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