4th Sunday of Easter
26th April 2026
Lectionary Readings: Acts 2:14a, 36-41; Psalm 23: 1-3a,3b,4, 5, 6; 1 Peter 2:20b-25; John 10:1-10
Theme: Sheep and Shepherds
The story of the cure of the man born blind that precedes today’s gospel reading from John presents the Jewish religious leaders who are opposed to Jesus as stubbornly refusing to see the truth, and as uncaring for others. Today’s passage, by contrast, shows Jesus as humble, compassionate and loving, using the age-old metaphors of sheep and shepherd.
In the Hebrew bible a shepherd is ro’eh-tzon, two words meaning herder (ro’eh) and sheep (tzon). The word ro’eh is from the root rah which in this context means to seek, care for, guide, protect and heal – to love. The prophet Isaiah tells us that the Lord God, like a shepherd, will “gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom” (Isaiah 40:11).
While it is often said that shepherds had a bad reputation in ancient Israel, that would seem to be true only for “shepherds who allow their flocks to graze in other people’s fields, thereby stealing from the owners” (Gemara, Bava Kama 94b, 14). The overwhelming attitude to shepherds and shepherding in the Old Testament however is positive. From Moses to David, the leaders were characterised as shepherds and the people as the flock. A story in the Mishnah illustrates this:
When Moshe Rabbeinu (Moses the Teacher) was tending the flock of Yitro in the wilderness, a little kid ran away from him. He ran after the kid until it reached the oasis Chasuah…it came upon a pool of water, and the kid stopped to drink. When Moshe reached it, he said, “I did not know that you were running because you were thirsty. You must be tired.” He placed the kid on his shoulder and began to walk. The Holy One, Blessed be He, said: “You are compassionate in leading flocks…I swear you will similarly shepherd My flock, Israel.” (Midrash Shemot Rabbah 2:2)
When Joseph is told by his father to go to his brothers who are minding sheep, “Yisrael said to Yosef, ‘Your brothers are pasturing in Shechem…Go now, look into the shalom of your brothers and the shalom of the sheep’” (Genesis 37:13-14), he is told to be solicitous for the peace and well-being of the sheep.
This long tradition of compassion, protection, care and concern for followers, expressed also in Prophets and Psalms, is taken to new heights by Jesus in his love for strangers, sinners and all his followers, together with those who were not his followers and were even his enemies. Just as shepherding was a nomadic existence (” My dwelling is plucked up and removed from me like a shepherd’s tent” Isaiah 38:12), so Jesus, like a shepherd, spent his active years moving from place to place for the sake of lost sheep. Inevitably this roused the mortal opposition of the uncaring shepherds of the religious establishment of his day, but the image of the Good Shepherd continues to inspire.
For Reflection and Discussion:
1. Which aspect of shepherding highlighted by the Jewish sages quoted above appeals to you most? Share this with others. 2. What do you find (a) most reassuring, (b) most challenging, in the picture of Jesus as the Good Shepherd?
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Kevin L. McDonnell cfc, Australia, Bat Kol Alumnus: 2003, 2004, 2005
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