A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Fourth Sunday of Easter A
May 15, 2011
Reading 1
Acts 2:14a, 36-41
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,
raised his voice, and proclaimed:
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
and they asked Peter and the other apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
Many if not all who heard this speech could say: we were not there on that fateful Friday of the death of Jesus. How are we guilty of his death? We also can say the same. But if Jesus died because of our sins, then we are responsible for his death. If we are responsible for his death then we crucified him. If we realised this we would respond as did many in the crowd: what must we do then? The answer is clear: repent and receive the Holy Spirit. Have you?
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
Reading 2
Beloved:
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
If you are patient when you suffer for doing what is good,
this is a grace before God.
For to this you have been called,
because Christ also suffered for you,
leaving you an example that you should follow in his footsteps.
He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.
When he was insulted, he returned no insult;
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
when he suffered, he did not threaten;
instead, he handed himself over to the one who judges justly.
He himself bore our sins in his body upon the cross,
so that, free from sin, we might live for righteousness.
By his wounds you have been healed.
For you had gone astray like sheep,
but you have now returned to the shepherd and guardian of your souls.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd and we are the sheep. Of course we are not actually sheep but human beings. Peter says we had gone astray like sheep but have now returned to the shepherd of our souls. What does it mean to return to the shepherd? Surely it means to have a personal relationship with Jesus who will then guide us in our life in the way of peace.
Gospel
Jesus said:
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
“Amen, amen, I say to you,
whoever does not enter a sheepfold through the gate
but climbs over elsewhere is a thief and a robber.
But whoever enters through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
The gatekeeper opens it for him, and the sheep hear his voice,
as the shepherd calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
When he has driven out all his own,
he walks ahead of them, and the sheep follow him,
because they recognize his voice.
But they will not follow a stranger;
they will run away from him,
because they do not recognize the voice of strangers.”
Although Jesus used this figure of speech,
the Pharisees did not realize what he was trying to tell them.
So Jesus said again, “Amen, amen, I say to you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
I am the gate for the sheep.
All who came before me are thieves and robbers,
but the sheep did not listen to them.
I am the gate.
Whoever enters through me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture.
A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy;
I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
The Shepherd with his sheep
Jesus had a hard time. His own family thought he was mad. There were so many coming and going that he and his disciples didn’t have time to eat. He was laying hands on people, talking to them and healing them. They wanted to take control of him - to save him from the crowds. The scribes accused him of being possessed. The Pharisees were scandalized. He mixed with the unclean – tax collectors and sinners – and became thereby unclean himself. He shocked Simon who had invited him to his house for a meal. Jesus allowed a public woman to come in and fall at his feet, caress them and wipe them with her hair – something that only a prostitute would do. Jesus did not bat an eyelid. They had obviously met before and the woman knew him. The Pharisees classed Jesus as a ‘glutton and a drunkard’ – a very serious accusation which according to the Law of Moses deserved the death penalty. Such a person was a total renegade. Jesus called one of the unclean and the outcasts to join his close band of disciples and then went to a banquet he offered. The banquet was full of the same type and Jesus was at home there.
Jesus had a way of not seeing what people were but what they could become. He valued every human being as someone precious, a masterpiece of God and someone ready to be recreated. When people grumbled that he went and spent time with public sinners and even dined in their houses, he was not embarrassed. He publicly faced the criticism: the Son of Man has come to search and save the lost (Luke 19:10). And so he confounded the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees when they brought a woman caught in adultery and he refused to condemn her or think evil of her. If Jesus were to be accused of sin, it would be of leniency towards people who had sinned. The Pharisee in us will say they don’t deserve mercy. They may not deserve it, Jesus would agree, but they need it.
Jesus acted like this because he is the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd as he himself said cares for his sheep. He does not want to lose even the worst sinner. He loves the sheep and will give his life for them. That is why ‘anyone who enters through me will be safe’. He has come ‘that we may have life and have it to the full’.
Jesus was compassionate and the Church that is his body is to be a compassionate Church. Jesus never condoned sin but gave his life for the one who sinned. Are we willing to die for those we want to condemn? In your world are you known for your compassion and also your justice?
Father, may we like your Son love all sinners in word and deed while at the same time detesting the sins they commit.
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