The Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year A), April 17, 2005
BCP: Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a,51-60 or Neh. 9:6-15; Psalm 23; 1 Pet. 2:19-25 or Acts 6:1-9; 7:2a,51-60; John 10:1-10
RCL: Acts 2:42-47; Psalm 23; 1 Pet. 2:9-15; John 10:1-10
The Fourth Sunday of Easter is informally known as "Good Shepherd Sunday," for it always has the theme of God caring for his people, and uses the work of a shepherd to exemplify that care. In the 11th verse of the 10th chapter of John’s gospel, Jesus says directly, "I am the good shepherd." But in today’s reading, which comprises only the first 10 verses of that chapter, we are taken by surprise by what Jesus says. After contrasting "thieves and bandits" (in verse 1) with "the shepherd of the flock" (verse 2) whom the sheep will follow because they recognize his voice (verse 4-5), Jesus does not identify himself with that shepherd as one would expect — at least not at first — but with the door through which the shepherd and the sheep pass. The "gate" is identified as the means of entering safely (verse 9), and the contrast is not only between "thieves and bandits" and the "good shepherd," but is ultimately about how the sheep are treated. They are either "stolen, killed, and destroyed" or given "life to the full" (verse 10). These two possibilities are extremes; there is nothing moderate about either of them.
In a way, this first part of the "good shepherd chapter" in John shows that the lesson is not about Jesus, but about those who believe in him. It is the fate of the sheep, the definitive "ending up place," that is at stake. Jesus’ claim to be "the door" is similar to his claim that "no one can come to the Father except through me" (14:6).
The other two lessons from the New Testament seem almost in sharp contrast to the claim made in the gospel, for both present images of the faithful undergoing unjust suffering. The lesson from Acts is the climactic portion of an extended narrative in which Stephen tells his detractors the truth about Jesus as Messiah and recounts their historic rejection of God’s grace. His reward is to die by mob violence. The lesson from 1 Peter tells believers that "there is merit if, in awareness of God, [they] put up with the pains of undeserved punishment," and points to Jesus as the primary example.
These accounts are hardly comforting for those who are promised "life to the full" in the gospel. Yet the lessons from Nehemiah and the psalm bring it together. Nehemiah recounts the deliverance God produced when his people were enslaved and in need. The psalm speaks of spreading a table in the presence of those who trouble us. Although deliverance from suffering is given as a guarantee, deliverance in suffering is also granted to the faithful.
Look It Up
In the lesson from Nehemiah, what did God provide to give evidence to his people that he cared for them, especially in their time of need?
Think About It
Why is Psalm 23 so popular for use in funerals? What comfort does it provide?
Next Sunday
The Fifth Sunday of Easter (Year A), April 24, 2005
BCP: Acts 17:1-15 or Deut. 6:20-25; Psalm 66:1-11 or 66:1-8; 1 Peter 2:1-10 or Acts 17:1-15; John 14:1-14
RCL: Acts 7:55-60; Psalm 31:1-5,15-16; 1 Pet. 2:2-10; John 14:1-14
