Lambs, Sheep and Shepherds

Throughout all four gospels we hear imagery around lambs, sheep and shepherds. Jesus is the shepherd whose voice the flock knows, who lays down his life for his sheep. But also important in the gospel of John is the imagery of Jesus as the lamb. In the synoptics (Matthew, Mark and Luke) the last supper is a Passover meal, but in John’s version Jesus is crucified at the same time the lambs are being slaughtered for the Passover. Jesus is the paschal lamb.

I believe in this God who is both shepherd and lamb. God incarnate shares life in all its fullness, knowing the experiences of loving and being loved, of being disappointed and of disappointing others, of being lonely and of belonging, of being vulnerable and afraid, of facing violence and death, of hearing the tempting voice that is not of God, and having to choose.

So when I feel worn down, or when I feel that the world and my efforts in it are a mess, when I am tempted to despair, I can trust that the good shepherd has been there, and can abide with me. When I look at the sorrows in the world that are beyond my own experience, I trust that the good shepherd abides there too, with all who suffer, all who fear, all who feel weak and helpless. He is the shepherd who knows the life of the lamb. He will not run. He stays with me in my vulnerability, and helps us know our place staying with one another.