Good-News for Today

What is the “Good-news” for today? The “Good-news” is meant to remind us of the comfort, encouragement and most of all, God’s love for us.  Also, a challenge.  Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd”. The good shepherd tends his fold; calls them by name and “I lay down my life for the sheep”.  They know my voice, follow me and are not duped by strangers. Today, the comforting love is found in the intimate image of the relationship between the Good Shepherd, Jesus, and his fold and in Jesus’ relationship with his father.  We, all of us – children, women and men are invited to be in as trusting and faithful a relationship with Jesus as He is with His fold. This does not sound like much of a challenge. To be in a relationship as intimate as Jesus is with His Father, sounds much more challenging. We, like sheep, are not always discerning or faithful.  Jesus is the unconditionally loving and faithful one. As in all of the parables, Jesus is the focus. This reading from John is not about the sheep. Tt is about Jesus, about God, who says “I am…”.  An identity Jesus claims 7 times in John’s gospel alone.  This claim goes back as far as Moses when Yahweh, God,says “I am…”.  

Some of us are fortunate to have the experience of being loved and nurtured.  Jesus wants nothing more than to love and nurture me.  All of us! Jesus wants me, all of us, to know his voice and not be duped by false voices.  What could be more comforting than to be loved and wanted? Especially by God.

The challenge comes later in the chapter. Jesus says, “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.  I must bring them also… So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” I have grown accustomed to those in my fold. My fold recognizes who “belongs” and who does not. “We” belong. “They” do not.

Is it possible for all to become one flock? What do we have in common? Above all else we all want to be acceptable, welcomed, respected and valued for our individuality and uniqueness. We all thirst to belong. We all do belong; just haven’t recognized each other yet. Jews, Christians, Muslims, refugees, immigrants, Africans, Asians, LGBTQ+, the proverbial Other, the cherished and the shunned, the feared, the rich, the poor, the marginalized, the prisoner – all of us want to and do belong to God’s one loved flock.  Some of us cannot verbalize this desire to belong to Jesus’ one flock.  Some of us can only express the pain of exclusion.  

What a wonderful overwhelming invitation to be in a personal, unique and intimate loving relationship with God, with Jesus!  
What would that look like – hard for me to begin to imagine. Just attempting fills me with joy, hope, encouragement and most of all of overwhelming Love.  I am loved and so are you.
I want to love in return.

Jesus’ death and resurrection is the open, ongoing invitation to all to belong and participate in Jesus’ one flock.

                                    Amen