April 25, 2021
Fourth Sunday of Easter (Year B)
At first glance there does not seem to be much in common between the readings for today. In his speech to the people in the book of Acts, Peter talks about a cornerstone that has been rejected by the builders. And in the Gospel from John, Jesus compares himself to a shepherd guarding and leading his sheep. One might wonder what a cornerstone, or foundational stone of the Temple, might have in common with sheep. Perhaps a closer look is in order.
The First Reading from the book of Acts (Acts 4:8-12) picks up from last Sunday after Peter has cured a man crippled from birth. He is continuing his speech to the witnesses who are present, especially the leaders of the people and the elders. He addresses their bafflement over what means were used to cure the crippled man and he declares, “It was in the name of Jesus Christ the Nazorean whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead; in his name this man stands before you healed.” (Acts 4:10).
Peter then follows this declaration with an unusual quote from the book of Psalms. He says, “He is the stone rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. There is no salvation through anyone else, nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved.” (Acts 4:11-12, cf. Ps. 118:22).
If we consider a few other verses from Psalm 118, we can get a better idea of what is meant by Peter’s speech. This psalm is an example of a prayer of thanksgiving. It would have been prayed or sung by the Jewish people as they processed into the Temple area. Some of it is well known to us because we hear it at Mass, especially the refrain which comes from the opening verse, “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, his mercy endures forever.” (Ps. 118:1).
Spoken by an individual on behalf of the community, the psalmist goes on to express gratitude to the Lord for saving the people in time of distress: “In danger I called on the LORD; the LORD answered me and set me free. The LORD, my strength and might, has become my savior. Open the gates of righteousness; I will enter and thank the LORD. This is the LORD’s own gate, through it the righteous enter. The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. By the LORD has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.” (Ps. 118:5, 14, 20, 22-23).
In the historical context of Psalm 118, although the enemies of Israel have rejected them and their God, the Lord has saved them from oppression and defeat. For this they recognize the salvation that comes only from the one, true God, the cornerstone, who has been spurned by the builders, the surrounding nations. The gates to the Temple, the Lord’s dwelling place, are then open only to the righteous, those who believe, and for this the people offer words of praise and gratitude: “This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice in it and be glad.” (Ps. 118:24).
As dissimilar as they may seem, the Gospel (Jn 10:11-18), and the words of Jesus, hold a theme comparable to the reading from Acts. The passage that we read comes from a parable known as the Good Shepherd (Jn. 10:1-21). It is part of a response Jesus gives to the Pharisees after they have confronted him about the cure of a man born blind, questioning his motives, identity, and authority.
As with many of the teachings of Jesus, the image of a shepherd is one borrowed from the Old Testament where it is used in a few different ways. In the prophetic works of Jeremiah and Ezekiel, it is used in a derogatory manner against Israel’s leaders for their apostasy and injustice which have led to the exile of the people of Israel. In the Gospel Jesus uses this same analogy to pertain to the Jewish leaders and Pharisees, the thieves and robbers, who, as Jeremiah writes, “have scattered the sheep and driven them away.” (Jer. 23:2).
Another image of a shepherd in the Old Testament is used to describe the anointed son from the line of King David whom God will appoint to lead the nation of Israel as the Messiah. This likeness is the one that Jesus uses for himself in the Gospel, the chosen one described by God as found in the book of Ezekiel, “As a shepherd examines his flock while he himself is among his scattered sheep, so will I examine my sheep. I will appoint one shepherd over them to pasture them, my servant David; he shall pasture them and be their shepherd.” (Ezek. 34:23).
In today’s Gospel we hear only one part of the parable, however, as with Psalm 118, we should look at the other parts of the passage in order to get a complete understanding. The parable is written in three sections. The first and last sections contain the familiar story of the Good Shepherd. In the first few verses of the passage Jesus says, “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 he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” (Jn. 10: 1-3).
Here Jesus is referring to himself as the true shepherd who enters the sheepfold properly, through the gate which the gatekeeper opens for him. Then when he calls the sheep, they recognize his voice and follow him out of the sheepfold. However, if the sheep hear a stranger’s voice they run away. These are like the Pharisees, strangers and thieves who lead the people astray.
In the latter part of the parable, Jesus once more distinguishes himself from the Jewish leaders who come as thieves to destroy the sheep or fail to protect them like a hired servant. Jesus, on the other hand, is the one whose sheep know and follow him, he is the “good shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep.” (Jn. 10:11).
The middle portion of this passage is sometimes called the parable of the Shepherd’s Gate. It is somewhat obscure, only one short verse. Because of this it is often overlooked when studying this passage. However, this is the key piece that links the story to the reading from the book of Acts. Instead of identifying himself as the Good Shepherd, this time Jesus says, “I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.” (Jn. 10:9).
According to this, Jesus is not only the shepherd who leads, protects, and cares for his sheep. He is also the only gate through which they can enter the sheepfold. Only the sheep who know him intimately and who recognize his voice when he calls can enter the pasture by way of him. All others who neither know him nor seek him are unable to enter his flock through the passage he provides.
These sheep are like the people from Psalm 118. The righteous ones who only recognize and follow the God of Israel. In their day, the Lord was their Good Shepherd, the only one who could save and redeem them. As the book of Genesis describes, “The Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Gen. 49:24). And they could only enter through the gate provided by God, the gate of His Holy Dwelling with the cornerstone as its foundation.
With the Incarnation and through the Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of the Son of God, Jesus has taken on the Father’s role as both Good Shepherd and Gate to heaven. He is the only route to salvation promised by the Father. It is the same route to redemption offered to the people of Israel in the Psalm: “the LORD’s own gate, through it the righteous enter.” (Ps. 118:20).
What better way to thank the God of Israel and God, our Father who offers us salvation and hope of eternal life though His Son, the Good Shepherd and the Holy Gate, than with a psalm that we pray in solidarity with our Jewish brothers and sisters? It is the psalm of acclaim which we sing on this day, Good Shepherd Sunday:
The LORD is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack. In green pastures he makes me lie down; to still waters he leads me; he restores my soul. He guides me along right paths for the sake of his name. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff comfort me. You set a table before me in front of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Indeed, goodness and mercy will pursue me all the days of my life; I will dwell in the house of the LORD for endless days. (Psalm 23).
