April 21, 2024

Fourth Sunday of Easter

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 this 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).

If we consider a few other verses from this psalm, we can get a better idea of what is meant by this saying of Peter. Psalm 118 is an example of a psalm of thanksgiving. It would have been prayed or sung by the Jewish people as they processed into the Temple area. Some of it is, in fact, well known to us because we hear it frequently at Mass. It is 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 a 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, or 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 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 descried 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. Inserted between these two is what may be called the parable of the Shepherd’s Gate. 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 will 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 abandon them like a hired servant who runs away from a wolf. Jesus, on the other hand, is again 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 the parable, only one short verse, is somewhat obscure and 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, who recognize his voice when he calls are able to enter the pasture through him. All others who neither know him nor seek him are able to enter into his flock.

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 the only one who could save and redeem them. As the book of Genesis explains, “The Mighty One of Jacob, the Shepherd, the Rock of Israel.” (Gen. 49:24). His was the only gate they could enter, that gate of His Holy Dwelling with the cornerstone as its foundation.

With the Incarnation and through the Paschal Mystery, the death and resurrection of Jesus, this

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 Psalm 118 of the First Reading. It is “the LORD’s own gate, through it the righteous enter.” (Ps. 118:20).