By The Rev. Marek Zabriskie
When I was invited to preach on the island of St. Barthelemy (St. Barts), I quickly agreed. I have had the good fortune to preach in many interesting places, but this would be special.
As the pilot and a small group of passengers and I walked across the St. Martin’s tarmac to the plane taking us to St. Barthelemy, the pilot asked me, “Do you want to sit up front with me?” “Why not” I replied.
The runway on St. Barts is very short. A friend had sent me a video of a plane going off the St. Barts’ runway and plunging into the bay. I figured that if I were in the co-pilot’s seat, at least I would have a front row seat to watch it unfold.
All of us want a trustworthy pilot. We want to know that we are in safe hands, whether in an airplane, undergoing surgery, seeking legal advice, or making important financial, career, or family decisions.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells us, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” (John 10:11) They recognize his voice, and he knows them by name.
Likewise, the 23rd Psalm tells us, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures and leadeth me beside the still waters.” The imagery is rich – green pastures, still waters, rod, staff, table, oil, cup, valley, paths of righteousness, and house.
On the Fourth Sunday after Easter, we celebrate Good Shepherd Sunday. We read these lessons and sing hymns, reflecting on Jesus, our Good Shepherd, who incarnates the 23rd Psalm.
For the first 600 years after his death, the predominant way of depicting Jesus in art was as the Good Shepherd. You can find such paintings in the necropolis or “Scavi” under St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, in catacombs, and other Christian sites.
Shepherds abound in the Bible. Abel, Esau, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, Saul, David, and Amos served as shepherds. Being a shepherd teaches you how to lead, care for a flock, seek out the lost, and protect the weak. These are great life skills.
Shepherds were the first to learn about the birth of Christ as they watched over their flocks by night. During a recent Christ Church pilgrimage to the Holy Land we visited the church built over the shepherd’s field.
In Jesus’ day, 80% of the workers made a living off the land. Many were shepherds. They could relate to Jesus’ message when he said, “I am the Good Shepherd.”
Jesus warned about “hired hands” and “wolves” who abandoned or harmed the sheep. It reminds me of how cable news and talk radio mislead people with conspiracy theories and heavily politicized and biased reporting that stokes fear and anger and pit Americans against each other. They divide and devour part of the flock in pursuit of ratings rather than truth telling.
One Greenwich pastor notes that many of his parishioners have been discipled by ten hours of cable news during the week before they come to church. He has one hour to offer them a spiritual reset while they seek a religious message confirming what cable news has told them. What is now their true religion?
The message that Jesus offers is one of safety and inclusivity. We have one flock and one shepherd. The only ones excluded are thieves, bandits and wolves.
The biblical imagery of Jesus as our shepherd is warm, intimate, and caring. God is not a distant, detached, cosmic entity, but an approachable, compassionate, and loving shepherd.
During our Holy Land pilgrimage, we saw Bedouin shepherds leading sheep and goats like metal filings drawn to a magnet. Jesus longs for us to be one united, not divided, flock. He knows us each by name and loves all of us.
Sheep aren’t always easy to manage. They often get lost by putting their head down and eating their way out of the flock. Eventually, they look up and realize that the flock is nowhere in sight.
A good shepherd carries a sling and several smooth stones. He can toss it within a foot of a sheep 200 feet away. The noise of the sling hitting the ground will startle a lost sheep, causing it to look up and return to the flock.
At night, shepherds in Jesus’ day kept their flocks in stone pens without a door. The shepherd would lie down in the entrance to form a living gate. No wolf or thief could enter or sheep depart without alerting the shepherd.
The Bible tells us that Jesus is the door to God’s flock. He laid down his life upon the cross to atone for our sins. He is our Paschal Lamb and our Good Shepherd.
Perfection isn’t on the menu for any of us in this life. We make mistakes, sometimes massive ones. We need a good shepherd to guide us and the Paschal Lamb to atone for us. Thank God, we have both, and we can repay the favor by shepherding those around us with love.
The Rev. Marek Zabriskie is Rector of Christ Church Greenwich
