"Me, I am the good shepherd

"I am the good shepherd : I know mine, and I am known to mine, as the Father knows me, and I know the Father ; And I leave my life for the sheep." John 10:14, 15

It is mainly to the Pharisees, disoriented by the healing of the born-born, that the Lord presents himself as the shepherd, the good shepherd. He emphasizes the difference between him and them, the shepherds who rule over the herd to feed at the expense of the sheep.

Undoubtedly, he alludes to a prophecy of Ezekiel who denounces the evil shepherds of Israel and predicts their replacement by a true shepherd who is the Lord Himself (Ezek. 34). The Pharisees are obliged to understand that Jesus presents himself as this shepherd announced by a prophet whom they know well.

But the Lord speaks not only to his opponents, but also speaks to the crowd around him and to his disciples who follow him, all of them Jews who are waiting for the shepherd of Israel already announced by Jacob (Gen. 49 . He tells them that those who believe in him, whether Jews or non-Jews, will be one flock after his resurrection.

To us too, today, Jesus presents himself as the good shepherd who brought us into his flock. We know him as the one who gave his life for us. We rejoice because He knows each one by our name, that is, in all aspects of our being: our origin, our weaknesses, our possibilities, our feelings and our aspirations. To show the depth of this knowledge, Jesus compares it with the reciprocal knowledge that exists between his Father and himself : it is a perfect knowledge.

What do we expect from a shepherd ? Care, food, affection, but also and especially security. A sheep has no weapon to defend itself and does not even run to save itself. That is why the Lord finishes this teaching by giving us the assurance that His sheep will never perish and that no one will snatch them from His hand. Additional security : they are covered by the hand of the Father who is greater than all.

Source (Please the Lord)