This Sunday’s Gospel reading is from John, where Jesus proclaims that he is the Good Shepherd.  Take a look at it real quick.  I’m sure your pastor is going to knock this one out of the park when he gives his homily, but I just wanted to share a little reflection to help get us ready for it.  And my question is this – what makes good sheep?

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Now, first of all, I’m just a kid from the suburbs, so I have no idea.  But I grew up with the movie Babe and Lamb Chops on the TV, so I’m gonna give it my best shot.

Bah ram ewe, Indeed.

But the first thing I thought of was this – all sheep are alike.  They may have different personalities.  Indeed, usually this time of year my pastor talks about how the shepherd knows each of his sheep by name.  But at the end of the day, they all make the same dumb mistakes.  They all get scared.  They all eventually run away.

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But that’s not often the way we feel when we make our mistakes.  When one of my students was struggling, maybe even failing, they would always feel like they were the only one not getting the concept.  Like surely they were the moron in the class.  I know it happens to me whenever I am in a spiritual funk.  It seems like all my friends, all my coworkers, all the teens I minister to have this amazing relationship with God, and I’m just… struggling.  They tweet about how beautiful and alive God is in their lives and follow up every good piece of news with God is so good, while deep down I’m kinda wondering if he really is.  But the worst part about it is I convince myself that I’m the only one who feels distanced from God.

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Take a look at a herd of sheep though.  While maybe only one wanders off at a time, they all do it.  Eventually one of them is going to see a grasshopper and think it’s a wolf and run the hell away.  Don’t we all.  So you may feel like you are the only one grinding out a relationship with God – and spinning your wheels at that – it doesn’t mean you’re awful or a moron, it’s kinda just your turn.  All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  Nowhere does Romans go on to say yeah but some have really fallen.  It’s just simply, guess what – we’re all sheep, and eventually sheep do this.  They struggle with the whole pasture thing.  We like to pretend there are good sheep and bad sheep – the black sheep of the family.  No, there’s not.  Every single family member is a black sheep then.  All have messed up.

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The second thing about this analogy Jesus gives is that if he is claiming that he is the shepherd and you are a sheep, then he knows you can’t make it on your own!

Stop trying to eat rocks, Timmy.

You sinning, is not a surprise.  You struggling, is not a surprise.  He knows you’re going to wander.  He knows you’re not going to know where to go.  You need him.  The fact that you’re reading this, or going to church on Sunday, or reading the Bible on your own is not because you’re awesome.  It’s because he is.  He is shepherding you right now, guiding you back, bringing your focus and your trust back to him.  Without him, you’d be far away, not knowing what is good food and good drink and where is a safe place to rest.  That is his doing.

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And what’s more, you’re never going to hear him say What are you doing? I thought I could trust you?!  When you do mess up and wander away, he doesn’t see this as some massive failure on your part.  As though he really thought you were gonna make it longer before you needed to go to confession again.  This is normal.  He takes joy in bringing you back!

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Notice also that Jesus calls himself the Good Shepherd.  Not just a shepherd.  Not just an I am the vine and you are the branches type analogy here.  He goes further.  He is trying to shape and perfect our image of what a truly good shepherd looks like.  And he very clearly states that what makes him a good shepherd is NOT that his sheep don’t wander.  Because I know that is my conception of one.  The guy who keeps all the sheep together.  The guy that can just whistle and the dog keeps ‘em perfectly in line.

But that’s not at all where Jesus goes with this.  He plainly states that at times you will wander away.  You will get lost.  You will be frightened.  You will be angry and alone and not with the herd.  What makes a good shepherd is not one who keeps that from happening, but one who goes after you.  Who lays down his own life for you.  Who picks you up at the cost of everything and brings you back.

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And that’s fascinating because it totally goes against the problem of evil.  The oldest and most valid argument against God’s goodness comes into play in all our lives and Jesus’ response is to say, no, I’m still Good even though all that happens.  Because I’m still your shepherd.  I’m willing to let you make your choices, but I never leave you alone.  I know where you are and I bring you back.  Always.  

So, what makes good sheep?  Anyone willing to accept the fact that they are… sheep.  That you’re going to screw up.  That you will at times feel alone and scared and angry and far from God.  But he is still your shepherd and you can trust him.  Trust him to take you to go where you cannot see what is ahead of you.  To act and move and be and love according to how he leads.  And that this is Easter – there is nothing you are going through which he cannot take back up again.  There is no suffering incapable of Resurrection.  This is the season to take that to heart.  Let the Good Shepherd raise it up.