Today’s podcast is from John 10: 11-18. This Gospel will be read in churches April 21, 2024. Jesus compares himself to a shepherd, not just any shepherd but a good shepherd. Fortunately, Jesus goes on to clarify what he means. Probably most of us have little or no experience with shepherds and likely have never met one.
Jesus frequently used common experiences that people would recognize... to illustrate key spiritual concepts, in the parables we read about the lost coin, fish, vines and planting crops for example. People at this time would presumably have been familiar with shepherds.
A sheep that did not know their own shepherd was a problem: as it was at risk of being lost or falling prey to wolves and other predators. Rather than punish the lamb the shepherds had a way to teach the lost lamb about the Shepherd.
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