Over the years Lesley and I, and the children,
have had many holidays in the Yorkshire Dales,
at a cottage in a country lane deep in Nidderdale.
We have seen the shepherds there in operation,
seen them gathering the sheep together and moving them;
sometimes there have been streams of sheep going past the front door,
causing great excitement in the children when they were younger.
My impression is that the typical shepherd there rides a quad bike
on which he carries a couple of dogs.
He makes strange noises that the dogs understand
causing them to round up the sheep.
Once they are on the path he wants,
he drives behind them, pushing them along.
He uses the dogs, or other men,
to block off the paths he doesn’t want the sheep to go.
You might call this coercive shepherding:
the sheep are forced to do what the shepherd wants.
The striking thing
is the relationship between the sheep dogs and the shepherd.
The sheep dogs really do listen to the voice of the shepherd,
they know what to do, they know what their master wants:
they have been trained by him.
But, in the Dales, I don’t see any evidence
that the sheep have any attachment to the shepherd
or indeed that they pay special attention to him.
In contrast, in the metaphor in today’s gospel,
the sheep themselves know the voice of the shepherd:
they are not driven from behind, but are led by the shepherd.
It is sometimes said
that this reflects how shepherding is done in that part of the world.
I don’t know whether that is true –
I very much doubt that it is the whole truth.
This ‘ideal’ shepherding was only achieved by the continuing presence of,
by the commitment of, the shepherd.
When that was absent,
I am sure coercive shepherding had to be used in biblical times,
albeit without quad bikes or dogs.
The phenomenon of a really effective shepherd being able to lead his sheep may have been know in biblical times,
but people will also have known that shepherding only works
because the shepherd lives with the sheep,
makes sure their needs for food and drink are met
puts himself between the sheep and dangers they perceive,
becomes one of them.
The courage and commitment needed by the shepherd
are a key part of the metaphor.
The sheep listen to the good shepherd,
the sheep follow the good shepherd
because he is there with them all the time
and looks after them.
The second reading, communicates this closeness
with a mixing of metaphors:
the Lamb on the throne, whose blood has saved,
will be their shepherd and will lead them to springs of living water.
The shepherd is the Lamb.
The speaking to the sheep,
the knowing the sheep,
the leading of the sheep, is done by the Lamb.
This shepherd’s identification with the flock is total.
This is all gift.
Gift from God, who wants to be known for who he is.
How are we to respond?
By accepting the gift.
We listen to the Lamb who is our shepherd,
we listen to Jesus speaking to us in the scriptures
we listen to Jesus speaking through those around us
we listen to Jesus speaking to us in our hearts.
As we listen, we can recognise more deeply
that we are known,
individually, by name,
known and loved.
As we listen, we can hear Jesus calling us to follow him.
Much of the time
Jesus’ call is for us to be His hands and voice in our everyday lives:
with our families, friends, and neighbours.
We also have to listen out for Jesus’ call
over the major circumstances of our lives:
those bigger decisions that set the direction of our lives.
This is a Sunday to think about, and pray about,
major life choices that we see ahead.
We pray too for those we know who face such choices.
Those of you who, like me, have children in their teens and twenties
will probably have plenty of material there.
We also pray
for people who are thinking of moving away,
for people who are considering retiring from work,
for people considering moving into sheltered accommodation
– and I am sure you will know of other examples
of people facing life-changing choices.
And, of course, on this Sunday
we pray for a generous response
from those who hear the call to the priesthood or consecrated life.
Jesus’ love, God’s overwhelming love for each and for all,
lived out on Calvary, as the Lamb of sacrifice,
made present in this Mass,
penetrates our hearts and minds.
It calls out to us, his flock:
‘join your life to mine’;
‘be my presence for others’;
‘be my body here on earth’.