Last Updated: 02-05-2020 23:01
When Jesus said “I am the good shepherd”, as he does in the Gospel reading set for today, the image would have been no surprise to his hearers. It spoke to their ancestral roots: Abraham was a nomadic herdsman, and the sight of shepherds leading their sheep was familiar. The comparison was made by the prophets: the false shepherds, who exploited the people for their own ends, was contrasted with the good shepherds God looked for.