Isaiah 30:19-21, 23-26 / Matthew 9:35 - 10:1, 6-8
The relationship between God and His people is often portrayed in images.
One of the popular images is that of the shepherd and the sheep.
We may wonder why this image is so popular, and even Jesus used this image in the gospel.
He even used it twice: “like sheep without a shepherd” and “the lost sheep of the house of Israel”.
We may not see or know what a shepherd and the sheep do, but there are some things about them that we have read about.
Out in the pastures, the shepherd has only the sheep for company. Hence there is an intimate relationship between shepherd and sheep.
The shepherd protects the sheep from predators and leads them to pasture.
The sheep listen only to the shepherd’s voice and they follow him.
Just knowing all this is enough for the image to express the relationship between God and us.
May we be like sheep, always listening to the voice of our Good Shepherd, always following the ways of the Lord and keeping close to Him.
And like the Good Shepherd, the Lord will protect us and lead us to green pastures of peace and joy.