May 11, 2025: Fourth Sunday of Easter

Gospel: John 10:27-30

Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one can take them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Reflection

Don’t let the brevity of this Sunday’s Gospel fool you as it did me. “Only four verses,” I thought to myself. “This will be easy.” Then I read the four verses.

Once again, Jesus has been asked who he is. Once again, he identifies himself as a shepherd. In the first verses of today’s reading, Jesus explains he is our shepherd. We know his voice and we follow him. No one can take us from him. No one.

How good to know, from Jesus himself, he is our loving and fiercely protective shepherd.

All’s going well, isn’t it? We know who Jesus is. Ha!

Turns out we don’t know Jesus completely. Reread these last two verses from this gospel passage. “My Father, who has given them all to me, is greater than all, and no one can take them out of the Father’s hand. The Father and I are one.”

Maybe we don’t think or feel anything because the words are so familiar to us. Maybe we don’t think or feel anything because we don’t get what Jesus is talking about, trying to explain to us.

In two sentences, Jesus pulls us into the mystery of God’s identity – into the mysteries of Trinity, Incarnation, Resurrection, Abiding Presence. In six words, Jesus pulls the rug out from under our feet when he tells us, as if it clearly explains everything. “The Father and I are one.”

After praying with this passage for many days, I find myself with no words to end this reflection. I can offer only what has been going around in my head for days as my response to this gospel. Yahweh tells Moses, “Take off your sandals for the place where you are standing is holy ground.” Make of that what you will, I can’t explain it. God is who God is. When I let myself be aware of that, I am standing on holy ground.

Action

Perhaps no action is required unless it is repeating several times a day for the next week, “God is who God is.”