The Lamb Who Is the Shepherd

Voice over by Eliz

Jer 11:18-20, Psalm: 7, Jn 7:40-53

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

Today, the words of the prophet Jeremiah pierce our hearts with their raw honesty and foreshadowing. “I was like a trusting lamb led to slaughter.” He speaks of the betrayal he faced for proclaiming God’s word, yet he places his trust entirely in the Lord of hosts, the just judge. This “just one” who is plotted against finds his ultimate fulfillment in the Gospel.

In John’s account, we see Jesus, the true Lamb of God, at the center of a storm of human confusion and hostility. The crowd is divided: “This is truly the Prophet,” some say. Others whisper, “This is the Christ.” Yet the religious authorities, closed in their certainty, reject Him and even scorn those who believe. They send guards to arrest Him, but the guards return empty-handed, disarmed by the power of His word: “Never has anyone spoken like this man.”

The world often meets God’s revelation with division, skepticism, and even plots of silence. Jeremiah and Jesus both reveal that fidelity to the Father’s will can make us a target. Yet, Christ, the innocent Lamb, is also the divine Shepherd whose voice has sovereign authority. His word has the power to halt the schemes of the powerful and to open hearts to faith. As Pope Benedict XVI taught, “The truth of Christ is gentle; it is a yoke that is light. Yet it is also demanding; it does not compromise with falsehood.”

Where do we find comfort? In the example of Jesus, who, knowing the plots against Him, continued to teach with calm authority. Our strength is in His word, which is “living and effective,” able to guard our hearts and guide our steps when we are confused or opposed. We are also comforted by the unnamed guards and Nicodemus, who dared to question the prevailing narrative. They remind us that an open encounter with Christ can change everything.

Saint Ignatius of Antioch, on his own way to martyrdom, wrote with the heart of Jeremiah and the trust of the Lamb: “It is better for me to die in Christ Jesus than to rule over the ends of the earth. Him it is I seek – who died for us. Him it is I desire – who rose for us.” This is the spirit that overcomes the world: a trust so profound that it transforms potential victims into victorious witnesses.

In our daily lives, we may face subtle or direct opposition to living our faith—for defending life, prioritizing Sunday Mass, or speaking with charity in a culture of gossip. When we feel like a “trusting lamb,” vulnerable to doing good, we must remember the Shepherd. We must immerse ourselves in His word, which has the power to disarm hostility, and we must place our cause in the hands of the just Judge.

Let us pray for the courage to listen to Christ’s voice above the clamor of the crowd, and to trust that, in Him, even the plots of the enemy are woven into the tapestry of our salvation. For the Lamb who was slain is the Shepherd who reigns. Amen.

May God bless you all!