I Know Them and They Follow Me
What does it mean for God to truly know us? Br. Alphonsus Vu, O.P., reflects on the Gospel for the Fourth Sunday of Easter.
Welcome to the Fourth Sunday of Easter. This Sunday is also called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” Jesus, in the Gospel, shows himself to be a Good Shepherd; He says, “I know my sheep.”
Jesus says that He knows His sheep. The verb “know” has a variety of meanings. I can say that I “know” the name of the cashier by looking at his badge. This knowledge is superficial because it is only concerned with the external.
I can also say that I “know” my classmate’s favorite sport and his thoughts on certain issues. This kind of knowledge is deeper than the first one, because it takes me time spent with my classmate to know.
But there is also another kind of knowledge, as the knowledge of a mother has of her child. She knows exactly what the child needs by looking at the child in the eyes. This knowledge is deep because it is the result of an intimate human relationship.
But there is another kind of knowledge: God’s knowledge. The knowledge of God transcends all human understanding and all human knowledge. God knows not only our thoughts and desires, but He also knows us to the very core of our being.
He knows our weaknesses and strengths, our hopes and desires, and what we need the most. This knowledge of God is most comforting because, by this, we are assured that we are not the product of random chance in the cosmos. We are known and loved by God and we are not a being floating through the universe among other beings.
And, because we are known and loved by God, the only thing that we should do is open our hearts to receive the love of God into our hearts, and to follow Him.
Image: Photo by Toby Hundson. Detail from Stained Glass by Alfred Handel.
