SHEEPHOLD - 4th Sunday of Easter (Cycle A)

Homily for the 4^th Sunday of Easter (Cycle A)

Based on Jn 10:1-10(Gospel), Ac 2:14, Ac 2:14, 36-41(First Reading) and 1 P 2:20-25(Second Reading)

From the Series: “Reflections and Teachings of the Desert”

SHEEPFOLD

“Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate…is a thief and a brigand” (Jn 19:1)

The Gospel narrative for the 4^th Sunday of Easter in taken from Jn 10:1-10 under the title “The Good Shepherd,”with the  following parallel texts:

1.       Jr 23:1-3 - Doom for the shepherds who allow the flock of my pasture to be destroyed and scattered - it is Yahweh who speaks! (v. 1). This, therefore, is what Yahweh the God of Israel, says about the shepherds in charge of my people: You have let my flock be scattered and go wandering and have not taken care of them. Right, I will take care of you for your misdeeds – it is Yahweh who speaks! (v. 2). But the remnant of my flock I myself will gather from all the countries where I have dispersed them, and I will bring them back to their pastures: they shall be fruitful and increase in numbers (v. 3).

2.       Ezk 34:1-31 - The shepherds of Israel^a. The word of Yahweh was then addressed to me as follows (v. 1), ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them, “Shepherds,^b the Lord Yahweh says this. Trouble for the shepherd of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock (v. 2), yet, you have fed on milk,^c you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock (v. 3).You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently (v. 4). For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far (v. 5). My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills;^d my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them (v. 6). Well then, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh (v. 7). As I live, I swear it - it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks - since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock (v. 8), in view of al this, shepherds, hear the word of Yahweh (v. 9). The Lord Yahweh says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them anymore (v. 10). For the Lord Yahweh says this: I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view (v. 11). As a shepherd keeps all his flock in view when he stands up in the middle of his scattered sheep, so shall I keep my sheep in view. I shall rescue them from whatever they have scattered during the mist and darkness (v. 12). I shall bring them out of the countries and bring them back to their own land. I shall pasture them on the mountains of Israel, in the ravines and in every inhabited place in the land (v. 13). I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel (v. 14). I myself will pasture my sheep, I myself will show them where to rest – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks (v. 15). I shall look for the lost one, bring back the stray, bandage the wounded and make the weak strong. I shall watch over^e the fat and healthy. I shall be a true shepherd to them (v. 16). As for my sheep, the Lord Yahweh says this: I will judge between sheep and sheep, between rams and he-goats (v. 17). Not content to graze in good pastures, you trample down the rest; not content to drink clear water, you muddy the rest with your feet (v. 18). And my sheep must graze on what your feet have trampled, drink what your feet have muddied (v. 19). Very well then, the Lord Yahweh says this: I myself am now about to judge between fat sheep and lean sheep (v. 20). Since you have butted all the weak sheep with your rumps and shoulders and horns, until you have chased them away (v. 21), I am going to come and rescue my sheep from being cheated; I will judge between sheep and sheep (v. 22). I mean to raise up one shepherd, my servant David, and to put him in charge of them and he will pasture them; he will pasture them and be their shepherd (v. 23). I, Yahweh, will be their God, and my servant David shall be their ruler. I, Yahweh, have spoken (v. 24). I shall make a covenant of peace with them; I shall rid the country of wild animals. They will be able to live safely in the wilderness and go to sleep in the woods (v. 25). I shall settle them round my hill;^f I shall send rain at the proper time; it will be a fertile rain (v. 26). The trees of the countryside will yield their fruit and the earth its produce; they will feel safe on their farms. And men will learn that I am Yahweh when I break their yokestraps and release them from their captors (v. 27). No more will they be prey to foreign countries, no more will they be eaten by wild animals in this country. They will live without fear and no one will disturb them again (v. 28). I shall make splendid vegetation grow for them; no more will they suffer from famine in this land; no more will they have to bear the insults of other nations (v. 29). And men will learn that I, their God, am with them and that they, the House of Israel, are my people – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks (v. 30). And you, my sheep, are the flock^g I shall pasture, and I am your God – it is the Lord Yahweh who speaks (v. 31)”’Footnote ^a says “The image of the king-shepherd is deeply rooted in Eastern literary tradition. Jeremiah used it of the kings of Israel to rebuke their slackness in office, Jr 2:8; 10:21; 23:1-3, and to proclaim that God will give his people new shepherds who would pasture them with integrity, Jr 3:15; 23:4, and from these shepherds would come a branch, Jr 23:5-6, i.e., the Messiah. Ezekiel takes up the theme from Jeremiah 23:1-6, later to be resumed in Zc 11:4-17. For their wickedness he rebukes the shepherds, the kings and lay leaders of the people, vv. 1-10. Yahweh will take from them the flock they have ill-treated and himself become the shepherd of his people, (cf. Gn 48:15; 49:24; Is 40:11; Ps 80:1; 95:7 and Ps 23); this is effect the proclamation of theocracy, vv. 11-16; and in point of fact the monarchy was not restored after the return from exile. But the time was to come when Yahweh would give his people a shepherd of his own choice, vv. 23-24, a ‘prince’ (cf. 45:7-8; 46:8-10; 16-18), another David. The term in which the prince’s  reign is described, vv. 25-31, and the name ‘David’ by which he is called (see 2 S 7:1+; Is 11:1+; Jr. 23:5 ), suggest a messianic age in which God himself, by means of his Messiah, rules his people in justice and peace. In this text of Ezekiel, we discern the outline of the parable of the Lost Sheep, Mt 18:12-14; Lk 15:4-7, but more especially of the allegory of the Good Shepherd, Jn 10:11-18, which by virtue of its original context here is seen to be a claim to messiahship on the part of Jesus. The Good Shepherd is later to become one of the earliest themes of Christian iconography.”;  Footnote^b says “Shepherds’ Syr; ‘To the shepherds” Hebr.”; Footnote ^c  says “‘milk’ Greek; ‘fat’ Hebr.”; Footnote ^d says “Probably alluding to worship on the ‘high places’”; Footnote ^e  says “‘I shall watch over’ versions: ‘I shall destroy’ Hebr.”; Footnote ^f  says  “Zion. The translation follows Greek.”; and Footnote ^g  says “Hebr. adds ‘of men’.”

Verses 1, 2 and 3 say: I tell you most solemnly, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold through the gate, but gets in some other way is a thief and a brigand. The one who enters through the gate is the shepherd of the flock. The gatekeeper  lets him in,  the sheep hear his voice, one by one^a he calls his own sheep and leads them out.Footnote^a  says “Or possibly ‘each by its name’.”

Parallel textfor verse 3 is Jn 10:26-27 that says:But you do not believe, because you are no sheep of mine (v. 26).ⁿ The Sheep that belong to me listen to my voice; I know them and they follow me (v. 27).Footnoteⁿ says “Faith in Jesus implies an inner sympathy  with him: man must be ‘from above’’ 8:23, ‘of God’, 8:47. ‘of the truth’, 18:37, of his flock, 10:14. Faith presupposes a mind open to truth, 3:17-21; Cf. Ac 13:48+; Rm 8:29f.”

Verses 4 to 7 say: When he has brought out his flock, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice. They never follow a stranger  but run away from him:  they do not recognize the voice of strangers. Jesus told them^b this parable but they failed to understand what he meant by telling it to them. So Jesus spoke to them again:  I tell you solemnly, I am the gate of the sheepfold^c.Footnote^b says“I.e. to the Pharisees, willfully blind, 9:40. They fail to realize that the parable refers to them.”;and Footnote ^c says“The gate that gives access to the sheep. Only those who ‘go in’ by Jesus have authority to guide the flock, 21:15-17.”

Parallel texts for verse 4 are:

1.       Ex 13:22 - The pillar of cloud never  failed to go before the people during the day, nor the pillar of fire during the night.^fFootnote ^f says“In the Pentateuch we find the divine presence manifested in various ways: the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire (‘Yahwistic’ tradition); the ‘dark mist’ and the cloud (‘Elohistic’ tradition); finally coupled wioth the cloud, the ‘glory’ of Yahweh’, 24:16+, a consuming fire which moves as God moves (‘Priestly’ tradition), cf. 19:16+. Mystical theology makes much of these ideas or images.”

2.       Mi 2:13 - He who walks at their head,^p they will pass through the gate and go out of it; their king will go on in front of them, Yahweh at their head. Footnote  ^p  says “‘he will walk at their head’ corr.; Hebr. Has plural.”

Verses 8 and 9 says: All others who had come^dare thieves and brigands; but the sheep took no noticeof them.I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: he will go freely in and out and be sure of finding pasture.Footnote ^d  says “Add, ‘before me’. The reference is probably to the Pharisees, cf. Mt 23:1-36; Lk 11:39-52 and Mt 9:36; Mk 6:34.”

Parallel texts for verse 8 are:

1.       Mt 7:14 - but it is a narrow the gate and a hard road that leads to life, and only afew find it.

2.       Jn 3:17 - For God sent his Son into the world not to condemn the world, but so that through him the world might be saved.

3.       Ps 23:1-3 - The Good Shepherd^a. Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing (v. 1). In meadows of green grass he lets me lie. To the waters of repose he leads me (v. 2); there he revives my soul. He guides me by paths of virtue for the sake of his name (v. 3).Footnote^a says “The care of God for the righteous, illustrated by two images: the shepherd, vv. 1-4, and the host of the messianic banquet,vv.5-6. The psalm is traditionally applied to the sacramental life, particularly to baptism and the Eucharist.”

4.       Is 49:9-10 - I will say to the prisoners, ‘Come out’, to those who are in darkness, ‘Show yourselves’ (v. 9). They shall never hunger or thirst; scorching wind or sun shall never plague them; for he who pities them will lead them and guide them to springs of water (v. 10).

5.       Ezk 34:14 - I shall feed them in good pasturage; the high mountains of Israel will be their grazing ground. There they will rest in good grazing ground; they will browse in rich pastures on the mountains of Israel.

Verse 10 says: A thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came so that they may have life^e and have it to the full.Footnote^e says“Life eternal. Jesus gives it, 3:16,36; 5:40; 6:33,35,48,51; 14:6; 20:31, with abounding generosity. Cf. Rv 7:17; Mk 25:29; Lk 6:38.”

Parallel textis Jn 10:28 that says:I give them eternal life; they will never be lost and no one will ever steal them from me.

The First Reading is from Ac 2:14, 36-41.

Verse 14 says: Then Peter stood up with the Eleven,^h and addressed them in a loud voice: “Men of Judaea, and all who live in Jerusalem, make no mistake about this  but listen carefully to what I say. Footnote ^h says “Peter speaks as head of the apostolic body and occupies a leading position, cf. 1:15; 2:17;3:4,6,12; 4:8,13; 5:3,8,9,15,29; cf. 10-11. See Mt 16:19+.”

Parallel texts are:

1. Ac 3:4 - Both Petr and John looks straight at him and said, ‘Look at us’.
2. Ac 4:8 - Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, addressed them, ‘Rulers of the people, and elders!’
3. Ac 5:8,29 - Peter challenged her, ‘Tell me, was this the price you sold the land for?’ ‘Yes,’ she said ‘that was the price) v. 8). In reply Peter and the apostles said, ‘Obedience to God comes before obedience to men (v. 29).

4.       Ac 10:5 - Now you must send someone to Jaffa and fetch a man called Simon, known as Peter…

Verse 36 says: For this reason the whole House of Israel can be certain that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ.^vFootnote^v says“Conclusion of the argument from scripture. It is by his resurrection that Jesus has been constituted the ‘Lord’ of whom Ps 110 speaks, and the ‘Messiah” (Christ) to whom Ps 16 refers. From Ps. 2:7 (Son of God), Ac 13:33+; Heb. 1:5; 5:5; Rom. 1:4+ develop a similar argument. Cf. also Ac 5:31 (leader and savior); 10:42 and Rom 14:9 (Judge and Lord of the living and dead); Ph. 2:9-11 (glorified Lord)”.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 2:23 - This man, who was put into your power by the deliberate intention^o and foreknowledge of God, you took and had crucified by men outside the Law.^p You killed him, but God raised him to life, freeing him from the pangs of Hades…^qFootnote^o  says “The OT prophecies demonstrate this divine plan: Ac 3:18; 4:28; 13:29; cf. 8:32-35; 9:22; 10:43; 17:2-3; 18:5,28; 26:22-23,27; 28:23; Lk 18:31+; 22:22; 24:25-27,44.”; Footnote ^p  says “In this case, the Romans. The primitive kerygma accused the Jews is the same way, and confronted them with that act of God whish raised up Jesus, 2:32,36; 3:13-17; 4:10; 5:30-31; 7:52; 10:39-40; 13:27-30; 17:31; Mt. 16:18+.”; and Footnote ^q  says “‘of Hades’ Western Text; ‘of death’ Text. Rec. Cf vv. 27 and 31. ‘Hades’ in LXX is sheol, Nb 16:33+; Mt 16:18+.”

2.       Ac 9:22 - Saul’s power increased steadily, and he was able to throw the Jewish colony at Damascus into complete confusion by the way he demonstrated that Jesus was the Christ.

3.       Ac 10:42 - And he has ordered us to proclaim this to his people^o and to tell them that God had appointed him to judge everyone, alive or dead.^pFootnote^o says  “I.e. the Chosen People, Israel, 10:2; 21:28.”; and  Footnote  ^p  says “Those still alive at the glorious coming and those who have died before the coming but then rise for judgment. See 1 Th 4:13-5:10. By raising up Jesus, God has solemnly invested him as supreme Judge, Ac 17:31; Jn. 5:22,27; 2 Tm 4:1; 1 P 4:5; to proclaim the resurrection is therefore to invite men to repentance, Ac. 17:30-31.”

4.       Ac 13:33…it is to us, their children,^u that he has fulfilled it, by raising Jesus from the dead. As scripture says in the first psalm:^v You are my son: today I have become your father.^wFootnote^u  says “Var. ‘for our children’.”; Footnote ^v says “‘first psalm’ Western reading (following the ancient custom of reading Ps 1 and 2 as one); var. ‘second psalm’.”; and Footnote ^w says “By his resurrection Christ was enthroned as Messiah, and from then on his human nature enjoyed all the privileges of the Son of God. Cf. Rm. 1:4+.”

5.       Rm 10:9 - If your lips confess that Jesus is Lord and if you believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead,^e then you will be saved.Footnote^e says “Profession of faith, such as is made at baptism, is the outward expression of the inward commitment of the ‘heart’.”

6.       Ph 2:11 - and that every tongue should acclaim ^o Jesus Christ as Lord, ^p to the glory of God the Father.^qFootnote^o  says “Var. ‘and every tongue shall acclaim’.”; Footnote ^p  says “Om. ‘Christ’. This proclamation is the essence of the Christian creed, Rm. 10:9, 1 Co. 12:3, cf. Col. 2:6. The use of Is. 45:23 (in which this homage is addressed to Yahweh himself) is a clear indication of the divine character that is meant to be understood by the title Kyrios, cf. Jn. 20:28, Ac. 2:36.”; and Footnote ^q  says  “Vulg. Interpretation is ‘proclaim that Jesus Christ is in the glory of God the Father’.”

Verse 37 says: Hearing this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the  apostles, “What are we to do,  brothers?”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 16:30…and escorted them out, saying, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’

2.       Lk 3:10 - ^hWhen all the people asked him,’ what must we do then?Footnote^h says“Vv. 10-14 (Lk only) emphasize the practical and positive side of John’s teaching. Salvation is for all classes of men but justice and charity are necessary in every walk of life.”

Verse38 says: You must repent,^w Peter answered  ‘and every one of you must be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ ^x for the forgiveness  of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.Footnote^w says“Each of the great apostolic discourses closes with a call for repentance”; and Footnote ^x says“Baptism is administered ‘in the name of Jesus Christ’ (cf.1.5+) and the recipient ‘invokes the name of the Lord Jesus’ (cf. 2:21+; 3:16+): 8:16;10:48;19:5;22:16; 1Co 1:13,15; 6:11; 10:2; Ga 3:27; Rm 6:3;cf. Jm 2:7. Such expressions are not necessarily the actual liturgical formulae of baptism, cf. Mt 28:19, they may simply indicate its significance, namely, that the baptized profess their faith in Christ, and Christ adopts those who thenceforth are dedicated to him.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 1:5 - John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized ^e with the Holy Spirit.Footnote^e  says“The baptism of the Spirit foretold by John the Baptist, Mt. 3:11 p. and here promised by Jesus, will be initiated by the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost, Ac. 2:1-4. Subsequently, the apostles, obedient to Christ’s command, Mt 28:19, will continue to make use of baptism in water, Ac. 2:41, 8:12, 38, 9:18, 10:48, 16:15, 33, 18:8, 19:5, as the ritual initiation into the messianic kingdom, cf. Mt. 3:6+, but it will be ‘in the names of Jesus’, Ac. 2:38+, and through belief in Christ as savior, cf.  Rm 6:4+, will be able to absolve from sins and to  give the Spirit, Ac. 2;38. Connected with this Christian baptism by water, there is the companion rite of the  ‘imposition, 1 Tm. 4:14+, the purpose of which is to give the gifts of the spirit in as manifest a way as they had been given at Pentecost, Ac. 8:16-19, 9:17-18, 19:5-6 (but cf. 10:1-48); this is the origin of the sacrament of confirmation. Side by side with these Christian sacraments the baptism of John was for a time still being administered by certain of the less instructed early Christians, Ac. 19:3.”

2.       Mt 3:2 - ‘Repent’, ^b for the kingdom of heaven ^c is close at hand!...Footnote^bsays“Metanoia, rendered ‘repentance’, inspires a change of heart; ‘conversion’ in the technical sense.”; and Footnote ^c says“Instead of ‘Kingdom of God’, cf. 4:17+. The phrase is proper to Mt. and reflects the Jewish scruple which substitutes metaphor for the divine name.”

3.       Ac 2:33 - Now raised to the heights by God’s right hand,^s he has received from the father the Holy Spirit, who was promised,^t and what you see and hear is the outpouring of that Spirit.Footnote^s says “Words borrowed from Ps. 118 (v.16 LXX ‘The right hand of the Lord has raised me up’) used in their preaching by the apostles who took it to be messianic: Ac 4:11, 1 P 2:7, Mt 21:9p,42p, 23:39, Lk 13:35, Jn 12:13, Heb 13:6. But it is possible to translate. ‘ Having raised up to the right hand of God’ and to see in this an introduction to the quotation (v.34) of Ps. 110); which is another name of Apostolic preaching: Mt. 22:44p,26:64p, Mk 16:19, Ac 7:55,56, Rm 8:34, 1Co. 15:25, Ep. 1:20 Col. 3:1, Heb. 1:3,13, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, 1 P.3:22.”; and Footnote ^t  says “According to the prophets, the gif of the Spirit would characterize  the messianic era, Ex. 36:27+. Peter explains the miracle his bearers have witnessed as the ‘pouring out’ of this spirit, foretold in Jl 3:1-2 by the risen Christ.”

Verse 39 says: The promise^ythat was made is for you and to your children and for all those who are far away,^zfor whom the Lord our God will call to himself.Footnote^y says“The promise is addressed primarily to the Jews, 3:25-26; 13:46; Rm 9:4.”; and Footnote ^z says“i.e. the pagans, alluding to Is 57:19 quoted and explained in Ep 2:13-17; cf. also Ac 22:21.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Is 57:19 …bringing praise to their lips. Peace, peace to far and near, I will indeed heal him’ says Yahweh.

2.       Jl 3:5 - All who call on the name of Yahweh will be saved,  for on Mount Zion there will be some who have escaped, as Yahweh has said, and in Jerusalem some survivors whom Yahweh will call.

Verse 40 says: He spoke to them^aa for a long time using many  arguments, and he urged them, ‘Save yourselves from this perverse generation.’Footnote^aa  says“Or ‘he bore witness’, cf. 8:25; 28:23.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Dt 32:5 - They have acted perversely, those he begot without blemish,^c a deceitful and underhand brood.Footnote^c says “Lit. ‘sons of blemish’. Israel is of noble birth, being born of Yahweh; his degeneration is his doing. The text of the verse is corrupt.”

2.       Mt 17:17 -‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be with you? How much longer must I put up with you? Bring him here to me.’

3.       Lk9:41 -‘Faithless and perverse generation!’ Jesus said in reply ‘How much longer must I be among you and put up with you? Bring your son here.’

Verse 41 says: They were convinced by his arguments, and they accepted what he said and were baptized. That every day about three thousand were added to their number ^bb. Footnote  ^bb says “Luke repeatedly and deliberately notes the Church’s numerical growth. v. 47, 4:4, 5:14, 6:1,7; 9:31+, 11:21,24 16:5, cf. 12:24, 13:48-49, 19:20.”

Parallel texts are:

1.       Ac 1:5- John baptized with water but you, not many days from now, will be baptized ^e with the Holy Spirit.

2.       Lk 2:47 - and all those who heard him were astounded at his intelligence and his replies.

The Second Reading is from 1 P 2:20-25.

Verse 20 and 21 say: But there is nothing meritorious in taking a beating patiently if you have done something wrong to deserve it. The merit, in the sight of God, is in bearing it patiently when you are punished after doing your duty. This, in fact, is what you were called to do, because Christ suffered^c for you and left an example for you to follow the way he took. Footnote ^c says “Var. ‘died’, cf. 3:18.

Parallel texts are:

1.       Mt 16:24 - Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.

2.       2 Th 3:7 - You know how you are supposed to imitate us;^b now we were not idle when we were with you.Footnote ^b says “By imitating Paul , 1 Co 4:16; Ga 4:12; Ph 3:17, Christians will be imitating Christ, 1 Th 1:6; Ph 2:5; cf Mt 16:24; 1 P 2:21; 1 Jn 2:6; who is the one that Paul is imitating, 1 Co 11:1. Christians must also imitate God, Ep 5:1 (cf. Mt 5:48), and they must imitate each other, 1 Th 1:7; 2:14; Heb 6:12. Behind this community of life is the idea of a model of doctrine, Rm 6:17, that has been received by tradition, v. 6: 1 Co 11:2+; 1 Th 2:13++. The leaders who transmit the doctrine must themselves  be ‘models’ v. 9; Ph 3:17; 1 Tm 1:16; 4:12; Tt 2:7;  1 P 5:3; whose faith and life are to be imitated, Heb 13:7.”

3.       Jn 8:46 -Can one of you convict me ofsin?^p If I speak the truth, why do you not believe me?Footnote^p  says “i.e. of betraying the commission entrusted to  him by God.”

Verse 22 says: He had done anything wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth.

Parallel text is Is53:9are:They gave him a grave with the wicked, a tomb with the rich^g, though he had done no wrong, and there had been no perjury in his mouth. Footnote^g says“With DSIa, Hebr. ‘in his death he is with the rich man’. Early Christian preaching seems to have had this text in mind when recording the burial of Jesus in the tomb of Joseph Arimathea, ‘a rich man’, Mt 27:57-60. It is possible to correct to ‘in his death he is with the evil-doers’, Lk. 22:37 which, however, refers rather to v. 12.”

Verse 23 says: He was insulted and did not retaliate with insults; when he was tortured he made no threats but he put his trust in the righteous judge.

Parallel text is Mt 5:39 that says: But I say this to you: offer the wicked man no resistance.^l  On the contrary, if anyone hits you on the right cheek, offer him the other as well…Footnote^l  says  “This deals (cf. the examples in vv. 39-40) with an injustice of which we ourselves are the victims: we are forbidden to resist it by returning evil for evil in the way laid down by the Jewish law of talio (v. 38). Christ does not forbid us to resist unjust attack in due measure (Jn 18:22f), still less to strive to eliminate injustice from the world.

Verse 24 says: He bearing our faults in his own bodyon the cross, so that we might die to our faults, we live for holiness; through his wounds you have been healed

Parallel texts are:

1.       Rm 12:19 - Never try to get revenge; leave that, my friends, to God’s anger.^gAs scripture says: Vengeance is mine – I will pay them back, the Lord promises. Footnote ^g  says “Lit. ‘give place…to anger’, presumably the anger of God waiting to punish sin.”

2.       Is 53:5-6,12 - Yet he was pierced through for our faults, crushed for our sins. On him lies a punishment that brings us peace, and through his wounds we are healed (v. 5). We had all gone astray like sheep, each taking his own way; and Yahweh burdened him with the sins of us all(v. 6). Hence I will grant whole hordes for his tribute, he shall divide the spoil with the mighty, for surrendering himself to death and letting himself be taken for a sinner while he was bearing the faults of many, and praying all the time for sinners (v. 12).

3.       Rm 6:11,18 - And in that way, you too must  consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive for God in Christ Jesus.^f You may have been freed from the slavery of sin, but only to become ‘slaves’ of righteousness.Footnote ^f says “Text. Rec and Vulg. ‘Christ Jesus our Lord’”

Verse 25 says: You had gone astray like sheep^d but now you have come back to the shepherd and guardian^e of your souls.Footnote^d  says“Var. ‘you were like stray sheep’.”; and Footnote^e says“The ‘episcopos’, i.e. the inspector or overseer, cf. Tt 1:5+.”

Parallel text is Ezk 34:1 that says:The word of Yahweh was then addressed to me as follows…