Shepherding was an image and profession common and familiar to Jesus’ original audience, but the image did not always conjure up positive and good feelings. When Jesus identifies as a shepherd who is good, he does so because he is a model shepherd who does the following: feeds the sheep, tends to their ailments, keeps them gathered and safe and lays down his own life for the sheep. Our call is not to be unscrupulous in our shepherding, exploiting and utilizing people’s vulnerabilities for ill. Rather, we are called to be good shepherds: to feed people, to tend to their ailments, to keep them gathered and safe and to sacrifice, sometimes mightily, for them. In this way, we are following in the footsteps of Jesus.