Sunday, April 19, 2015

3rd Easter 2015, My Soul's a Shepherd

3rd Easter

John 10: 1-21

“Yes, the truth I say to you: Anyone who does not go into the sheep through the door, but breaks into the fold elsewhere, he is a thief or robber. Only he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep.
To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep respond to his voice. He calls each one by name, according to its nature, and he leads them out into the open.
When he has brought them out, he walks before them, and the sheep follow after him, for they trust his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but rather flee, because they do not know the stranger’s voice.”
Thus did Jesus reveal himself to them in pictures, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
Then Jesus went on. “Yes, the truth out of the spirit I say to you. I AM the door to the sheep. All who came before me were thieves and robbers. But the sheep did not listen to them.
I AM THE DOOR. Anyone who enters through me will find healing and life. He learns to cross the threshold from here to beyond, and from there to here, and he will find nourishment for his soul. The thief comes only to steal, and kill and destroy. But I – I have come that they may have life, and overflowing abundance.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who works for wages, and who is no true shepherd, whose sheep are not his own, he sees the wolf coming, abandons the sheep, and flees while the wolf snatches them and scatters them. For he is only a hireling and he cares nothing for the sheep.
I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. I know who belongs to me, and my own recognize me, just as my Father recognizes me in the depths, and I know the being of the Father; and I offer my life for the sheep.
Other sheep have been entrusted to me who are not of this fold; I must also lead them. They too will listen to my voice, and one day there will be one flock, one Shepherd.
That is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up anew. No one can take it from me.  But in full freedom I myself offer it up. I have the power to give it away and also the power to receive it anew. That is the task given to me by my Father.”
Then there again arose a division among the people because of these words. Many of them said, “He is possessed by a demon and is out of his mind. Why do you listen to him?” Yet others said, “These are not the words of one who is possessed. After all, can a demon open the eyes of the blind?”


3rd Easter
April 19, 2015
John 10: 1-21

The shepherd is the image for a particular way of being. The shepherd cares for the animal life. He leads them out to pasture and nourishment during the day, and into the safety of the fold at night. Even though as the communal shepherd, the sheep do not belong to him, he recognizes the individual sheep and calls them by name. He is willing to risk his life to save them from destruction.
Christ is the Good Shepherd of souls. He knows each of us by name. We can listen to His voice as he walks before us, leading us to the nourishment and safety we need. He lays down his life for us, individually and collectively.
We too may be shepherds. We may be responsible for others in our outer life. We are certainly responsible for the various bleating voices of the collective that reside within our own souls. As the poet George Herbert says,

My soul's a shepherd too; a flock it feeds
Of thoughts, and words, and deeds.

But we can entrust our souls fully to the voice of Him who calls us by our true name, the name written in the stars, our name written in the book of life. For we say to Him:
The pasture is Thy words; the streams, Thy grace
Enriching all the place.
Shepherd and flock shall sing, and all my powers

Out-sing the daylight hours.

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