3rd Easter
“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 14, 2013
John 10: 1-21
Children are given to parents directly from the spiritual
world. And along with gift of the child comes the gift of the capacity for
sacrificial love; this love is delivered directly to the parent’s heart. This
gift of love from the spiritual world is without price. It is not something one
can buy.
Christ was the Father’s gift to all of humanity. He came
to his earthly parents, who sacrificed much to keep him alive. And he himself grew
to become the parent of all humanity. He became a loving parent who was willing
to sacrifice his own life so that his children could live. And he did.
Now the tables are turned. Now it is we who are all
called upon to become parents of the divine child. Our soul is to become the
loving parent to this divine child within the soul. And our community is to be
the loving parent to this divine child who wishes to be born within soul of the
group. The child wants to be born in us. We receive him. We are to lay down the
substance of our own lives that He may continue to live in in us.
Where there is love, it is easy make such a sacrificial
offering. In the Act of Consecration, we pray that in our offering of
ourselves, the fire of divine love be born in us. In love, we receive the
divine gift. And in love we offer
ourselves to keep Him alive in us. For
as the poet says:
The weight of the world
is love.
….
the weight,
the weight we carry
is love.
…it
anguishes
till born
…
looks out of the heart
burning with purity -
for the burden of life
is love,
but we carry the weight.[1]
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