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?”
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
