Todays reading: John 9-10. Jesus told a parable about the comparison between a shepherd and a bandit: the shepherd calls his sheep by name and leads them, and they recognize his voice and follow him (John 10:1-5). But the people there didnt get the parable (10:6). So Jesus explained it some more. He identified himself as the gate that the sheep use to enter the sheepfold, and as the good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep: as compared to the thief who comes to steal and destroy, Jesus had come to give abundant life (John 10:7-11). And this wasnt just for a few people: it was for people far away, too, “other sheep that do not belong to this fold” – Jesus would bring them, too, so that there would be one flock of the one shepherd (10:16). Some people liked this message; others decided that Jesus must be demon possessed or insane (10:19-21). It turns out that we, like they, have to make our choice. Do we think that Jesus is the gate through which we come into the kingdom? Will we follow him because hes the good shepherd who has laid down his life for us, and for all the world, even those faraway people? Or do we think we can just shrug and dismiss him because he was out of his mind? We havent managed to follow you too regularly, Lord; weve failed to hear your voice, and often weve gotten ourselves distracted and missed the gate and the abundant life. But we trust in you, the good shepherd who comes to find the lost sheep and bring it safely home. Lead us, Lord: were ready to follow.
Posted on: Tue, 05 Nov 2013 09:00:00 +0000
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