4th Sunday of Easter - John 10:1-10
Lectionary Sketch of the Week
John 10:1-10
[1] "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. [2] But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. [5] A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." [6] This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. [7] So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
Usually when you do a search of images as Jesus the Good Shepherd (Although, He does not specifically say it until the verse following this pericope.), you will find hundreds if not, thousands of images of peaceful, quaint scenes of Jesus looking over his cute sheep. But what you will not find very often is the aspect of danger. This text actually tells us that there are thieves and robbers who will try to call the sheep. They are the ones who do not enter through the door but climb over the fence. One of the biggest problems that we face today is a pride, arrogance, or naiveté (myself included) that we can listen to whatever voice we want and have only positive effects. I am not trying to be legalistic here. I am simply saying that we are like sheep (not the smartest of animals) who, with some humility, must recognize that we can be adversely affected by whom we listen to. Thieves and robbers do still exist in this world. As those belonging to our Good Shepherd, let us flee from the cunning and tempting voices of those who mean us harm. Our Lord is present to defend us and we know his voice. He is the one who enters through the door. He even calls himself the door. He is the one who calls out to us with the voice that we know, the voice that resounds throughout the Scriptures. He has the words of everlasting life. He has shown it in his rising from the dead.
