Feb 24 2019 John 10:7-16

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me

In this morning’s prayer, we come to John. He talks in metaphors, and poetry and a lot of language I really struggle to understand. Today, the section I read from John goes on and on about being the good shepherd, and sheep, and gates. There has always been something compelling to me about this section, so when it comes up on a Sunday morning or in morning prayer, I take it as an opportunity to dig a little deeper. Probably more accurate, I try to let go of the logical, linear thinking I inherited. John is about images that conjure more accurate description of God and Jesus than simple words, and certainly more than my logical brain ever could.

In this section, Jesus is telling his disciples he is the good shepherd, who cares for his flock. This is the opposite of a hired hand, who’s hired to watch the flock, but if there is a serious threat, flees for his own safety. Not the good shepherd. The good shepherd stays with his flock. I get this. What is happening is that Jesus is trying to explain that he’s with his flock, regardless of the threats he encounters. In fact, that’s what happened. Jesus was executed effectively for protecting and loving his flock, and for loving God. I like that image, that Jesus will stick with me, regardless.

This section from John starts with Jesus saying he is the gate; that whoever enters through that gate will be saved. Hmm.

Jesus goes on to say that he knows his flock and his flock knows him, just as sheep know their shepherd. Having not tended sheep, I’m guessing relates to some sense of reciprocal acknowledgment and ownership. These are my sheep. This is my shepherd.

These two bits are where I struggle. Granted, John was writing from a persecuted community that for safety, and their existence as Christians, were very selective exclusive. If you believe as we do, believe in our Jesus, you have access to God. Unfortunately this section is used by other Christians to say that it’s our way or the high way.

I was involved in trying to gather people of faith for conversation, and to try to discover areas of mutual belief and interest. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen because an existing gathering of evangelical Christians said they didn’t have things in common with the Jews or Muslims because of Jesus. Because of how they’d interpreted this section of John, and that stupid gate. I respect their beliefs, but I was sad.

Using John’s writings, written in a time of persecution as the basis for exclusivity is enough to make me not want to read John. Luckily, through a discipline of morning prayer, I cannot escape it. In this very section that causes me to stumble, there’s a saving sentence.

After the talk of the exclusive gate, exclusive familiarity of Jesus’ flock, Jesus concludes by saying that “I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice, so there will be one flock, one shepherd”.

Ah. There’s hope for all of those people in the world who are not part of anyone’s understanding of Jesus’ current flock. Whether it’s between Christian faiths, or between all people of faith, Jesus is saying there will be one flock, one shepherd. Since Jesus is God incarnate, I believe this to be true. One God, one flock. Christians, Muslims, liberals, conservatives, people of no faith, homeless, addicts, abusers. One God. One flock.

I don’t know how that works. I do believe Jesus is my way; it’s the way I understand God and see God in other people. And if I believe in Jesus, I have to believe it when Jesus says there will be one flock.  I want to be an agent to help create that one flock.