Today’s scripture: John 10:11-21 (NRSV) (The Message) (KJV) What might God be saying to me?
My thoughts (Keith Phillips):
For four chapters John portrays Jesus in Jerusalem talking with whomever would listen. Some folks were open to what he had to say, others had doubts, and still others strongly disagreed and even found him to be a threat to their existential understanding of God. How strange! How could so many people hear one person speak and come to so many different spiritual conclusions?
This long dialogue closes with Jesus speaking of himself as “the good shepherd who lays his life down for the sheep.” Jesus may be identifying the root of the problem. It’s not that some people are born bad and therefore reject Jesus, nor that some people are born good and therefore accept him. Jesus indicates that it has to do with spiritual formation and a tendency to allow ourselves to be molded by those in spiritual authority over us. He contrasts himself with “the hired hand,” an obvious allusion to the religious leaders who had been entrusted by God with the spiritual formation of God’s people.
The difference between the good shepherd and the hired hand? “The Good Shepherd puts the sheep before himself, sacrifices himself if necessary. A hired man is not a real shepherd. The sheep mean nothing to him” (John 10:11, 12a; The Message). Jesus, interestingly, further states that this is precisely the reason that God loves him: “This is why the Father loves me: because I freely lay down my life. And so I am free to take it up again.” (John 10:17; The Message).
Assuredly this refers to Jesus’ future crucifixion and resurrection, but I think it’s more global than that, with implications for every Christian. Death and resurrection is all about spiritual growth and transformation. We grow spiritually when we give up what has become important to us and receive what God wants us to have instead. From whence have we learned to place value on what we need to give up? From hired hands! Those who’ve been entrusted by God to lead us through life: parents, school teachers, pastors, supervisors, the people and the culture around us. There’s no question that they cared about us and wanted the best for us. And some might have even been willing to lay down their lives for us. But only Jesus is empowered to lay down his life and take it up again. Only the Good Shepherd is worthy of leading us.
Oh, did I mention that we all have been entrusted to be leaders of God’s sheep? No matter who we are, in our relationships we are both followers and leaders. Parents and children, teachers and students, mentors and apprentices, extended family, friends, neighbors. Wherever we are, we have influence and we are influenced. The task is to remember who the Good Shepherd is, allowing only him to lead us as we are leading others.
Thought for today: We are one flock when we listen to the Good Shepherd’s voice and follow him.
We encourage you to include a time of prayer with this reading. If you need a place to get started, consider the guidelines on the How to Pray page.