Eastertide
April 21, 2018
Scripture Reading: John 10:11-18
‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. –John 10:11-15
Growing up on a farm, we did not have either sheep or wolves, but we did have chickens and coyotes, which cause the same sort of concern. We children were the only thing close to hired hands on the farm and we were not paid individually but contributed to the family income. I suppose we had inherited the same attitude of the owners. It was a family farm.
The Kingdom of God is like a family farm where the livelihood and wellbeing of all matter because in the ideal situation the family is held together in the bonds of love. The earth and all that is in it is Christ’s farm (perhaps some other planets as well) and all its inhabitants are Christ’s sheep. As children of God, we take the place of the untrustworthy hired hands and are called to care for all our brothers and sisters in Christ as well as the earth.
This is a simple story plucked from the culture from which Jesus came as is my story, but it is played out, in reality, every day. Fires are burning as I write destroying property, farm animals, and wildlife. The weather prediction is for higher fire damage tomorrow. A call has gone out for hay to feed surviving livestock as there is not enough grass or hay for them. One man so far has died as he tried to save a town. He is a member of the family of God. Our hearts go out to all those who have lost everything or something and particularly those who lost loved ones.
Prayer: Lord, wrap your loving arms around those devasted by fire today giving them strength to move forward and show us how we can help. Amen.