Tag Archives: Sheep

Telling the Story

Telling the story of JesusEastertide
April 26, 2015

Scripture Reading: John 10:11-16

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. –John 10:16 

This verse has always intrigued me. Who are these sheep that do not belong to this fold? I have heard some say it refers to the gentiles and that essentially includes everyone who is not Jewish. Does it include people of other faiths who are monotheistic? How do we understand this verse in conjunction with John 14:6, Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.’?

The verse most likely is a reference to Ezekiel 34:31, You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, says the Lord God. Clearly cloaking Jesus in the tenets of the Hebrew Bible, which also describes people like Melchizedek and the mysterious man in Daniel that have characteristics like the Christ. I tend to err on the side of caution and not assume that I understand all the works of God throughout history and that brings me to being receptive to dialogue with persons of other faiths trying to understand their concepts of the divine.

I do believe that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth, and life for all and am called to share that good news with everyone, but I must let God take it from there. None of us drew the assignment to judge anyone else’s relationship with God except Jesus because we do not know what he knows.

 Prayer: Lord, enable me to tell your story with all my mind, my heart, and my strength and with my life and love the ones with whom I share the story without regard to their response. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

People are People

SheepLiving in the Spirit
November 18, 2014

Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24

Therefore, thus says the Lord God to them: I myself will judge between the fat sheep and the lean sheep. Because you pushed with flank and shoulder, and butted at all the weak animals with your horns until you scattered them far and wide, I will save my flock, and they shall no longer be ravaged; and I will judge between sheep and sheep.

 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd. And I, the Lord, will be their God, and my servant David shall be prince among them; I, the Lord, have spoken. — Ezekiel 34: 20-24

One of the hardest lessons we learn in life, if we ever learn it, is that we are all just people, one like the other. All are created in the image of God, none more, none less. Ezekiel likens us to sheep. Some are fat some are thin. Some are bullies some are bullied. And ultimately we will all be judged by God, not by how we compare with others, but how we have grown into that image of God, or not.

The prophets of old foretold the coming of one like David, a great leader, yet a servant of God. One who cared about his people and fulfilled the kingly role of assuring the needs of his people like a shepherd caring for his or her flock. The prophets were speaking out of the oppression of the failure of Israel and Judah including exile. We, Christians, in hindsight see Jesus written all through these great writings. Both perspectives bring hope to weary people who long for a Savior.

In a week or so we will once again begin the journey of Advent. A time of waiting for such a Savior. I like Advent, we need to be reminded again and again that our Savior has come and with him came a new day. A day when we are called to live into our being children of God and becoming a vital and living expression of the gift of that Savior to the whole world.

In Jesus’ darkest hours, the time preceding his crucifixion, he ended words of consolation given to his disciples with these words, I have said this to you, so that in me you may have peace. In the world you face persecution. But take courage; I have conquered the world!’ (John 16:33) I take great heart in these words. I encourage all to own this statement and in every way possible to live into expressing that reality in our world today.

Prayer: O God, enable me to see Your image in each and all people with whom I have contact. Free me from any need to judge another and help me be a conduit of your love in fulfilling my call to be a part of the Body of Christ in our world today. Amen.

 All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights reserved.