Thoughts for the Day

‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

I have always been a little puzzled by this, the third 'I am' statement in John's Gospel, perhaps because it is not the way I see sheep being farmed in the UK. Jesus says "I am the gate for the sheep". In the five books I wrote titled "The Sermon Slot" - I remember writing about sheep in the mountains of Israel. Villagers would send all their sheep onto the hills in summer to be looked after by a shepherd. At night he would gather the sheep into a fold, perhaps created out of a natural feature amongst rocks, and he would lie across any narrow entrance to stop them from straying and protect them from wild animals in the mountains. The shepherd was literally their gate, keeping his sheep safe.

A major difference between sheep now and then, though, is that in the UK we tend to breed sheep for food, but in Palestine sheep were then largely kept for their wool, so would remain with their shepherd for years. Sheep were often named and would respond to the shepherd's personal call.

Now try applying all this to what Jesus is saying about Himself as the gate and about us as His sheep:

• Jesus says His own sheep will know His voice, and will respond to His call. Question: Do we listen for His call?
• Jesus says He is the gate that keeps the sheep safe. Question: Do we trust Him when we are scared to keep us safe?

Lord Jesus,
Great Shepherd of us Your sheep,
teach us to listen for Your voice
in today's world.
Amid al the clamour of
technology and busyness,
may we hear Your voice,
and allow You to keep us safe..
Amen.