“But why? Why does Jesus the good shepherd lay down his life? To tell us that we are, in fact, enough. Jesus, especially in John’s gospel, doesn’t die in order to make some kind of payment to God or to satisfy God’s wrath or to pay the penalty for sin. Jesus, in John’s Gospel, is the Revealer, the One who comes to make the invisible God visible and the unapproachable God accessible. Jesus comes to reveal that God loves the whole world, no exceptions.”
Davide Lose
Do you like sheep?
I know that when I run down a country road, once one sheep spots you, they’ll all start moving. When one bleats, the noise increases. Once, when trying to creep quietly through a field, mid way between a river bank and a hill in the early morning, I was nearly half way through when a young lamb awoke and spotted me. It didn’t take too long before the alarm was activated. The rest of the flock, embanked half near to the river and the other half up higher in the hill, arose and started to scatter, trying to get to where they deemed safe.
I am led to believe that sheep are not stupid or mindless, and are very communal animals. One report says that sheep can experience a diverse array of feelings, such as fear, anger, despair and happiness. One Planet Earth BBC programme ventured to say that “8% exhibited a lifelong same-gender preference“.
Although we think that they are docile creatures, we may need to reflect more deeply if we are told that as Jesus is the Good Shepherd (John 10:10-18), we are the sheep. Here, we read that the Jesus is that Good Shepherd and he will lay down his life for us. We can focus our attention on the Cross, well it is just after Easter, but that might be a mistaken approach. If Jesus hands over his life when arrested, how is he laying down his life for us? [Read that quote above again perhaps]
If we are to be the sheep, we could seek to have some of their qualities. If you enjoy athletics, you could become a great jumper, for instance 😉
Seriously, if sheep like routine, might we seek to be more patient. When society seeks immediacy, to respond to an email now, to return that call as soon as possible, could we give time for the other person to respond as they wish?
Sheep are, in general, followers. We all don’t need to be great leaders, generals in change of forces. We are great as followers. Those who pause, reflect and ponder are equally of value.
As I noted above, sheep have poor depth perception. Running past them in a dayglo jacket doesn’t help the situation. Think carefully about others, especially if they can’t see ( or hear) as we might. Move calmly and slowly, keeping them aware gently of your presence.
Is that it?
No, there’s more. This is a great passage about inclusion. ‘There are other sheep’ it says. This isn’t about just one group of people, but many flocks. Perhaps of different colour, or culture, or land. If ‘God so loved the world (cosmos in the Greek)’ doesn’t this emphasise inclusion?
John 10: 10b reads “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly“. Perhaps when we read again ‘lays down his life’ we might not see it in the negative, of the pain in the crucifixion, in the hallowing of Hades on Easter Saturday, but what Jesus spoke of heaven on earth now. To quote Davide Lowe again “One who comes to make the invisible God visible and the unapproachable God accessible. Jesus comes to reveal that God loves the whole world, no exceptions.”
So as we walk, cycle, take the bus, travel in a car this next week: who do you see? Do we see people through the lens of the TV coverage we watch, their lens of colour, creed, religion, culture, country, and/or gender, or will we permit ourselves to really see people as ‘loved by God’…and us?
If Easter is anything to us, this is what we are being called to do.
John 10:10b-18 Via oremus Bible Browser
“I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
‘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. 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.For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’ “
The dialogue is very good