Being Shepherded

 John 10:1-10

This is the Sunday we trot out all the idyllic imagery of sheep and pastures and Jesus being the good shepherd. Today I would like us to look a little more broadly at this text. If we are talking about encounters with Jesus going out to pasture isn’t going to help us here. We need to look at the stories before and after this passage and see why we have this imagery here because Jesus introduces this passage with John Spirit talk. This means it is hooked to what has come before it. 

The story before this one is the healing of the man born blind. Remember it? This man is blind, and Jesus heals him. Then the Pharisees bring him in for questioning and because they don’t like his answers, they then bring in his parents for questioning. Then they bring back in the man and question him some more because his parents say he’s old enough to answer for himself. And the man who was blind confesses that Jesus must be someone connected to God, but the Pharisees don’t like that answer and they cast him out of the synagogue.

Then comes Jesus to the man who had been blind and asks him if he believes and the man confesses, he does. He does believe in spite of being thrown out. In spite of being left out of the community of faith. He believes in Jesus.

Then we get this passage from the Spirit. I am the good shepherd and who know me are the sheep who know my voice. The ones who stay tied to knowing Jesus. The ones who are faithful in coming and being a part of Jesus flock. They listen to what Jesus has to say. They don’t follow blindly; they know the voice. Do you know the voice of Jesus?

How might we know the voice of Jesus? Through prayer and studying the scriptures and recognizing when we are being called. The only way we can do this is to stay connected to the source. In some spiritual practices this has been interpreted to represent a trellis, like in Benedictine spirituality. Having a rule of life is the trellis we build upon to continue to be in touch and have relationship with Jesus.

A rule is a daily practice of how we will take care of ourselves physically, mentally, and spiritually in order to recognize Jesus’ voice in our life. If we don’t have a rule, it is a good idea to try and write one up. When we did our study into the Way of Love this Lent, we were looking at parts and pieces which go into a practice of staying connected and having a rule.

First is reading the scriptures daily. This helps us to stay in the story. Some people like to have a guide and there are many out there which help ground us in our story. Some of these are daily meditation or reading. Others are books written as guides for the year and they have a piece of scripture to explore with them. One I read a long time ago called Being Mary in a Martha World which looked in depth over the few verses in Luke of Mary and Martha and Jesus visiting their home. Henri Nouwen did one on your painting in the parish hall, with the story of the prodigal son. It takes you into the scripture story in a unique way and helps you explore it differently.

Prayer is the next thing. Do you pray daily? Do you have some type of prayer you would like to explore? There are prayer beads and prayers online, and there is just talking with God and opening your heart. Maybe you would just like to commit to praying once a day or more times or maybe just get back into giving grace before a meal. Just a simple thanks. Sometimes it is in closing out the day and acknowledging where we have met God today. Any type of prayer is good. Maybe you would like to explore each type and do a different type of prayer a day for the week. See which you would like to delve into.

Physical is one we don’t think of often, but it is connected to the spiritual just as in the story of the man who was blind. Walking, doing chair exercises, I even know of older people who are participating in a special chair yoga group. There is even just making your regular visit to the doctor. If we don’t take care of ourselves there will be no time for reading the scripture or praying.

Worship, worship is the glue holding us together. It helps us to come together in the community and work out our faith. We find here companionship, those who stand with us on the way. Sometimes those who have stood in the same place we have been. They support us and help us keep going when we don’t think we can take another step-in faith. 

Lastly is serving. When we serve others, we encounter Christ in our lives. We see what Christ did in the other by listening, by helping when we can, by letting the other person know we may have been where they are once ourselves. Relationship with the world, with those things which depend on us helps us to hear where God is calling us to work on ourselves and with others. 

This is it. Maybe this will help you to write a rule of life today. This is all so you can hear the Shepherd’s voice and know where Christ is calling you today. May we be open to that voice through the working of our faith. Amen.