The Good Flock?
John 10:11-18
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it.13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.
14 “I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep.16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”
The Good Flock?
This scripture is Jesus patiently offering a more elaborate explanation of his metaphor to the Pharisees. The Pharisees who though they were not blind could not see. Jesus doesn’t jump to quick condemnation but patiently tells a story and then he cares enough – even about the Pharisees to elaborate and explain. Let’s talk a moment about what it means to be the flock – that’s us, the sheep.
Led like sheep to the slaughter – meek, dumb, silent, following the crowd without question. Sheep have gotten a bad rap. BBC writer Harriet Constable describes sheep as much more intelligent than we might think.[1] For example, sheep have this“Reputation: Sheep are stupid, defenceless and harmless creatures that mope about on hillsides doing not very much. They are good for two things: being eaten and producing wool.
[When in reality:]
Reality: Sheep are actually surprisingly intelligent, with impressive memory and recognition skills. They build friendships, stick up for one another in fights, and feel sad when their friends are sent to slaughter. They are also one of the most destructive creatures on the planet.”
Big fuzzy sheep have had their horns bred out but still have a vicious kick. They travel in flocks, but every now and then they do stupid things like wander away when bored or even get stuck upside down when taking a break.
Constable tells of a study - it showed how sheep have such good recollection of faces that they can remember 50 faces for up to 2 years – better than lots of us humans! The sheep also recognize a smile versus a frown and have emotional responses to them. Sheep are also playful and have lifelong partners – often navigating through mazes to get back to their friends. Stronger rams would even protect their weaker friends. Sheep feel - Fear, anger, despair, boredom and happiness.
So maybe it isn’t such the insult we thought to be the sheep in the stories. But the point is the story is not about us – it isn’t about the flock but rather the shepherd. We are in the story, but the action is by the shepherd. Jesus – with the “I am” statements emphatically positions himself in the position of the shepherd – a dirty, low profession that would have been on the fringes of society, not respected and spending much time outside alone in the countryside with the sheep. Yet, one of the most comforting scriptures is of God as our shepherd. Jesus is reminding the Pharisees of this asking them to remember that they are bound to one another and to God in love – a love modeled by our shepherd.
Surely the Pharisees knew the 23rd Psalm even as we do – words that bring comfort and are the epitome of care from The Shepherd.
1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
God provides everything that we need. One of the hard lines in scripture today and most misused is 1 John 3:22 “…and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandment and do what pleases him.” Prosperity gospel that declares it okay for you to have while brothers and sisters starve and go without counts on you cherry picking this verse out and saying all my rewards, wealth and comforts are rewards from God. This belief sadly jumps right over verse 17 that says “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and refuse to help?” Love in truth and action – that is how we can be bold – with an openness before God. If you are open before God and Christ’s love lives within you, you can’t possibly sit idly by refusing – and God will provide.
2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
The shepherd leads us, not going where he would not go. The Shepherd leads us out to fields for sustenance and also offers us protection of the paddock. When we wander or feel lost and lonely, the Shepherd hears our cries and pulls us back to the flock. We know Jesus’ voice, and he know us inside and out – better than we know ourselves. Coaxing us into relationships with one another and with God – interdependencies that support and challenge us. God who came in the flesh walked our trials and tribulations, even willing to lay his life down to experience the fears, not of an easy death but of pain, betrayal. For us – God came to earth, experienced our weakness and vulnerability – laying aside power and dominion for a time to show us, to lead us along the back paths toward God and toward one another. Then Jesus also lay aside that life to defeat death – not by avoiding it, but by journeying it with us, for us.
3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
That would seem like the end. What if I do not feel heard? What if I feel lonely, abandoned, exhausted? What if I feel like I am not enough, my belief is too weak, or just the blahh of day-to-day has taken over? God offers us the cup of the new covenant, nourishes us at table and dwells within our hearts to refresh and remind us of how powerful that love is.
Part of the reputation of sheep may come from ranchers like Texans! Cows seemed smarter because they can be herded. You can make noise behind them and corral them or motivate them from the back. Sheep seemed stupid because they ran around with this approach. Sheep will loop back behind you and not cooperate at all; they must be led from the front. We know the voice of our Lord and follow. John 10:3-4 says 3 “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice.”
4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
No matter the messes we make, even when we feel abandoned, at our lowest, God is there – within and all around us. The Holy Spirit travels to us on the gentle breeze or the roaring winds. Fear not says the Lord, for I am with you. Think of a pastoral scene. The imagery of the pastor and the flock – there to bind us together to exemplify love. Look to our own deacons, fellow members, and friends. Remember the cards, the calls, the visits, a warm meal or simply a friend holding your hand and listening through your tears. Comfort from God through and in us.
When we would tend to run willy nilly or flee, our God is relentless, coming after even one lost sheep, gentling grabbing us off the precipice with the crook of his staff – pulling us to him and each other again, sheltering us until we feel secure and then leading us back into the field again.
5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
We know the voice. The voice that declares I am The Good Shepherd. But it doesn’t say you are The Flock. We like to live in duality and make this verse all about we know the voice and have an exclusive deal through Jesus. We hear good and immediately jump to ‘us good’/‘you bad’ thoughts. It helps point us in a better direction to look at the Greek word simplified here and reduced to good.
Kalos – means good, but more is implied –It means good as in magnificent, noble, ideal, model, praiseworthy. We even do this in English – think of how that word ’good’ can carry all kinds of baggage. I picture asking a child, spouse or friend how it went after a first date, a test, an interview, or a doctor’s visit. A short clipped ‘good’ means anything but good. Or the rote answer to ‘How are you?’ Good – when it just means I don’t want to get into it or don’t think you really want to hear my answer. Or the answer to the question can hold a good that has depth and emotion meaning good in that it was rich, deep, meaningful and truly good.
The Good Shepherd – distinct, one, THE – good as in a model or the best shepherd you can imagine, faith filled and doing all a shepherd should – all for the sheep.
But, wait – there is another ‘gotcha’ verse. “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.” What does this mean – it means God is at work in our world in mysterious ways creating a flock beyond our definitions or imagining. A flock that has room for all – together. Every beloved child even ones we might think have lost their way or have no hope, even the outcast, our enemies, even us.
6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
The final verse of John is so powerful because of the very undefined nature – Jesus is in the world through the Holy Spirit and has been commanded by God to come to us – to pick up the task of taking up life to show the world a loved we can’t comprehend. We fellowship at table together – the table before our enemies blurs the lines of us against them and expands and redefines our duality in ways that are outside the scope of what we can imagine – a God in Christ that guarantees love wins. As David Lose says, “All we know is that Jesus – and therefore God – isn’t done yet. Jesus is still calling, God is still searching, and in time we will all be, as Jesus says, one flock under one shepherd.”
Compassion reigns supreme. Jesus cares for each sheep and the community flock – the whole, across generations, and we will dwell in his house forever. Woven together by the great I am with a steadfast love that refuses our boundaries and limitations - overcomes limitations of death, of tribe, of time. As much as we hunger to be known, it is our challenge to realize our role is really simple – be open to God’s love. Love God and one another. As vulnerable sheep, remember – know - we are part of His flock – The real, genuine, loving Shepherd. Jesus who is our model of genuine love twining us together into the ultimate Good Flock. We can’t define it, envision it, imagine the real thing. Genuine love of this Good Flock – one flock will shock us I am sure. For that is how our God breaks in, crashes our norms, shatters our barriers, bursts into life again to bind us to one another and God. God’s love is just hinted at in our scriptures, Psalms, deeds and creation. Jesus is the I am – The Shepherd whose love is still at work in our world. He will lead us with eternal love, and we will dwell with God forever. Nothing can prevent that or separate us from God, The Shepherd. He Is Risen. He Is Risen Indeed. Amen.
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