Jesus invited you to his “one flock”
Daily Scripture
John 10:7-10, 14-16
7 So Jesus spoke again, “I assure you that I am the gate of the sheep. 8 All who came before me were thieves and outlaws, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief enters only to steal, kill, and destroy. I came so that they could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.
14 “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that don’t belong to this sheep pen. I must lead them too. They will listen to my voice and there will be one flock, with one shepherd.
Daily Reflection & Prayer
Jesus chose a bold metaphor when he called himself “the good shepherd.” Shepherds occupied one of the lowest Israelite social rungs in Jesus’ day. But his words drew deeply from the prophet Ezekiel (cf. Ezekiel 34:1-16) in which God promised Israel that he would shepherd them himself. Jesus came as “the good shepherd” who would safely guide and protect all who trusted him. He called all “sheep” to join his “flock,” so that together they might find “life to the fullest.”
- Sheep can’t care for themselves—an isolated sheep is among earth’s most vulnerable animals. A shepherd must be wise and dependable, working for the interests and safety of each sheep in the flock. Humans aren’t sheep—we must choose to trust. What influences and events have moved you toward trusting Jesus, and people who genuinely follow Jesus? When have Jesus and his people been shepherd(s) for you? In what ways do you most need “shepherding” today?
- Scholar William Barclay noted, “The Greek phrase used for having [life] more abundantly means to have a superabundance of a thing. To be a follower of Jesus, to know who he is and what he means, is to have a superabundance of life.” * When has following Jesus led you to times that left you feeling deeply, fully alive? How can you continue to live out the joyous “superabundance” of life Jesus offers, encouraging others in that life and encouraged by them?
Prayer
Dear Jesus, I choose to trust you to be my shepherd. Shelter me, care for me, and guide me to the truly good life—a life shared with your people and enfolded in your love. Amen.
GPS Insights
Brandon Gregory
Brandon Gregory is a volunteer for the worship and missions teams at Church of the Resurrection. He helps lead worship at Leawood's modern worship services, as well as at the West and Downtown services, and is involved with the Malawi missions team at home.
Jesus’ analogy of the good shepherd caring for his sheep is well-known by most Christians and has worked its way into the common Christian vernacular. If you look at a list of Christian clubs and churches, words like flock and shepherd show up many times. This is one where I could easily ask if we really think about what it means to be a sheep, but I’ll be honest: I don’t often think about what it means to be a sheep, and it’s because I don’t like being a sheep.
I’m reminded of a story I heard of a college admissions officer at a prestigious institution who asked candidates whether they thought of themselves as good leaders. Of course, every candidate said yes—who wouldn’t want a good leader? The candidate who stood out to the officer was the one who said no. After some thought, he said, “No, I’m not a great leader, but I’m a really great follower.” The admissions officer was impressed with the honesty but also recognized that in a school full of leaders, a great follower could be extremely valuable.
I’ve written for the GPS blog here for about 10 years and I’m sure I’ve had some good things to say over the years, but therein lies my vice: I’m smart, but I know I’m smart, and I don’t like thinking I’m not smart. In Jesus’ story above, if I’m honest, I rarely see myself as a sheep who needs a gate to keep from wandering off a cliff or into the jaws of a predator. I’m much more likely to see myself as the good shepherd, as prideful as that sounds. I see myself as a great leader, but I sometimes have trouble being a really good follower—and there are times when a follower can be even more important than a leader.
This is where my self-image starts falling apart. Imagine if Jesus went on with this analogy to tell of a sheep who thought he knew better than the other sheep and told them where to go and what to do. This sheep would take pride in his herding abilities and add “shepherding” to the skills in his LinkedIn profile. He might write blog posts about how gates were unnecessary and sheep needed to be more independent. (This sheep is me, by the way.)
I don’t know if anyone reading this post is as prideful as I am. I hope not—I can be pretty prideful. But I think all of us need to be reminded sometimes that there are times to be a leader and times to be a follower, and—here’s the important part—it’s not always up to us to choose which makes us feel best. If it were up to me, I would be the good shepherd every time, but there are times I don’t realize I’m just a few steps away from being gobbled up by a predator—and there are times I would lead other sheep right into doom with me. So if you’re like me, be on the lookout not just for times when you can be a leader, but times when it’s prudent and wise to be a good follower. No matter where you are in life, there are times we all need shepherding.
© 2024 Resurrection: A United Methodist Church. All Rights Reserved.
Scripture quotations are taken from The Common English Bible ©2011. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
References
* William Barclay, The Gospel of John—Volume 2 Chapters 8–21 (Revised Edition). Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1976, p. 60.
