Shepherds And Sheep
Preaching
Preaching The Parables
Series III, Cycle A
1. Text
"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. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." [6] Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
[7] So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus says anyone who climbs in the sheepfold by another way than the gate is a thief and bandit.
Second Point Of Action
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
Third Point Of Action
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him.
Fourth Point Of Action
The sheep hear his voice.
Fifth Point Of Action
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them.
Sixth Point Of Action
They follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow the voice of a stranger but will run from a stranger.
Seventh Point Of Action
The writer says Jesus' listeners do not understand the meaning of this figure of speech so he interprets what he said.
Eighth Point Of Action
Jesus is the gate for the sheep.
Ninth Point Of Action
All who came before Jesus are thieves and bandits but the sheep did not listen to them.
Tenth Point Of Action
Jesus says, "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture."
Eleventh Point Of Action
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.
Twelfth Point Of Action
Jesus says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
3. Spadework
Bandit And Thief
The writer of the Gospel of John defines a thief as one who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). See also Joel 2:9. Thieves received no compassion. (See also Job 30:5 and Proverbs 29:24.) The laws of Exodus describe the punishment of a thief:
When someone steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, the thief shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no bloodguilt is incurred; but if it happens after sunrise, bloodguilt is incurred. The thief shall make restitution, but if unable to do so, shall be sold for the theft. When the animal, whether ox or donkey or sheep, is found alive in the thief's possession, the thief shall pay double.
- Exodus 22:1--4
The prophet Hosea speaks of the thief breaking in and the bandits raiding outside. (See Hosea 7:1.) Jesus scorns the method of his own arrest "as though I were a bandit." (See Matthew 26:55, Mark 14:48, and Luke 22:52.) The Gospel writers refer to the two who were crucified with Christ as bandits. (See Matthew 27:38 and 44, Mark 15:27, and Luke 22:52.) In the present passage, John uses the phrase "thief and bandit" both in the parable and in its explanation. (See vv. 1 and 8.) Retelling the shouting match to crucify Jesus or Barabbas, John editorializes, "Now Barabbas was a bandit." (See John 18:40.)
Christ uses the stealth of a "thief" as a metaphor for the coming of God. (See Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39.) God's arrival will be like the coming or surprising of a thief. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 5:4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 3:3 and 16:15.)
By Name
We are to greet friends "each by name" (3 John 1:14). Of the 23, these seven "by name" references remind us of the value and validation of being known by name rather than by number. Each named person counts. God told Moses, "I know you by name." (See Exodus 33:12 and 17.) God called Bezalel by name. (See Exodus 31:2 and 35:30.) The exquisite beauty of these two passages in Isaiah proclaims God's claiming God's creation and God's people: "Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26) and "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1).
Gate
"Gate" appears five times in this parable: "enter ... by the gate," "enters by the gate," "open the gate," "I am the gate." A gate serves the dual purposes of keeping out, that is, guarding, and of welcoming, that is, bringing into and moving outward again. Of the 172 biblical references to "gate," 156 are in Hebrew Scripture. Of those, 26 are in Ezekiel and twelve in Jeremiah.
Gate is used as "gate of the camp" (Exodus 32:26), "gate of the city" (Genesis 23:10, 23:18, 34:20, and 34:24), "gate of the court" (Exodus 27:16 and throughout chapters 35--40), "gate of heaven" (28:17), and "gate of their enemies" (Genesis 22:17).
Safety did not extend beyond the gate of a town. An incorrigible son was taken to the "gate of the town." Outside the gate, the town elders would stone him to death. (See Deuteronomy 21:18--21 and 22:13--19.) The gate of the town was closed at dark. (See Deuteronomy 5:7, Joshua 2:5, and Joshua 20:4.) The gate of the town was a place of action. The king, Absalom, "took his seat in the gate" (2 Samuel 19:8).
A gate was a gathering place. The well of Bethlehem was by the gate. (See 2 Samuel 23:15--16.) Those with leprosy were outside the city gate. (See 2 Kings 7:3.) The gate was a place for discussion and debate. When Job took his place in the square by the gate, young men, nobles, princes, and the wretched were all present. (See Job 29:7--16.)
The city gate was guarded by "gatekeepers." Some gates had fortifying towers. (See 2 Kings 11:19 and 1 Chronicles 9:18.) The city gates as well as the gates of visionary cities carried names. There was a gathering square at the city gate. (See 2 Chronicles 32:6.) The "house of the Lord" had gates. (See 2 Chronicles 24:8.)
Because of the gate's importance, it lent itself well to metaphor: "This is the gate of the Lord; / the righteous shall enter through it" (Psalm 118:20). The poor, the afflicted, the needy, and the old men stayed by the gate. (See Proverbs 22:22, Lamentations 5:14, and Amos 5:12.) Lazarus lay at the city gate. (See Luke 16:20.) City elders held court at the city gate. (See Joshua 20:4.)
Prophets delivered messages at the gate. Amos said, "Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:15). He spoke of breaking the gate bars of Damascus. (See Amos 1:5.) See also Proverbs 1:21 and 8:3, Isaiah 29:21, Jeremiah 17:19 and 20, and Jeremiah 26:10.
Jesus refers both to gates of the city and to the metaphor of gate in the Matthew 7:13--14 passage: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
In the present parable, the writer of John couches this metaphor within the purpose of Christ's ministry: "I am the gate for the sheep" (John 10:7) and "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (John 10:9).
Gatekeeper
The gatekeeper is a sentinel. (See 2 Samuel 18:26 and 27.) Gatekeepers stood at the thresholds at the camp of the Levites, "guardians of the entrance" of the house of the Lord. Their job was to keep watch. Gatekeepers were many and held a variety of divisions of duties. (See 1 Chronicles 9:17--32.)
I Am
Is the biblical story the search for the right identity, ours, God's, Christ's? Perhaps it is all of these.
"God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.' He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you" ' " (Exodus 3:14). "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur" (Genesis 15:7). When God called to Moses, Moses answered, "Here I am." (See Exodus 3:4.) God answered Moses' question: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). "For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). "My ordinances you shall observe and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 18:4).
Who are you, Jesus? This was the question of the day. It is still the query of the growing heart. Jesus returns the question to us: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). See also Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20.
The "I am" sayings, one of which is in the present text, affirm Christ's purpose: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:25, 6:41, and 6:48); "I am the living bread" (John 6:51); "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the gate (the door)" (John 10:7 and 10:9); "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11 and 10:14); "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25); "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6); "I am the true vine" (John 15:1); and "I am the vine" (John 15:5). Further, John speaks the "I am" of himself: "I am not the Messiah" (said by John in John 1:20) and "I am the voice ..." (said by John in John 1:23).
The "I am" pulls us back to our own "I am" and to God's calling us by name, as the shepherd calls sheep by name.
Sheepfold (Fold)
Unlike the present text, the seven other references to "sheepfold(s)" in addition to the present text are not used in metaphor. These include Genesis 49:14, Numbers 32:16, Judges 5:16, 1 Samuel 24:3, 2 Chronicles 32:28, Psalm 68:13, and Psalm 78:70.
Several among the 22 references to "fold" refer to the ingathering of sheep, both the gathering of new sheep and bringing back into the fold those who have wandered. "Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply" (Jeremiah 23:3). See also Micah 2:12 and John 10:16.
The seacoast was a place for a sheepfold (Zephaniah 2:6), as was the city (Ammon according to Ezekiel 25:5, Aroer in Isaiah). Ammon was neither invaded nor destroyed when Israel came from Egypt. (See 2 Chronicles 20:10.) "Her [Damascus] towns will be deserted forever; they will be places for flocks, which will lie down, and no one will make them afraid" (Isaiah 17:2).
Rather than natural enclosures, folds are built. They are built for the protection of the flock of sheep gathered within it. (See Numbers 32:16, 24, and 36.) Other texts mention making a fold for flocks: "I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezekiel 25:5).
Knowing that one's fold or flock is safe requires close enough inspection to "miss nothing." (See Job 5:24.) See also the companion parable, Parable 2, Cycle B, "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11--18) and Matthew 26:31, Luke 2:8, and 1 Corinthians 9:7.
Other texts refer to shepherds who have led their sheep astray or forgotten their fold: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold" (Jeremiah 50:6). For images of sheep scattered without a shepherd to search or seek for them, see 2 Chronicles 18:16, Psalm 44:11, Ezekiel 34:5--6. Jesus uses a similar reference: "Then Jesus said to them, 'You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" ' " (Matthew 26:31).
Stranger(s)
"Stranger" occurs 49 times. With 36 occasions in the Hebrew Scripture, only five usages are in the Gospels. Sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not know that person's voice.
A stranger is someone outside the family or the clan. (Regarding the remarriage of a widow, see Deuteronomy 25:5.) A dichotomy exists between how we ought to treat strangers and the reality of how we do act toward them. In Hebrew Scripture, strangers are put in a category with the poor and the orphaned. (See Deuteronomy 6:11 and 6:14 and Psalm 94:6.)
In reality, strangers were addressed harshly. (See Genesis 42:7.) Strangers "wander from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people" (Psalm 105:11 and 105:12). They are "like a traveler turning aside for the night" (Jeremiah 14:8). Does "stranger" follow political boundaries? When do cousins become strangers--by--war?
Hebrew instruction, however, contains different guidelines for treatment of strangers: "For the Lord your God is ... the great God, mighty and awesome ... who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:17--19).
Isaiah presents a vision of hope to an oppressed people. Notice the open gates and the unexpected - foreigners building up walls rather than tearing them down: "Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you down, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut ..." (Isaiah 60:10--11).
Again, the unexpected from strangers. God sent good news to the oppressed: "Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines" (Isaiah 61:5). Alienated from hope, the lamenting psalmist became mired in despair and became "a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother's children" (Psalm 69:8).
Set a stranger upon those for whom you wish ill: "May the creditor seize all that he has; / may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil" (Psalm 109:11). See also Proverbs 5:10, 11:15, 14:10, 20:16, and 27:13, and Ezekiel 28:7.
How opposite this proverb is from the rule of welcoming hospitality: "Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for sharing with strangers" (Proverbs 5:15--17).
Are strangers always a liability? When Sarah died in Canaan, Abraham went to the Hittites to ask for land to bury her. Abraham said, " 'I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight' " (Genesis 23:4). To his surprise, they welcomed him as "a mighty prince among them" and invited him to find the most choice burial place.
In the New Testament, remember Jesus' words, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (See Matthew 25:35, 38, and 43.) The early church was encouraged to be welcoming: "Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers" (Romans 12:13) and "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).
4. Parallel Scripture
No parallel to this parable exists in the Synoptic Gospels. However, the following parallel phrases may be of value.
Compare the present text, "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" (John 10:1), with "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13--14).
Compare Jesus' use of the sheep and shepherd analogy according to the writer of John with his analogy in Mark: "As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).
In the present passage, John says, "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' " (John 10:7--10). Compare with "Yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:40).
5. Chat Room
Reader 1: Questions, questions.
Questions gnaw at uncertainty.
Questions draw toward clarity.
Questions return us to God.
Questions acquaint us with self.
Reader 2: What is your nature, Jesus who is Christ?
Who are you, Christ who is Jesus?
Who is God, anyway?
Will we ever explain the holy with words?
What is the holy within us?
Reader 1: God called to Abraham and Jacob, and each said, "Here I am."
God called to Moses, and Moses answered, "Here I am."
God called and called to Samuel, and Samuel said, "Here I am, Here I am."
God called to Ananias, who said, "Here I am."
God called me by name and I dared to answer, "Here I am."
Reader 2: You bring yourself closer, Jesus, with your "I am."
You remind us of God's "I am that I am."
You call and call until we recognize our name.
You wake up the "Am I?" so we might know our "I am."
You call and we answer, "Here I am."
Reader 3: Three times, Jesus, you speak of your sheep knowing your voice, not your scent, not your face, not your clothing, but your voice. I cannot imagine your voice with a harsh, commanding tone. You invite the sheep to trust you with gentle sounds.
Reader 4: Four times, Jesus, you speak of the gate. We must enter by that gate. We must pass through the gate that you open for us when you are ready and when we are ready. You tell us that you are the gate and we will come in and go out and receive life through your gate.
Reader 1: Who is the gatekeeper of your feelings? Who keeps the gate of your health? Who guards your ideas and goals?
Reader 2: What must you keep safe from? What must you guard and protect?
Reader 1: When are you gatekeeper for someone and when are you shepherd? Is there a difference? What lamb must you treat with great tenderness? Whom are you called to guide?
Reader 2: What fold is the safe place for youths today? Who are today's sheep in need of a fold? Whom do we need to protect?
Reader 1: To whom is your voice that of a stranger? To whom that of a shepherd?
Reader 2: To whom do you stand up and say, "Here I am"?
"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. [2] The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. [3] The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. [4] When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. [5] They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." [6] Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
[7] So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. [8] All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. [9] I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. [10] The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
2. What's Happening?
First Point Of Action
Jesus says anyone who climbs in the sheepfold by another way than the gate is a thief and bandit.
Second Point Of Action
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep.
Third Point Of Action
The gatekeeper opens the gate for him.
Fourth Point Of Action
The sheep hear his voice.
Fifth Point Of Action
He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them.
Sixth Point Of Action
They follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow the voice of a stranger but will run from a stranger.
Seventh Point Of Action
The writer says Jesus' listeners do not understand the meaning of this figure of speech so he interprets what he said.
Eighth Point Of Action
Jesus is the gate for the sheep.
Ninth Point Of Action
All who came before Jesus are thieves and bandits but the sheep did not listen to them.
Tenth Point Of Action
Jesus says, "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture."
Eleventh Point Of Action
The thief comes only to steal, kill, and destroy.
Twelfth Point Of Action
Jesus says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
3. Spadework
Bandit And Thief
The writer of the Gospel of John defines a thief as one who "comes only to steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). See also Joel 2:9. Thieves received no compassion. (See also Job 30:5 and Proverbs 29:24.) The laws of Exodus describe the punishment of a thief:
When someone steals an ox or a sheep, and slaughters it or sells it, the thief shall pay five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep. If a thief is found breaking in, and is beaten to death, no bloodguilt is incurred; but if it happens after sunrise, bloodguilt is incurred. The thief shall make restitution, but if unable to do so, shall be sold for the theft. When the animal, whether ox or donkey or sheep, is found alive in the thief's possession, the thief shall pay double.
- Exodus 22:1--4
The prophet Hosea speaks of the thief breaking in and the bandits raiding outside. (See Hosea 7:1.) Jesus scorns the method of his own arrest "as though I were a bandit." (See Matthew 26:55, Mark 14:48, and Luke 22:52.) The Gospel writers refer to the two who were crucified with Christ as bandits. (See Matthew 27:38 and 44, Mark 15:27, and Luke 22:52.) In the present passage, John uses the phrase "thief and bandit" both in the parable and in its explanation. (See vv. 1 and 8.) Retelling the shouting match to crucify Jesus or Barabbas, John editorializes, "Now Barabbas was a bandit." (See John 18:40.)
Christ uses the stealth of a "thief" as a metaphor for the coming of God. (See Matthew 24:43 and Luke 12:39.) God's arrival will be like the coming or surprising of a thief. (See 1 Thessalonians 5:2 and 5:4, 2 Peter 3:10, and Revelation 3:3 and 16:15.)
By Name
We are to greet friends "each by name" (3 John 1:14). Of the 23, these seven "by name" references remind us of the value and validation of being known by name rather than by number. Each named person counts. God told Moses, "I know you by name." (See Exodus 33:12 and 17.) God called Bezalel by name. (See Exodus 31:2 and 35:30.) The exquisite beauty of these two passages in Isaiah proclaims God's claiming God's creation and God's people: "Lift up your eyes on high and see: Who created these? He who brings out their host and numbers them, calling them all by name; because he is great in strength, mighty in power, not one is missing" (Isaiah 40:26) and "But now thus says the Lord, he who created you, O Jacob, he who formed you, O Israel: Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine" (Isaiah 43:1).
Gate
"Gate" appears five times in this parable: "enter ... by the gate," "enters by the gate," "open the gate," "I am the gate." A gate serves the dual purposes of keeping out, that is, guarding, and of welcoming, that is, bringing into and moving outward again. Of the 172 biblical references to "gate," 156 are in Hebrew Scripture. Of those, 26 are in Ezekiel and twelve in Jeremiah.
Gate is used as "gate of the camp" (Exodus 32:26), "gate of the city" (Genesis 23:10, 23:18, 34:20, and 34:24), "gate of the court" (Exodus 27:16 and throughout chapters 35--40), "gate of heaven" (28:17), and "gate of their enemies" (Genesis 22:17).
Safety did not extend beyond the gate of a town. An incorrigible son was taken to the "gate of the town." Outside the gate, the town elders would stone him to death. (See Deuteronomy 21:18--21 and 22:13--19.) The gate of the town was closed at dark. (See Deuteronomy 5:7, Joshua 2:5, and Joshua 20:4.) The gate of the town was a place of action. The king, Absalom, "took his seat in the gate" (2 Samuel 19:8).
A gate was a gathering place. The well of Bethlehem was by the gate. (See 2 Samuel 23:15--16.) Those with leprosy were outside the city gate. (See 2 Kings 7:3.) The gate was a place for discussion and debate. When Job took his place in the square by the gate, young men, nobles, princes, and the wretched were all present. (See Job 29:7--16.)
The city gate was guarded by "gatekeepers." Some gates had fortifying towers. (See 2 Kings 11:19 and 1 Chronicles 9:18.) The city gates as well as the gates of visionary cities carried names. There was a gathering square at the city gate. (See 2 Chronicles 32:6.) The "house of the Lord" had gates. (See 2 Chronicles 24:8.)
Because of the gate's importance, it lent itself well to metaphor: "This is the gate of the Lord; / the righteous shall enter through it" (Psalm 118:20). The poor, the afflicted, the needy, and the old men stayed by the gate. (See Proverbs 22:22, Lamentations 5:14, and Amos 5:12.) Lazarus lay at the city gate. (See Luke 16:20.) City elders held court at the city gate. (See Joshua 20:4.)
Prophets delivered messages at the gate. Amos said, "Hate evil and love good, and establish justice in the gate" (Amos 5:15). He spoke of breaking the gate bars of Damascus. (See Amos 1:5.) See also Proverbs 1:21 and 8:3, Isaiah 29:21, Jeremiah 17:19 and 20, and Jeremiah 26:10.
Jesus refers both to gates of the city and to the metaphor of gate in the Matthew 7:13--14 passage: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it."
In the present parable, the writer of John couches this metaphor within the purpose of Christ's ministry: "I am the gate for the sheep" (John 10:7) and "I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture" (John 10:9).
Gatekeeper
The gatekeeper is a sentinel. (See 2 Samuel 18:26 and 27.) Gatekeepers stood at the thresholds at the camp of the Levites, "guardians of the entrance" of the house of the Lord. Their job was to keep watch. Gatekeepers were many and held a variety of divisions of duties. (See 1 Chronicles 9:17--32.)
I Am
Is the biblical story the search for the right identity, ours, God's, Christ's? Perhaps it is all of these.
"God said to Moses, 'I am who I am.' He said further, 'Thus you shall say to the Israelites, "I am has sent me to you" ' " (Exodus 3:14). "I am the Lord who brought you from Ur" (Genesis 15:7). When God called to Moses, Moses answered, "Here I am." (See Exodus 3:4.) God answered Moses' question: "I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (Exodus 3:6). "For I am the Lord your God; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44). "My ordinances you shall observe and my statutes you shall keep, following them: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 18:4).
Who are you, Jesus? This was the question of the day. It is still the query of the growing heart. Jesus returns the question to us: "Who do you say that I am?" (Matthew 16:15). See also Mark 8:29 and Luke 9:20.
The "I am" sayings, one of which is in the present text, affirm Christ's purpose: "I am the bread of life" (John 6:25, 6:41, and 6:48); "I am the living bread" (John 6:51); "I am the light of the world" (John 8:12); "I am the gate (the door)" (John 10:7 and 10:9); "I am the good shepherd" (John 10:11 and 10:14); "I am the resurrection and the life" (John 11:25); "I am the way, and the truth, and the life" (John 14:6); "I am the true vine" (John 15:1); and "I am the vine" (John 15:5). Further, John speaks the "I am" of himself: "I am not the Messiah" (said by John in John 1:20) and "I am the voice ..." (said by John in John 1:23).
The "I am" pulls us back to our own "I am" and to God's calling us by name, as the shepherd calls sheep by name.
Sheepfold (Fold)
Unlike the present text, the seven other references to "sheepfold(s)" in addition to the present text are not used in metaphor. These include Genesis 49:14, Numbers 32:16, Judges 5:16, 1 Samuel 24:3, 2 Chronicles 32:28, Psalm 68:13, and Psalm 78:70.
Several among the 22 references to "fold" refer to the ingathering of sheep, both the gathering of new sheep and bringing back into the fold those who have wandered. "Then I myself will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the lands where I have driven them, and I will bring them back to their fold, and they shall be fruitful and multiply" (Jeremiah 23:3). See also Micah 2:12 and John 10:16.
The seacoast was a place for a sheepfold (Zephaniah 2:6), as was the city (Ammon according to Ezekiel 25:5, Aroer in Isaiah). Ammon was neither invaded nor destroyed when Israel came from Egypt. (See 2 Chronicles 20:10.) "Her [Damascus] towns will be deserted forever; they will be places for flocks, which will lie down, and no one will make them afraid" (Isaiah 17:2).
Rather than natural enclosures, folds are built. They are built for the protection of the flock of sheep gathered within it. (See Numbers 32:16, 24, and 36.) Other texts mention making a fold for flocks: "I will make Rabbah a pasture for camels and Ammon a fold for flocks. Then you shall know that I am the Lord" (Ezekiel 25:5).
Knowing that one's fold or flock is safe requires close enough inspection to "miss nothing." (See Job 5:24.) See also the companion parable, Parable 2, Cycle B, "The Good Shepherd" (John 10:11--18) and Matthew 26:31, Luke 2:8, and 1 Corinthians 9:7.
Other texts refer to shepherds who have led their sheep astray or forgotten their fold: "My people have been lost sheep; their shepherds have led them astray, turning them away on the mountains; from mountain to hill they have gone, they have forgotten their fold" (Jeremiah 50:6). For images of sheep scattered without a shepherd to search or seek for them, see 2 Chronicles 18:16, Psalm 44:11, Ezekiel 34:5--6. Jesus uses a similar reference: "Then Jesus said to them, 'You will all become deserters because of me this night; for it is written, "I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered" ' " (Matthew 26:31).
Stranger(s)
"Stranger" occurs 49 times. With 36 occasions in the Hebrew Scripture, only five usages are in the Gospels. Sheep will not follow a stranger because they do not know that person's voice.
A stranger is someone outside the family or the clan. (Regarding the remarriage of a widow, see Deuteronomy 25:5.) A dichotomy exists between how we ought to treat strangers and the reality of how we do act toward them. In Hebrew Scripture, strangers are put in a category with the poor and the orphaned. (See Deuteronomy 6:11 and 6:14 and Psalm 94:6.)
In reality, strangers were addressed harshly. (See Genesis 42:7.) Strangers "wander from nation to nation, from one kingdom to another people" (Psalm 105:11 and 105:12). They are "like a traveler turning aside for the night" (Jeremiah 14:8). Does "stranger" follow political boundaries? When do cousins become strangers--by--war?
Hebrew instruction, however, contains different guidelines for treatment of strangers: "For the Lord your God is ... the great God, mighty and awesome ... who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 10:17--19).
Isaiah presents a vision of hope to an oppressed people. Notice the open gates and the unexpected - foreigners building up walls rather than tearing them down: "Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in my wrath I struck you down, but in my favor I have had mercy on you. Your gates shall always be open; day and night they shall not be shut ..." (Isaiah 60:10--11).
Again, the unexpected from strangers. God sent good news to the oppressed: "Strangers shall stand and feed your flocks, foreigners shall till your land and dress your vines" (Isaiah 61:5). Alienated from hope, the lamenting psalmist became mired in despair and became "a stranger to my kindred, an alien to my mother's children" (Psalm 69:8).
Set a stranger upon those for whom you wish ill: "May the creditor seize all that he has; / may strangers plunder the fruits of his toil" (Psalm 109:11). See also Proverbs 5:10, 11:15, 14:10, 20:16, and 27:13, and Ezekiel 28:7.
How opposite this proverb is from the rule of welcoming hospitality: "Drink water from your own cistern, flowing water from your own well. Should your springs be scattered abroad, streams of water in the streets? Let them be for yourself alone, and not for sharing with strangers" (Proverbs 5:15--17).
Are strangers always a liability? When Sarah died in Canaan, Abraham went to the Hittites to ask for land to bury her. Abraham said, " 'I am a stranger and an alien residing among you; give me property among you for a burying place, so that I may bury my dead out of my sight' " (Genesis 23:4). To his surprise, they welcomed him as "a mighty prince among them" and invited him to find the most choice burial place.
In the New Testament, remember Jesus' words, "I was a stranger and you welcomed me." (See Matthew 25:35, 38, and 43.) The early church was encouraged to be welcoming: "Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers" (Romans 12:13) and "Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it" (Hebrews 13:2).
4. Parallel Scripture
No parallel to this parable exists in the Synoptic Gospels. However, the following parallel phrases may be of value.
Compare the present text, "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" (John 10:1), with "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13--14).
Compare Jesus' use of the sheep and shepherd analogy according to the writer of John with his analogy in Mark: "As he went ashore, he saw a great crowd; and he had compassion for them, because they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things" (Mark 6:34).
In the present passage, John says, "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' " (John 10:7--10). Compare with "Yet you refuse to come to me to have life" (John 5:40).
5. Chat Room
Reader 1: Questions, questions.
Questions gnaw at uncertainty.
Questions draw toward clarity.
Questions return us to God.
Questions acquaint us with self.
Reader 2: What is your nature, Jesus who is Christ?
Who are you, Christ who is Jesus?
Who is God, anyway?
Will we ever explain the holy with words?
What is the holy within us?
Reader 1: God called to Abraham and Jacob, and each said, "Here I am."
God called to Moses, and Moses answered, "Here I am."
God called and called to Samuel, and Samuel said, "Here I am, Here I am."
God called to Ananias, who said, "Here I am."
God called me by name and I dared to answer, "Here I am."
Reader 2: You bring yourself closer, Jesus, with your "I am."
You remind us of God's "I am that I am."
You call and call until we recognize our name.
You wake up the "Am I?" so we might know our "I am."
You call and we answer, "Here I am."
Reader 3: Three times, Jesus, you speak of your sheep knowing your voice, not your scent, not your face, not your clothing, but your voice. I cannot imagine your voice with a harsh, commanding tone. You invite the sheep to trust you with gentle sounds.
Reader 4: Four times, Jesus, you speak of the gate. We must enter by that gate. We must pass through the gate that you open for us when you are ready and when we are ready. You tell us that you are the gate and we will come in and go out and receive life through your gate.
Reader 1: Who is the gatekeeper of your feelings? Who keeps the gate of your health? Who guards your ideas and goals?
Reader 2: What must you keep safe from? What must you guard and protect?
Reader 1: When are you gatekeeper for someone and when are you shepherd? Is there a difference? What lamb must you treat with great tenderness? Whom are you called to guide?
Reader 2: What fold is the safe place for youths today? Who are today's sheep in need of a fold? Whom do we need to protect?
Reader 1: To whom is your voice that of a stranger? To whom that of a shepherd?
Reader 2: To whom do you stand up and say, "Here I am"?
