July 27
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THE GOOD SHEPHERD AND HIS SHEEP
Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbs up some other way, he is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers.” 6 This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.7 So Jesus said to them again, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and 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. – John 10:1-10
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In this story, Jesus explains the purpose of His life, to be the Savior of the world. He begins by explaining the difference of the legitimate shepherd against those are counterfeits and who only wants to snatch away the sheep. The doorkeeper opens for the shepherd but the thieves come in on a different door because since they are hiding their agenda to steal. Jesus was speaking to the crowd in figures of speech because He only reveals Himself to those who belong to his flock. In verse 7, He declares his role as the only door for the sheep to enter because all the other ones who came before him are thieves and robbers. In verse 10, he differentiates himself from the thief whose purpose is to steal, kill and destroy while his purpose is to give life lavishly.
We also get a glimpse of how those sheep who belongs to the good shepherd behave. They know their shepherd’s voice and they do not follow the voice of strangers. Perhaps this is why Jesus uses sheep as a symbol for those who believe Him. Sheep are very obedient and faithful. They follow without too much resistance their shepherd. They are only going to heed his voice whom they were trained to follow. This explains clearly how believers should be: that they only listen and know God’s voice. They don’t hear other voices that do not belong to their Master. They are not led by counterfeits for they are loyal to the Good Shepherd, who is Jesus. They only walk in truth and not in lies.
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REFLECTION
• How can you differentiate a true believer from a false one?