Awww, so sweet. A story about a good shepherd and his sheep. I can see now the old, faded pictures of this Jesus-figure carrying his lambs. Like really, what does this have to do with today? We left this kind of thing in the nursery with Mary’s little lamb. Baa-baa to you.

Be snarky if you want. There’s a crowd on the fringe that always does that. Yet check out who got to hear this. It didn’t come across as sweet to some.

Tension in the Tussle

Yeah, Jesus just had another scuffle with the Jewish leaders. Of course, it was over some good thing he did. They couldn’t find any dirt to bring up otherwise, so they twisted it. His mistake this time? He’d done it before, healed on the Sabbath day. You know, the Sabbath when you’re not supposed to work. Doing good is too big of an effort for them. Oh, and put aside this was a miracle, unexplainable, not according to natural order occurrence. Thou shall not do miracles on the Sabbath day. Like everyone else was going around doing it.

Sorry. Didn’t mean to adopt the snark, too. But you have to understand, this wasn’t some tale for children Jesus was making up. He was being tracked and stalked. Already, he nearly got stoned in the Temple.  (John 8:59) Then he healed a blind man, both physically and spiritually, for now this guy could not only see, but he saw Jesus as Messiah. Not so for the Pharisees. (John 9) In this tension, Jesus tells the story of a good shepherd.

Conflicting Motives

Not only does he tell the story, he makes a claim about it. “I am the good shepherd.” It’s a story of devotion, love, care and concern, an intimate relationship between the good shepherd and his sheep. They belong to the shepherd, and he will do what it takes, even give his own life willingly, for them to know his devotion.

Contrast the good shepherd with the hired hand. Any hint of danger, like a wolf coming to attack, kill, and destroy, and that hired guy takes off running. Clearly, he’s only in it for the money. The sheep aren’t his, and he couldn’t care less what happens to them.

Snide Comparisons

Now if Jesus is the good shepherd, who do you think the hired hand might be? The ones who didn’t care that a man who’d been born blind was just healed except that it happened on the wrong day of the week? See, if you will, what’s going on here. This isn’t a nursery, bedtime story.

Characteristically, Jesus doesn’t leave it at that. Again, he says, “I am the good shepherd.” He compares how close he is with his sheep with the closeness he has with his Father. And what does a good shepherd do? He lays down his life for his sheep.

The Jewish leaders heard it like they wanted. Jesus was making some radical claims here. First, he loved people more than they did because these holy heads thought of themselves above the welfare of others. Hold on to the Sabbath because if that law goes, the whole ten commandments might collapse. Where would their control over the people be then?

Radical Extremist

Then he’d said he was close to his Father, like Jesus and God were of one mind or spirit? That really went over an edge. This guy sounds dangerous.

Oh, Jesus adds to it. He says there are “other sheep,” not yet in the sheepfold. They also hear his voice as shepherd, not only hear it, but listen to his voice. Eventually, they will be included so there will be just one flock. Who are these other sheep? Outsiders, strangers, wanderers, foreigners, people who don’t look like us? This guy is a fanatic.

By this point, the Jewish leaders likely had hands over their ears and were wailing to drown out how Jesus concluded this story. He spoke of the love his Father had for him, and now repeated three more times that he would give up, lay down, surrender his life for his sheep. No, don’t let the populace hear this kind of thing.

By Green Pastures and Still Waters

Yet, there’s something about Jesus choosing to tell this kind of story that does make it one of those you want to tell your children. Sure, fuzzy white sheep translate well into cotton-balled crafts, and little ones love to know there’s someone who’ll defend them against the bad guys. Having a good shepherd gives a sense of security.

No Fear in the Shadow

But you don’t have to be a little kid to need that. Mass shootings and stabbings, global threats of escalating war and resulting deaths of innocent people, rising prices of basic necessities, social conflicts, not to mention the day-to-day cares of life make for major anxietyTo know that God sees it and gathers those together, inclusive of all souls, in love is a lesson which we need to hear, to listen, to follow one who loves us so much, nothing would stop what is necessary to keep and save us.

Here Jesus was, facing down those who would just as soon see him dead, telling this story of a God who loves. He could have told a story of celestial battles or God calling down judgement or something big and bold and designed to get people to straighten up. But no, he tells a simple story about sheep who follow their good shepherd because he loves them so much.

“The Lord is my shepherd….He restores my soul.” Psalm 23

John 10:11-18

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