Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray with Me”.

Have you seen a picture of Jesus as a long-haired Caucasian cuddling a white lamb? Sure wouldn’t be a black lamb, would it? I remember that image from Sunday school. What a tame take on the Good Shepherd.  

John 10 has a more robust image of the Good Shepherd. He fends off sheep thieves, criticizes contractors who fleece them, and protects the sheep from wolves.

Jesus is building on a rich history of Old Testament shepherd stories. Remember Abel, son of Adam? He was the first shepherd. His brother Cain murdered him. 

Joseph’s shepherd brothers sold him into Egyptian slavery, smeared blood on his many-colored coat, and said, “Father, is this Joseph’s coat we found?” 

After leaving a life of royalty in Egypt, Moses was a desert shepherd until God called him to shepherd the Israelites out of Egyptian slavery. Forty years later Moses prayed, “When I die, send someone to shepherd your people” (Num 27:15-17). 

David, the shepherd boy who killed the giant Goliath, was the good shepherd king of Israel, except when he was a bad shepherd king. 

Other prophets castigated Israel’s leaders as false shepherds. Listen to Isaiah:
    The leaders are dogs with mighty appetites,
    They are shepherds who lack understanding, who seek their own gain. 
          (Isa 56:11) 

The leaders are dogs, says Isaiah. Not sheep dogs. Sheep-eating dogs. 

Jesus takes up the shepherd theme in John 10 where he says, “I am the good shepherd” (v 10), “I am the gate for the sheep” (v 7), and “All who came before me are thieves and robbers” (v 8). All who came before him? What about Moses and David and Isaiah? 

Again Jesus says, “The shepherds who work on contract don’t care about the sheep. They see a wolf, they run. But I’m the good shepherd. I protect my sheep with my life!” (v 11).

Jesus declares, “My sheep recognize my voice and follow me; but a stranger’s voice scares them away” (v 4).

Let’s pray. 

O Jesus, we hear cacophony of voices that drown out your words. The internet algorithms tells us what to think, sermons tell us how to live, the marketing gods tell us what to desire and why to buy. 

How can we hear your voice in our noisy world? What are you saying to us? 

Teach us to recognize your shepherd voice.
    To listen to your silence in our noisy world.
    To hear you speak into our busy lives.
    To know your presence in distracted thoughts.
    To trust your goodness in our scattered days. 

Help us recognize the thieves and contractors and wolves who promote themselves as religious leaders, but care nothing for the sheep. Help us respond to shepherds who know your voice and speak your words. 

Amen.

I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.

YouTube channel: Pray with Me – YouTube.