John 10:11-18 "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away--and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."
The
good news of John’s Gospel is that Jesus is not exclusive about the sheep he
saves. All sheep are welcome: “I have other sheep that do not
belong to this fold. I must bring them also (Joh 10:16). This
reassures me that I too am welcome in Jesus’ flock. The challenge of this lies in the insistence that Jesus
also welcomes sheep ‘other than me’. We love being Jesus’ sheep. The question
is whether we love “other sheep” of Jesus too?
Thought:
“.... red and yellow, black and whiteAll are precious in his sight
Jesus love the little children of the world”
The Eighth Sunday after Epiphany
Protected by God Scripture reading taken from A Guide to Prayer for Ministers and Other Servants p.95
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