The Collect:
O God, whose Son Jesus is the good shepherd of your people: Grant that when we hear his voice we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads; who, with you and the Holy Spirit, lives and reigns, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
The Gospel
John 10:1-10
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the fold of the sheep, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out. 4 When he hath put forth all his own, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice. 5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers. 6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
7 Jesus therefore said unto them again, Verily, verily, I say unto you, I am the door of the sheep. 8 All that came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them. 9 I am the door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and go out, and shall find pasture. 10 The thief cometh not, but that he may steal, and kill, and destroy: I came that they may have life, and may have it abundantly.
***
When Saint John wrote his Gospel, there was no chapter division as we have today. The lesson prescribed for this day, is a continuation of the discourse between Jesus and the Pharisees at the time of the miracle of Jesus restoring the blind mans sight.
Chapter nine tells of Jesus encountering a man, blind from the day he was born. Jesus spat on the ground, made a poultice of mud to rub in the man’s eyes, and told him to go wash his eyes with the water of the Pool of Siloam.
This event took place on the sabbath, a day when no labor is to be performed, and the Pharisees labeled Jesus a sinner because he had Labored on the Sabbath by curing the blind man.
John writes in verse 6 that the audience Jesus was addressing, the beings he was talking about was the Pharisees. In the parable he refers to the Pharisees as strangers, thieves , and robbers; as a means to illustrate that he was the Christ, the one sent by God to “shepherd the sheep” and that the Pharisees were in effect false teachers.
Indeed, the prophets of old warned about the false shepherds and told of the coming of the son of Man who would speak against the Pharisees, see Ezekiel 34:1-31
The word of the Lord came to me: “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them, even to the shepherds, Thus says the Lord God: Ah, shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the fat ones, but you do not feed the sheep. The weak you have not strengthened, the sick you have not healed, the injured you have not bound up, the strayed you have not brought back, the lost you have not sought, and with force and harshness you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd, and they became food for all the wild beasts. My sheep were scattered; …
Ironically, as John points out in verse six, the Pharisees did not realize that Jesus was calling them thieves and robbers. Perhaps even today this sort of confusion continues to exist.
Each day as we browse the internet and social media, we find those who are teaching a version of Christianity that Jesus probably would not recognize, just as the Pharisees at the time of Christ were teaching doctrine that God did not design.
Just as the Prophet observed, “shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves!” Today we have false teachers that are more concerned with their own well being—and bottom line—by focusing on growing the church (increasing the herd) and not watering and feeding the sheep (providing sound teaching that enriches the soul).
Sadly, until such a time as the “Good Shepherd” returns, we are left to our own to discern if that which we are being “Fed” is sound and “Nutritious Food.” It is up to us to study, pray, and search out the truth. Perhaps your minister is teaching traditional Christian doctrine, perhaps he is not. If you fail to ascertain if he is correct in his teachings, then whose fault is it, if when Jesus returns and calls out as John wrote in verse three; the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out, and he does not call your name?
Scripture from American Standard Version, public domain
The Collect is from the Book of Common Prayer, 1979. as found on lectionarypage.net
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Feel called to the ministry? St. Michael’s now has seminary programs with a path to the Independent Catholic Priesthood as well as a licensed minister for those more comfortable as Protestants.
See https://archdiocesestmichael.wordpress.com/2023/01/31/on-recruiting-people-for-the-priesthood/
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