The Good Shepherd lays down his life

John 10

JOHN 10:01-42

1Truly, 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. 2But he who enters by the door is a shepherd of the sheep. 3To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he puts forth all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5A stranger they simply will not follow, but will flee from him, because they do not know the voice of strangers. 6This figure of speech Jesus spoke to them, but they did not understand what those things were which He had been saying to them.

7So Jesus said to them again, Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. 8All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. 9I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.

11I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep. 12He who is a hired hand, and not a shepherd, who is not the owner of the sheep, sees the wolf coming, and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13He flees because he is a hired hand and is not concerned about the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd, and I know My own and My own know Me, 15even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. 16I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they will hear My voice; and they will become one flock with one shepherd.17For this reason the Father loves Me, because I lay down My life so that I may take it again. 18No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This commandment I received from My Father.

19A division occurred again among the Jews because of these words. 20Many of them were saying, He has a demon and is insane. Why do you listen to Him? 21Others were saying, These are not the sayings of one demon-possessed. A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?

22At that time the Feast of the Dedication took place at Jerusalem; 23it was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple in the portico of Solomon. 24The Jews then gathered around Him, and were saying to Him, How long will You keep us in suspense? If You are the Christ, tell us plainly. 25Jesus answered them, I told you, and you do not believe; the works that I do in My Father's name, these testify of Me. 26But you do not believe because you are not of My sheep. 27My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me; 28and I give eternal life to them, and they will never perish; and no one will snatch them out of My hand. 29My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father's hand. 30I and the Father are one.

31The Jews picked up stones again to stone Him. 32Jesus answered them, “I showed you many good works from the Father; for which of them are you stoning Me?” 33The Jews answered Him, “For a good work we do not stone You, but for blasphemy; and because You, being a man, make Yourself out to be God.” 34Jesus answered them, “Has it not been written in your Law, ˜I SAID, YOU ARE GOD? 35If he called them gods, to whom the word of God came (and the Scripture cannot be broken) 36do you say of Him, whom the Father sanctified and sent into the world, ‘You are blaspheming, because I said, I am the Son of God? 37If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; 38but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works, so that you may know and understand that the Father is in Me, and I in the Father.” 39Therefore they were seeking again to seize Him, and He eluded their grasp.

40And He went away again beyond the Jordan to the place where John was first baptizing, and He was staying there. 41Many came to Him and were saying, While John performed no sign, yet everything John said about this man was true. 42Many believed in Him there.

John 10:22-30

Easter 4C

Inconvenient Truth

Is there a truth you’ve been avoiding because it is inconvenient? That was certainly the case for the religious and political leaders of Jesus’ time.

This week’s study looks at the reasons truth can be difficult to embrace.

For a complete list of our free Justice-Based Gospel studies, please click on https://www.agospelofjustice.com.

JOHN 10 INTRODUCTION

In this chapter, Jesus returns to Jerusalem for the Feast of Dedication (Hanukkah) in the winter (usually a week in late November/early December), it celebrates eight days when a little amount of oil burned miraculously in the tabernacle. It is a reminder of devotion and dedicating yourself to God.

Once again, Jesus has a verbal run-in with the leaders who try to end the episode by stoning Jesus. Though the religious leaders accuse Jesus of being enigmatic about his agenda, Jesus is actually in the most public area of the Temple making these pronouncements.

Jesus compares himself to a Good Shepherd and the protective door for the sheep. He compares the leaders to hired men and robbers. The religious leaders call Jesus insane and tell the crowds not to listen to him. Their primary defense is call Jesus names and implore the crowds to cover their ears (and eyes too since that’s how the crowd remembers witnessing the miraculous healing in the temple) and finally to kill the opposition.

The leaders also want to form two standards of judgment. They want Jesus judged by his words, but not his actions. They themselves have no actions to fall back upon so they attempt to retreat into guilt and tradition—the way things have always been done.

It is very telling when a group of leaders tries to support their beliefs by asking followers to cover their ears and eyes while labeling the opposition with derogatory labels and creating standards of judgement favorable only to them. The same tactics are often used today when people have weak arguments—or none at all.

Maya Angelou summed up how our lives will be judged by others in the following way:

“I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”

Laypeople came to Jerusalem to deepen their dedication to God and wound up with a spectacle initiated by their own religious leaders. For some of these people, it was a once-in-a-lifetime journey. For all of them, the expense was outrageous due to the graft of the religious leaders.

Can I say that my leadership results in helping people deepen their devotion and their awareness of the miracles around them? Or, am I like these religious leaders using subterfuge and theology to undermine beliefs that contest my own?

JOHN 10:01-06

The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out

This is a statement of very intimate leadership. We must remember that Jesus lived in a pastoral society and so symbols of leadership were also pastoral. Symbols change as cultures change so the same symbols may not apply in a tech-savvy culture, but the principles of leadership still apply.

Verse 3 tells us three things great leaders do well.

1. Great leaders know their followers so well that they can call them by name. Keep in mind that the term for “Name” meant not only what people called you, but it also meant your character. Great leaders know the characters of their followers and call them in a way that grows their character.

2. Great leaders lead by example, and they lead from the front. They wouldn’t send followers anywhere they hadn’t already been or weren’t willing to go.

3. Great leaders are prepared to carry their followers through difficult times. There are even tales that shepherds would break the leg of a wandering lamb and then carry it around their neck so that the lamb became deeply attached to the smell and voice of their shepherd. A wandering sheep was a danger to the entire flock.

There is also an important flip side to these analogies of great leadership and that’s about great follower-ship. The words used here have implications for those on both sides of this equation.

1. To hear is also to take heed. It’s not enough to just listen to words of great leaders, we must act when we hear them.

2. To be called by a leader is an assertive word, not just being called, but being summoned. When an officer is summoned, he must report for duty. When a civilian is summoned, they must go to court. We are not only called, but we are also summoned.

3. We are not just called by our existing names; we are called to grow our character. Leaders can call us without our assistance, but they can’t grow us without our involvement. We are responsible for offering that trust.

4. Finally, there is a responsibility in accepting direction. Followers must accept they don’t always have the same viewpoint that leaders have. There is often additional information that comes with a wider perspective, and, within reason, a follower needs to accept that and be supportive.

Great leaders were often great followers first. Andrew Young, who became the first black mayor of a major southern city, Atlanta, was first a follower who led youth in Dr. King’s marches. Following well shapes our skills for leading well.

· Hear, Akouō, [191], hear and give heed

· Call, Phōneō, [5455], to call and be summoned

· Name, Onomo, [3686], name and character

· Lead, Exagō, [1806], to lead out or carry

JOHN 10:07-18

All who came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them

Christ labels three types of leaders in this chapter. The Good Leader, thieves and robbers and a hired hand (v12).

The central tenet differentiating these styles of leadership is motive. What is the motivation that drives a leader? The good leader is driven by the unconditional dignity of the follower. In Christs’ day, shepherds did not own the sheep, they oversaw them for the community. The people owned the sheep, and the shepherd took care of them. Shepherds were a romanticized group sleeping out among the stars like the western folk heroes, cowboys. David, the favorite king, was a shepherd. Even though shepherds had no ownership of the sheep, they would lay down their life for them. Read this passage again for the qualities of a good leader.

· He/She calls his own sheep by name

Keeping in mind that the word John uses for “name” also means character. Good leaders call their followers to the highest character they can achieve. I witnessed this in a class taught by one of the best teachers (now principal) I know. She would only call a child’s name out loud, if she was going to give that child a specific compliment. If she had a challenge for the child, she would do it, individually, privately. Children in that class yearned to hear their names called and gave complete attention when they heard it.

· He/She goes ahead of them

Good leaders don’t manage from behind.

· I am the door

Shepherds, in Christ’s time, would often gather their flocks together in a cave at night. This is why Bethlehem was such a popular place for shepherds (with its many limestone caves). When caves were not available, the shepherds would surround the sheep with a high wall of thorns and then sit in the entrance. Any dangers that were going after the sheep had to go through the shepherd first and no sheep could leave without alerting the shepherd.

· I know My own and My own know Me

“To know” was one of the most intimate verbs in Scripture. It was the word used for intimacy between a husband and wife and the word for keeping a young unmarried woman safe. A good leader knows the vulnerabilities of his/her followers and protects them.

· I lay down My life for the sheep

“To lay down” means to be thoroughly committed, to be appointed or destined to care for your followers. A good shepherd was anointed by the community to be committed to their flock. If necessary, they would lay down their life to protect the sheep.

All other relationships with the sheep that Christ mentions—besides the good leader—were transactional. The hired hand, the thieves and the robbers were all profit motivated. They would care for the sheep as long as it profited them. Thieves and robbers were even worse, as they had no interest in returning the sheep to their community, they would take the sheep wherever they could get the highest price and the community would be completely devastated by the loss. One sheep could represent many years income to a family. This is why the story Nathan tells David about the theft of a beloved sheep by a rich man had so much impact on the king (2 Sam. 12:1-6).

You could identify the motives of leaders by where they’ve volunteered their time prior to seeking a leadership position. What have they volunteered to do in the community (or the world), should be a required query of every person seeking leadership—especially public service or religious authority!

I recall a dean of a Jesuit Theology University on the East Coast of the US who used to have his students fly to Portland, Oregon and hitchhike back across the nation before they could receive their vows of priesthood. He felt the dependence on the kindness of others and meeting people from a perspective of near-powerlessness and homelessness would be a good prerequisite for being a religious leader.

My own most formative years were as a 16-year-old musician hitchhiking and hopping trains across the US in order to get “gigs.”

These aren’t acts of service as much as they are acts of humility. Either way—humility or service—they are the key foundations of solid leadership.

· To lay down, tithēmi, [5087], appointed, committed, destined

· To know, ginōskō, [1097], recognize, perceive, kept (a virgin), perceive, understand

No one has taken it away from Me, but I lay it down on My own initiative

In education it is called “agency,” the ability to take self-direction over one’s educational path. Few traits are greater motivators than self-initiative and autonomous action. The term for “My own initiative” used in this passage is one of passionate depth and committed ownership. It means both fervently self-driven and deeply self-motivated. Until we possess those qualities, we cannot know the fullness of life and the extent to which we pass those qualities on to our children is the extent to which they too will enjoy life to their fullest.

In “Man’s Search for Meaning,” Viktor Frankl tells us that among our greatest drives is the drive for meaning and purpose. It is self-initiative that actuates that drive. He speaks about people who barely survived the Nazi prison camps vs. those that actually thrived—even in captivity. These people would give their last crust of bread to someone hungrier than themselves, give away their coat or blanket on a freezing day or take the beating for a fellow prisoner and yet, they thrived.

One of Frankl’s most famous quotes is, “Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms—to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way.”

To passionately choose one’s own way is the meaning of emautou and what Jesus expresses in this verse.

Psychologists often call this “locus of control,” and a substantial degree of happiness lies in the degree to which we possess it. It is interesting that the degree of our inner locus of control is in direct contrast to our need for an external locus of control. The more we feel we need to control things around us, the less internal control—and sense of well-being—we have. People who scramble constantly to control the things around them usually cannot control the chaos within them.

Of course, none of us really have “control” over all the variables in life, but the degree to which I feel I can adequately respond to changing circumstances and be comfortable in my fluidity is a high indicator of mental well-being.

What can I control? As Frankl points out, my attitude. My response to the events happening around me. My response to people, to news events, to the stresses of each day. There are practices that will help me deepen my internal locus of control and I need to practice them daily (sometimes minute-by-minute).

This process of letting go of control for what is really the illusion of control is a large part of the purpose of prayer and meditation. Paul speaks of this peace while under house arrest and facing the sentence of death:

PHILIPPIANS 4:7

And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

· My own initiative, emautou, [1683], from emou, [1700], and autos, [846], passionately self-driven, deeply self-motivated

JOHN 10:19-21

A demon cannot open the eyes of the blind, can he?

The crowd was of two minds. The group against Jesus wanted the others to stop listening to him. This group shows two classical common defenses for people with inadequate substance for their arguments.

1. Vilify and defame the opponent with name-calling

2. Try to stop others from listening

Yet, despite their best efforts, the religious are still unable to undermine the outcome of Jesus’ actions. The work of Jesus has positive results and, to some, that’s all the defense he needed. He opened the eyes of a man who was born blind.

When examining someone’s defense, look to their actions. The simpler their defense, the more likely it is truth. Jesus let his actions be his defense and the results be his evidence. The more complicated the defense, the more likely it is fabricated and when someone tries to limit access to evidence, that’s a sure sign of deception.

The word demon (Daimon) is very important here. A demon was a living entity, it had a purpose. It was not a person (Jesus is accused of having a demon), but it possessed and used a person, when that person’s use was done, the demon discarded him/her, there was no relationship involved with the victim. In a way, we could say we don’t “have demons” but that demons “have us.”

The name itself means to “distribute destinies.” Very few people in our world have the ability to distribute destinies, it is mostly institutions that do this in our name.

We may deal with contemporary demons on three levels:

· Individually

The more vulnerable we are, the more individuals are our demons. For example, a vulnerable child in a schoolyard might be demonized by a bully or a control-hungry teacher. Though the system that allows this to happen may also be inherently evil, the vulnerable child’s issue is the person picking on them at the moment. A street worker may be demonized by their pimp or drug supplier, even though it’s an economic system that makes him/her vulnerable.

· Institutionally

If we are not vulnerable on an individual level, such as the child on the school yard or the street worker on the corner, we may find our battle with the demonic on an institutional level, being part of a system that allows for the exploitation of the vulnerable.

· Personally

The religious leaders in this story accuse Jesus of having a demon, but in actuality, they were the agents of evil in a system that exploited people. They were blind to the fact that they had become the very thing they hated and attacked. The evil they accuse Jesus of doing is the evil they are fostering by their personal leadership roles in an exploitive system.

Constant reflection is required to make sure we examine our own role in structures that exploit others. It is far too easy to blame others and not look inwardly at our own potential complicity in unjust systems.

· Insane, mainomai, [3105], to rage, to be mad

· A demon, Daimonion, [1140], evil spirit, from Daimōn, [1142], to distribute destinies

JOHN 10:22-30

How long will You keep us in suspense?

Was it really Jesus who was keeping the religious leaders in suspense? Jesus heals the blind man on the Sabbath, at the main gate on a primary festival day. Can they possibly say he was not acting in the open? There would be no busier time or place in all of Jerusalem or Israel at that moment.

If the religious leaders cannot see the actions or results of Jesus, it is because they choose not to, not because Jesus is hiding anything.

It will never cease to amaze me how someone with a bias can endeavor so hard to close out the truth. I am writing this in April 2021, we are in the second year of a global pandemic with clear guidelines from scientists about the need to wear masks and get immunized. Yet, despite all the evidence, there are many people who reject both the concept of taking precautions or getting the available vaccines. What is it that makes biases and opinions so much more alluring than truth to some people?

1. The truth can be frightening

When something is frightening, it threatens our illusion of control. Many people would rather operate under that illusion than face the fact that change is inevitable.

2. The truth can be inconvenient

When something is inconvenient, it makes us feel uncomfortable and many people don’t like to operate in a state of flux. It can also mean I have to change my opinions which could mean losing face and making apologies for past misjudgments.

3. The truth can require commitment

Recognizing a new truth (or a different truth) means taking responsibility for a new course of action. A new truth often creates cognitive disharmony that forces me to commit to different behaviors.

Is there a truth that I’m avoiding in my life? Is it frightening, inconvenient or requiring change? To the extent that I avoid it, I am not dissimilar from these religious leaders who feigned ignorance of Christ’s actions.

· Suspense, psuchē, [5590], airō, [142] breathless soul, taken away, weigh anchor, removed

· Plainly, parrēsia, [3954] with confidence, boldness, publicly, tell everyone

JOHN 10:31-41

If I do not do the works of My Father, do not believe Me; but if I do them, though you do not believe Me, believe the works

The religious leaders want to kill Jesus for his words, but Jesus reframes the conversation to focus, not just on his words, but their actions. The true measure of a person is not just what they say, but what they say AND do. In their attempt to kill Jesus, the leaders want to drop the weight of action and focus solely on words.

Jesus uses the fullness of scripture to draw out the hypocrisy between what the leaders say and how they act. They call themselves leaders of the faith, but when compared to Scriptural revelations of leadership (Psalm 82), it is evident they are sincerely lacking.

Both Psalm 82(6) and Exodus 4(16), relate to how others (besides Jesus) claimed to be god(s) and in both cases, God condemns those who make claims that aren’t backed by actions—and specifically acts of justice. Indeed, the anger of the Lord burns against such leaders. The word used [charah] means to be furious and to consume (as a fire rages and devours).

PSALM 82

1God takes His stand in His own congregation;

He judges in the midst of the rulers.

2How long will you judge unjustly

And show partiality to the wicked? Selah.

3Vindicate the weak and fatherless;

Do justice to the afflicted and destitute.

4Rescue the weak and needy;

Deliver them out of the hand of the wicked.

5They do not know nor do they understand;

They walk about in darkness;

All the foundations of the earth are shaken.

6I said, “You are gods,

And all of you are sons of the Most High.

7“Nevertheless you will die like men

And fall like any one of the princes.”

8Arise, O God, judge the earth!

For it is You who possesses all the nations.

EXODUS 4:14-17

14Then the anger of the LORD burned against Moses, and He said, “Is there not your brother Aaron the Levite? I know that he speaks fluently. And moreover, behold, he is coming out to meet you; when he sees you, he will be glad in his heart. 15“You are to speak to him and put the words in his mouth; and I, even I, will be with your mouth and his mouth, and I will teach you what you are to do. 16“Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you and you will be as God to him. 17“You shall take in your hand this staff, with which you shall perform the signs.”

In both situations, God is revealing his fury at leaders for not doing as he commanded. In Matthew, Jesus draws a similar contrast between two sons, one who refuses his father’s request verbally, then does his father’s will and the other who says, “yes,” but then neglects his father’s commands.

MATTHEW 21:28-32

28“But what do you think? A man had two sons, and he came to the first and said, ‘Son, go work today in the vineyard.’29“And he answered, ‘I will not’; but afterward he regretted it and went. 30“The man came to the second and said the same thing; and he answered, ‘I will, sir’; but he did not go.31“Which of the two did the will of his father?” They *said, “The first.” Jesus *said to them, “Truly I say to you that the tax collectors and prostitutes will get into the kingdom of God before you. 32“For John came to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him; but the tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him; and you, seeing this, did not even feel remorse afterward so as to believe him.”

Despite what the religious leaders wanted; we don’t get to choose how others will judge us. We can’t say, “judge me by my words, not by my actions,” or, “judge me by my actions, not by my words.” A leader will be judged by both words and actions—especially historically. Many of Jesus’ contemporaries were judged poorly because of their treatment of him. They took up the wrong side favoring acquiescence to Rome and close-mindedness to laws over responsiveness to their people. Their positions and policies were more important to them than being open and available to events happening around them.

How do we make sure we are rooted in tradition, but open for the chance to continually evolve? A recently published article in the Harvard Business Review might provide insights1.

1. Embrace the discomfort of not knowing.

Shift from a know-it-all to a learn-it-all mindset. You don’t need to have all the answers.

2. Distinguish between complicated and complex issues.

They require different solutions.

3. Let go of perfectionism.

Instead aim for progress, expect mistakes, and recognize that you have the ability to continually course correct as needed.

4. Resist the urge to oversimplify and come to quick solutions.

Take a disciplined approach to understanding both the complexity of the situation and your own biases.

5. Don’t go it alone.

Cultivate and connect with a network of peers and colleagues—each with their own set of experiences and perspectives.

6. Zoom Out.

Taking a broad and systemic view of the issues at hand can reveal unexamined assumptions that would otherwise be invisible.

How can I apply these principles to my own personal life? How do I make sure I’m a learn-it-all rather than a know-it-all and what am I compensating for when I feel like I need to be the most knowledgeable in the room?

I saw a beautiful saying this morning, “Speak in such a way that others love listening to you, listen in such a way that others love speaking to you.”

It takes a very secure person to strike this balance in life. The religious leaders of Christ’s day failed at this task, the only way they could garner the ear of the people was to rely on punishments and guilt. If my religion is high in either, then I don’t have a following based in love, it is based in fear.

· Rage, Charah, [HSN2734], to be furious, to consume with rage