One flock and one Shepherd

"I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand is not the shepherd who owns the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep 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 are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd." (John 10:9-16)

REFLECTION
Jesus uses different metaphors to describe himself as the Lord who watches over his own. The first figure of speech he uses is the one of the shepherd and the thief. The shepherd uses the official gate to bring his flock into safety. Thieves and robbers are making illegal openings in the walls of the sheepfold so that they can steal some sheep. They would not use the gate of the sheepfold, because during the night a guard was watching there to protect the sheep from different flocks. At the beginning of the new day, the shepherd would come to the sheepfold, knock on the door and the guard, recognizing the shepherd, would open the gate. Then the shepherd would call his sheep by name, and in response to their own shepherd’s voice, they would come out one by one, leaving the sheep from other flocks behind. In times of danger, a hired man would abandon his sheep in the open field to save his own life, but the good shepherd would lay down his own life in order to save the lives of the ones that rightfully belong to him.

PRAYER
Jesus, I recognize your voice and I know that you are not a thief or a hireling, but the rightful owner of your sheep. You are also the one and only official entrance to safety! Now we know that you cared so much about us that you literally laid down your life and took it up again victoriously. In doing so, you've rescued us forever! Yes, you are the Good Shepherd from Psalm 23 and you are the fulfillment of God’s promise in Ezekiel 34, “I myself will search for my sheep and look after them.” You came to rescue your own and you also came to bring the sheep of another sheep pen into safety. I am looking forward to the day that we will truly be one flock with one Shepherd. In the meantime, dear Lord, please use me to gather some lost sheep for you, so that I can bring them into the safety of your loving care. Amen