To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice

"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep. But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd. Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father."

- John 10:1-18

In yesterday's reading (and that of the day before), we read the story of the sixth sign or miracle in John's gospel - that of the healing of the man who was blind from birth. See I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day and One thing I know: that though I was blind, now I see. The Pharisees sought to dispute the miracle and Jesus' qualifications and character. In today's reading, Jesus continues speaking to them.

My study bible has a note which I will repeat here, on the whole of today's passage: "Jesus' conversation with the Pharisees continues (there is no break between 9:41 and 10:1). Christ tells the Pharisees that they, not the blind man, are alienated from God. They are blind, and false shepherds of God's people."

Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. My study bible says, "This parable of salvation uses the symbolism of the shepherd and his flock. This is the Gospel reading on the days the Church honors her true bishops and theologians." Jesus is reflecting, presumably, on the deepening loyalty of the healed blind man, whose sight has been restored. The Pharisees cannot persuade him to change his testimony regarding Jesus, and in fact the faith of the healed man simply grows with each new question until, we were told, "he worshiped Him." (See yesterday's reading.) In other Gospels, we are told many parables. We recall that the word parable can also mean riddle, allegory or proverb. In John's Gospel Jesus' illustrations open the door to deeper understanding; only their puzzling surface meaning and not the true understanding is immediately grasped by those listening to Him speak.

Then Jesus said to them again, "Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever come before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture." My study bible notes, "In calling Himself the door, Jesus signifies He will bring His flock into an enclosed sheepfold with a central gate. Normally a hired guard would tend the gate while the shepherds rested through the night . But Jesus is the tireless Shepherd, always guarding the entrance. No one can enter except by way of Him." It seems to me that the door is also a reflection of another passage written by the author of this Gospel, that of Revelation 3:20: "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." This door, this gate, it seems to me, is the door to the Kingdom in our hearts. Those who are His sheep, who know Him, will only open to Him. At the same time, they enter into the place where the Kingdom rests within us. It is the shepherd who takes them there.

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy." My study bible notes here: "The thief--the devil-- steals, kills and destroys the virtues of Christian life and lays waste those who follow his heresies. Life more abundantly is the life of God's Kingdom, offered us by Christ Himself (see Ps. 23:5)." It is a question of knowing. This is the depth of relationship He offers, for those who "know His voice" and who know Him. This is a loving relationship of recognition and trust. Open to the wrong "leader" and you open only to a predator and a user, not someone who loves the flock. This is a thief, not the true shepherd.

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep." My study bible notes, "This is a prophecy of Jesus' impending death, through which His people are to be reconciled to God the Father. The good shepherd, Christ, and His under-shepherds look after the sheep even to the point of giving their lives for them." This is a depth of love that is reconciled even to the point of death for that love and protection. It is an absolute love, within which there is no question as to its loyalty. Jesus has preached earlier in the Gospel: "He who sent Me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I heard from Him. . . . When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am He, and that I do nothing of Myself; but as My Father taught Me, I speak these things. And He who sent Me is with Me. The Father has not left Me alone, for I always do those things that please Him." He has taught that the sheep are those given by the Father, led to Him by the Father, and that He is charged to lose none of them.

"But a hireling, he who is not the shepherd, one who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf catches the sheep and scatters them. The hireling flees because he is a hireling and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd; and I know My sheep, and am known by My own. As the Father knows Me, even so I know the Father; and I lay down My life for the sheep." My study bible notes, "The hireling, the noncommitted religious leader, is contrasted with the shepherd, one who considers the sheep his own. The hired hand looks primarily after himself." What do we look for in religious leadership? As Christ is true to the Father, so we seek other "shepherds" of the flock who are true to both Father and Son. The millions of martyrs, and those today who die for their faith, testify to this bond. But those who use a position of leadership only to exploit and profit are false.

"And other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they will hear My voice and there will be one flock and one shepherd." My study bible notes here: "Other sheep are the Gentiles, who will be brought into the one flock under the one shepherd. Hence, the Church cannot be divided along denominational, ethnic, cultural or family lines." To whom does the Church belong? It is to all those who hear this voice, and it always will be.

"Therefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father." A note here reads: "The Lord makes it clear this atoning death will be voluntary. Though He is God, He does nothing apart from the authority of His Father. If we seek to experience God's love and His power, we do so as Christ Himself does: by obeying willingly the Father's commands. As He laid down His life for us, we lay down our lives for Him, willingly and out of love." Jesus will follow in total faith and understanding of the will of His Father. He will lay down His life for the sheep, at the time that it is right to do so. For now, though the leadership has sought to arrest Him at the temple, He continues to preach and they are unable to stop Him. The Father is true, and He is true - and Jesus is true to what He has been given by the Father, including the sheep. He teaches us love in this understanding.

How do we understand love and relatedness? In the spiritual sense, in which Jesus teaches here, we know His voice. We open the door of our hearts, and He opens to us and shares with us this Kingdom. In Matthew' Gospel, Jesus warns of false prophets, who are "wolves in sheep's clothing." Here, John gives us an understanding: His flock hears His voice. Jesus has also taught us in John's Gospel: "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." To abide in His word is to hear His voice. And in the story of the blind man who receives his sight, we understand how this works in us to deepen our faith, and enlighten our understanding. We come to see not just at once in a miraculous sign - but over time as we "abide in His word" and continue to hear His voice, our enlightenment grows and our understanding, and relationship, deepens. What is it to be true? What is it to know something or someone? Jesus always teaches us about love and relationship, and the deepening of those ties is always linked with our deepening sight, understanding, and truth - summed up in the word illumination ("As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.") He is true to the Father, and the Father also works in the sheep so that we know the Shepherd's voice. How do we abide in His word and rest in this love?