Shepherds and False Gods
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John 10:7-15
So Jesus again said to them, "Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers; but the sheep did not heed them. I am the door; if any one enters by me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hireling and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees; and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hireling and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd; I know my own and my own know me, as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
I have gleaned a new insight regarding this well-known passage. I’m always so excited when that happens! I may be pretty slow on the uptake, but this morning I picked up on the concept of false gods. Does that sound too far off base? Bear with me, please.
First, a brief commentary regarding shepherds. They live a lonely existence; they spend a majority of their time in pastures with their sheep – unless they are wealthy enough to afford to pay someone to do it for them. The problem with paying someone else is that they don’t have the same vested interest as the owner. That’s the case in most situations, even today. A shepherd literally is willing to risk his life to save the sheep from harm – a single sheep in a small herd, could represent the difference between providing well for the family, and barely scraping by.
What Jesus is saying here is that He is THE shepherd. His life was sacrificed to save all of us. God loves each and every one of us so much, that He didn’t want a single one of us to miss out on spending eternity with Him. That’s why He sent Jesus, and then the Holy Spirit. They Spirit gives us the wisdom to know the difference between false gods and The God—the Alpha and Omega God. The true, loving, protective and life-sustaining God, manifested through Christ and the Spirit is the God who provides us pasture and peace.
My read on these passages is that if we think we will find another who can give what God provides, go for it. But don’t be surprised if you find yourself alone and unprotected when danger looms large on the horizon. Those false gods of today are just as fickle and self-serving as were the gods of biblical times. They demand worship and praise, but offer nothing in return, except in the short run. When the going gets rough, their power is useless and the worship and praise proves futile. Only the Good Shepherd lays down His life for His sheep. Our worship and praise of that shepherd is out of gratitude and awe, love and thanksgiving.
My prayer today is that you stake your future on the protection, love and care of The Good Shepherd. And that you trust in Christ’s saving power when the wolf is at the door.
Mary
