Daily Reflections on Jn. 10:14-21 (I Want In)

Yesterday after church services my wife exclaims, "I want you to preach that at my funeral." Later in the afternoon as I watching Y.E. Yang's amazing come from behind win at this year's PGA Championship over Tiger Woods, she sat down on the couch and said proclaimed the same message, "I mean it. I want you to preach that at my funeral."

That morning I had spoken on John 10:1-13. It's the passage where Jesus announces that He is the Good Shepherd and that He is the Gate or the Door. I had gotten a clearer understanding of that passage when I was in Israel in the year 2000. In my western way of thinking, when the Bible talked about folds or pens, I imaged a fenced in area with barb wire, swinging gate and the whole bit. I didn't realize that folds were actually caves with only one entrance/exit and that literally the shepherd was the door. He would sleep in the entry way so that nothing could pass in or out without his knowledge. Everything went through him.

Sure makes a lot more sense than my imagery. It's a lot easier to understand how the Good Shepherd would know each sheep if they had to pass through virtually one at a time as they entered the cave.

But if you keep on reading, beginning in verse 14 and following, you realize that there is more to the story. He talks about the intimacy that Jesus has with us if we're a part of his flock or part of His fold. We can have the same type of relationship with Jesus that He enjoys with God, the Father. There's a oneness that is only possible when we enter through the gate, Jesus.

When Jesus was teaching this life lesson, He mentioned that He had other sheep that were not of this particular sheep pen. What's He talking about? Some have erroneously suggested that Jesus was referring to life on other planets. Not so. He's talking to a Jewish crowd at the Feast of Tabernacles. Jewish feast. Jewish people. Jewish pen. So who are the other sheep "not of this sheep pen?" Those of us who are not Jews, more commonly known as "the gentiles."

If I were to draw an imagery that compared to today, I think a parallel would be church folk and non church folk. Many people act as if Jesus only came to save good, clean living, respectable church going people. It's like there are two classes, the acceptable people and those sinful pagans. Many church people make it a point to steer clear from those non church people for fear of contamination. We don't call them unclean, we just think of them as such. We have as little to do with them as possible.

Yet Jesus says, "Hey, you know those people whom you consider unclean, they belong to me too." He talks about that fact that we'll be one flock with one shepherd. News flash: the flock or pen is not ours! We're HIS flock. He came to die for all people, Jews or gentiles, church going people and non church going people. And by the way, just because we're church going people doesn't automatically get us into His fold. We ALL have to enter through the gate, Jesus, individually. We all have to claim Him as Lord and Savior. We all have to listen to His voice, obey His voice and follow Him with complete trust. Your actions give you away as to whom or what you're really following.

God, thanks for providing a way out or rather a way in through Jesus. Thanks for your grace, guidance, protection, love, security, salvation, satisfaction. I know that, Lord, my life isn't so abundant when I fail to listen, obey and follow you implicitly. Thanks for making it possible for me, an unclean gentile, to get into your fold. Help me to realize and remember your flock is broader than my perception and that you died for ALL people, not just for the ones like me.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 10:24-30 (Secure in the Hand of God)

Ever play the game where one person holds a pebble or marble or M&M in their open palm while the other person tries to snatch before the first person closes their hand? It's a fun game to play, especially if the reward of the snatch is a chocolate morsel. Grasping the prize depends on the skill and dexterity of the players. A quick snatcher has a better than fifty fifty chance of winning the contest. Which means an artful protector can retain the item a greater percentage of the time.

With the game, the protector tempts the snatcher by placing the hand open with palm up. It gives the snatcher an opportunity to steal the item. In other words, the protector places the prize at risk in almost a taunting manor.

In John 10, Jesus paints the picture of God holding his sheep, his people, the saved in His hand. But instead of holding them out so that they could be snatched by Satan or someone or something else, God clenches us firm in His mighty hand. Nothing or no one can rip them from His grip.

That's reassuring to know that God doesn't play games with us or put us at risk. He's not in some cosmic game of snatch with the devil. God isn't fickle. He is steadfast. What's under His protection or in His possession can't be torn away, stolen away, pulled away, maneuvered away or even gambled away.

Jesus said whoever places their life into His hands has eternal life. Putting your life into His hands is a lot more secure than taking your life into your own hands or placing them into someone else's hands. In this day of great uncertainty, the securest place you could be is in the hands of God. Sorry Allstate, you may have good hands, but I'd rather be in God's.

God, I love being in your hand instead of my own or the governments or my financial adviser or anyone else's. I know I have the tendency to want to peel back your fingers and experience life without you in my life. But you know, Lord, it doesn't take me long to come back into the security of your palm. It's so reassuring to know that you don't put my life at risk.

Daily Reflections on Mt. 25:31-46 (Choosing Sides)

When we were kids we always chose up sides for virtually any game we played. Kickball, baseball, wiffleball, war, football, basketball, capture the flag any game that required two teams the process would be the same. The group would first choose two captains. Then everyone else would line up. The captains would then pick who would be on their team. Depending on the game and whether we were playing with mixed company, often the teams would be separated as "shirts" and "skins." Shirts kept their shirts on. Skins took their shirts off. It was easy to identify your teammates that way.

Reading through this passage in Mt. 25, I always think of those childhood experiences. But instead of "shirts" and "skins," Jesus is separating those gathered into two camps as sheep and goats. In our athletic events or games, your abilities, as demonstrated by past performances, got you picked early. The better you were at a particular game, got you picked first. Jesus is kind of doing the same thing. He's choosing who gets to be on His team based on past performance.

The performance, however, Jesus is looking for doesn't have to do with abilities, talents, intelligence or athletic prowess. It has to do with heart. Have you demonstrated a servant's heart? Jesus has a distinct set of requirements to be on His team. Ironically, the criteria isn't how much you know about the Bible. It isn't how often you attended church. It isn't how many committees you served on or Sunday School classes you taught.

Jesus' criteria for being on His team is who and how have you served? The people on His team fed the hungry, gave drink to the thirsty, sheltered the strangers/the homeless, clothed the needy, cared for the sick, assisted the imprisoned. Those who did these things are welcomed into His Kingdom. Those who didn't, don't get to go into heaven.

I've been to and a part of a lot of churches. If this is the criteria for getting into heaven, I know a lot of Christians who'll be playing on the goats team. There is very little focus on "the least of these" for many followers of Christ. I know many churches that are focused more on doctrine and programs that appease their constituents, than they are on the needs of "the least of these" in their communities. They are more passionate about the style of music or what they sit in on Sunday morning, than they are about "the least of these."

Instead of building massive structures to meet and play in, wouldn't it be better for God's people to be investing in community health clinics, food and clothing banks, homeless shelters, transitional housing, job training, home care or appropriate housing for the elderly and prison ministries. God's church had 3,000 converts on the first Sunday. They grew to tens of thousands in relatively short order. The amazing thing is that they didn't have a 200 acre campus with a gorgeous 3,500 seat worship center, state of the art educational wing, multipurpose center, interactive children's wing and full sports facility. They had nothing. They met in the existing temple courts and from house to house.

I can't really criticize. I have to ask myself the question, how much do I focus on "the least of these." If you took a good look at my history and my daily life, I'd be found lacking in this area. My heart is there, but my actions are questionable.

But the good news is that instead being chosen by the captain for this team, I can choose what team I'm going to be on. That's been the goal I've had for our new church; that we'd be a church concerned about "the least of these."

God, forgive my blindness to the needs that are around me. Forgive my stinginess, too. Help me lead my church to become the kind of church that has this type of servant's heart for people. Give us the vision and the resources to meet these needs. Allow people in need to see you through us.

Daily Reflections on Jn. 10:11-18 (Aliens)

To this day my oldest daughter is freaked out by E.T.. She sleeps with a light on in her closet when she's home. When she was a kid, all you had to say was, "phone home," and she'd be in a panic. A lot of people are fascinated by UFO's and aliens. There've been tons of TV shows, docu-dramas and movies suggesting the presence/existence of aliens on or visiting our planet. And if you've ever been to Roswell, NM, you know the town makes a living off of alien life.

In fact, some have suggested that v.16 of our text is a reference to life on other planets. "Sheep not of this pen that I must bring," according to some, means life elsewhere in the universe or solar system. Quite frankly, I think that's a BIG time stretch. That's making the text mean something out of context or say something Jesus didn't.

Jesus had been teaching Jewish people who considered themselves "God's Chosen People." They translated "chosen" as God's "ONLY" people. Even in the early years of the church, some erroneously taught/proclaimed/insisted that one had to become a Jew before he/she could become a Christian. When Jesus was talking about sheep not of this pen, He was refering to people like me, a non-Jewish sinner. Jesus was saying what He said in John 3:16, that he loved all the world, all persons, and was laying down His life for all people.

I think there's a tendency among the religious elite or even plain ol' church folk to center only on church folk and church. It's almost like a spiritual arrogance. We're the chosen people now, we're God's favorites, He's only concerned about our relationship with Him. Take another look, a closer look. Didn't Jesus also tell a parable about abandoning the 99 sheep in the fold to go look for the ONE outside the fold? Jesus said that He came to seek and save the lost, to gather all who will come to Him. He's as concerned for those who didn't grow up in the church, who've strayed from God and the church.

Unfortunately many pastors, church leaders, church members (refered to as "hirelings" in this passage) run from the ravenous wolves of this world to protect ourselves. We isolate ourselves in our church groups and church schools or home schools so that the evil of the world stays out. We circle the wagons and never venture out. But because of Jesus' love, He faced/faces the dangerous wolves head on to collect as many sheep as He can before they are devoured. He didn't wait until they wandered into the fold. He laid down down His life for them while they were among the wolves.

God, help me lose my fear of the aliens, the strangers, the outsiders and realize I was once one of those people. Give me the strength, courage and protection to face the ravenous wolves so that I might be a part of gathering your sheep not of your pen. David learned to do battle with the lion and the bear with only a sling shot, while tending his father's sheep. Later that gave him the confidence to battle with and defeat Goliath with only that same little sling shot (and your power). God, thanks for rescuing me. And thanks for leaving your light on in my closet just for me.