What is being said here? Jesus is the gate and yet he is the shepherd,
there is a gate keeper but that is not Jesus.
Jesus is the gate and shepherd. There are sheep and they have been
harassed by thieves and bandits. Oh and there are other sheep around as well. “Jesus used this figure of speech with them,
but they did not understand” (John 10:10)
Really, I wonder why? Today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Interpreted in the spirit of Johns Gospel, in
the spirit of Love this is an all welcoming all-inclusive day. Unfortunately, some have chosen to take this
Parable, as literal and out of context and use it to diminish and or exclude
those of other faiths.
This is the story of the
Blind man, this is the context of Jesus speaking to the blind man and then to
Pharisees. This is a parable or as close
to one as John gets. The Harper Collins study bible says this;
This is the closest thing to a parable of the Gospel
of John. It seems to present a highly realistic picture of Palestinian
sheepherding in ancient times, and hints at a plotline. The “Parable” focuses first on the gate, and
then on the shepherd. For another possible
parabolic image sheepfold, an enclosure, often with stone walls, where several
shepherds could bring their flocks for safety at night.[1]
So, this is where I break
from a restrictive reading. I believe if we read this text in the context of
Johns Gospel it leads to a unique place.
Let’s recall the opening of Johns Gospel;
In the Beginning was the Word, and the Word was with
God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came
into being through Him and without Him not one thing came into being. (John 1:
1-4)
Through the opening words
of Johns Gospel and todays text I see a place where we can honor all faith and
all people and all of creation. For if
everything came into being through Christ then all, each one of us are of
Christ. Jesus is our Shepherd but there are other Shepherds who come to the
sheepfold and other sheep follow their shepherd who also were created through
the word, therefore are of Christ.
Though we have our differences, among ourselves as
UCC, among Christians as people who follow Christ, and as a world made up of
“4,200 religions. According to some estimates, there are roughly 4,200
religions in the world. The word religion is sometimes used interchangeably
with "faith" or "belief system", but religion differs from
private belief in that it has a public aspect.”[2] There is a belief of the
Golden rule, a thread of ultimate truth that runs throughs most religions. Dr.
Ernest Holmes wrote in 1948;
We should waste no time in futile arguments as to what
religion or spiritual outlook is right or wrong, but gladly accept the evidence
of anyone’s prayer and faith as a demonstration of that person’s belief. Too
much time is lost in arguing whether or not one’s philosophy is the only
correct one, her religion the only true one, his method of procedure the only
effective one. Let us leave these arguments to the contentions of smaller minds
and try to find the thread of Truth running through all systems. Let us build
on the affirmative and forget the negative.[3]
Do not panic, I am not
negating Christianity. You are in the
right place, the right pew, you are where you need to be and where you are
called to be just as I am. What is it we are called to? We are called to love
all and so it runs through the faiths and practices of many in the world.
Sikhism
says; “Be not estranged from one another for god dwells in every heart” (SRI
GURU Granth) Sahib
Zoroastrianism;
“Human nature is good only when it does not do unto Another whatever is not
good for its own self” (Dadistan I Dink 94:5)
Isalm;
“No
one is a believer until you desire for another that which you desire for
yourself.” (Sunnah)
Judaism;
“What
is hateful to you do not do to your neighbor That is the entire Torah the rest
is commentary go and learn” (Rabbi Hillel to Shammai Talmud Shabbat 31 A)
Jainism;
“In
happiness and Suffering in joy and grief regard all creatures as you would your
own self.” (Lord Mahivir 24th Tirthankara)
Bahai;
“Blessed
are those who prefer others before themselves” (Bahai’u’llah Tablets of Baha’
uallah 71)
Do unto others as you
would have them do unto you (Luke 6:13)
What I am saying is that
this Gospel reading and Johns Gospel points to a Christ Larger and broader than
we really understand. “In the beginning was the word and the word was with God
and the word was God! And all things came into being through him” (John
1:1-2) well that kind of puts away any
chance we have at diminishing any one! That also puts all creation on a level
playing field.
This is a cosmic Christ a
Christ bigger than any one faith or religion; Richard Rohr explains it this
way;
Understanding the Cosmic Christ can change the way we
relate to creation, to other religions, to other people, to ourselves, and to
God. Knowing and experiencing the Cosmic Christ can bring about a major shift
in consciousness. Like Saul’s experience on the road to Damascus (see Acts 9),
you won’t be the same after encountering the Risen Christ.[4]
Christianity is just
beginning to understand and learn of this.
Yet if we flow with the Cosmic Christ that all things are created
through we can understand and accept Jesus as a shepherd and the Gate for all
come through the gate that the gate keeper allows in. Richard Rohr goes on to
explain;
“The Cosmic Christ is Divine Presence pervading all of
creation since the very beginning. My father Francis of Assisi intuited this
presence and lived his life in awareness of it. Later, John Duns Scotus
(1266-1308) put this intuition into philosophical form. For Duns Scotus, the
Christ Mystery was the blueprint of reality from the very start (John 1:1).
Teilhard de Chardin brought this insight into our modern world. God’s first
“idea” was to become manifest—to pour out divine, infinite love into finite,
visible forms. The “Big Bang” is now our scientific name for that first idea;
and “Christ” is our theological name. Both are about love and beauty exploding
outward in all directions. Creation is indeed the Body of God! What else could
it be, when you think of it?[5]
Later in this exposition
Jesus even says; “I am the Good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…I
have other sheep that do not belong to this fold.” (John 10:15-16) If I have
gone too far for you, tell me so, it is okay.
If I have not gone far enough, challenge me. But I truly believe this Gospel message today
is one of inclusion. The same inclusion we proclaim daily that “no matter who
you are or where you are on life’s Journey you are welcome here. It is also why we proclaim this is an open
table it. This table belongs to no one
and everyone for it is Gods table if you are a child of God you are welcome
here.
Our challenge as
Christians is to be the welcoming table at all times. We are called to be hospitable first and then
to go further. Jesus is the gate through which many shepherds have gone, Jesus
is the word through which all creation comes.
Now we just have to honor that in each and every thing and everyone.
Psalm 23 the message
1-3 God, my
shepherd!
I don’t need
a thing.
You have bedded me down in lush meadows,
you find me
quiet pools to drink from.
True to your word,
you let me
catch my breath
and send me
in the right direction.
4 Even when the way goes through
Death
Valley,
I’m not afraid
when you
walk at my side.
Your trusty shepherd’s crook
makes me
feel secure.
5 You serve me a six-course dinner
right in
front of my enemies. (and I would add in the light of Christ Call me to invite
them to join me)
You revive my drooping head;
my cup brims
with blessing.
6 Your beauty and love chase after me
every day of
my life.
I’m back home in the house of God
for the rest of my life amen!
[1] general, ed., The
HarperCollins Study Bible: New Revised Standard Version, Including the
Apocryphal/Deuterocanonical Books, ed. student (San Francisco, Calif:
HarperSanFrancisco, 2006).
[2] wikipedia, List
of religions and spiritual traditions, April 27, 2017, accessed May 2, 2017,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_religions_and_spiritual_traditions.
[3] Barry Ebert,
Teaching our Children Well, 2015, accessed April 2, 2017,
http://scienceofmind.com/the-golden-thread-of-truth/.
[4] Richard Rohr,
e-mail message to revjshoregoss@gmail.com, October 22, 2017. Richard Rohrs daily Meditation.
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