Good Shepherd

John 10:1-21
Jesus sits with His apostles and many others on a hill overlooking the residence of a shepherd. The sheep in the valley below are walled in and there is a door which is guarded at the moment by a young man. He does not seem to notice that someone has jumped the wall and is sneaking around among the sheep. The sheep are bleating and bah-ing and seem disorderly. They wander this way and that and are bumping into each other, but they are enclosed so that they will not stray.

Jesus uses the occasion to strike an analogy. "Do you see that?"

"I do!" says Peter, speaking of the fellow who hopped the fence. "That little scoundrel! I'd like to knock his socks off!"

Jesus continues. "Can you see...Oh how true it is!....that if he does not enter through the door, but comes in some other way, he is a thief and a robber?"

Peter answers, "Well, yes, of course, Lord, but....." As they continue to watch, the shepherd comes to the door and the young gatekeeper opens wide for him.

"The shepherd entered through the door!" remarks Jesus excitedly.

"Listen to him!" interjects John. "He knows them each by name. Look how they run to him!"

"Yes! They will not act that way toward strangers.... Oh no!.....They simply won't follow a stranger," Jesus states.

James (brother of John) has a quizzical look on his face and begins to ask of Jesus, "...and so...what are You getting at, Lord?"

"Oh how true it is! Don't you see? I am the Door! The ones who came before me were thieves and robbers, like that one there: only concerned about themselves and what they could take from others. Did you see how the good shepherd came and drove out the one who didn't belong to him?... and how the sheep gathered together and were attentive to the voice of the shepherd? I am the Door!..." Jesus seems on fire with delight. His holy mind is totally wrapped up in His Church. He is envisioning His priests, His apostles, as shepherds caring for His flocks. He wishes to enclose us all in the safety of the Good Shepherd's walls. He is the Door which they must come through leading the sheep safely to pasture lands. But the apostles are not all understanding this analogy.

"The thief comes only to steal and kill...." As Jesus says these words, He catches sight of Judas, who slowly turns toward Him but quickly turns his face away, not able to make eye contact with Jesus. "I came that they may have life, and have it more abundantly," Jesus adds. " Did you take note of the hired hand?" He questions the apostles.

"I did," says John, pensively. "I saw that he was not looking at the sheep. He did not even notice the thief hop the wall, or the disturbed rustle of the sheep when the scoundrel was crawling around among them." The hired hand that he speaks of appears to be slightly younger than John. I see a very serious look on John's face. He, among all the disciples, seems to be taking this all in very contemplatively.

Jesus tries another analogy: "I am the Good Shepherd!" He points down toward the scene as the apostles observe and says, "He would lay his life down for those sheep!" All watch as the shepherd laughs and stoops down to greet his sheep. He is calling their names and they are moving closer as one solid mass. He sits down among them, still laughing, and hugs his sheep. Meanwhile, Jesus sits smiling widely and I hear Him chuckle with glee. "Yes! I am the Good Shepherd!" He leans from side to side, drawing His friends into a big group hug. "I know My own...." He catches the eye of Judas, who sits at a distance, and who again blinks and turns away. "....and My own know Me!"

As He says this, some little children are sneaking up and crawling into Jesus' lap, like I have seen them do before. "....even as the Father knows Me and I know the Father....." He is smiling still and looking straight at the children as He now gathers them closer to Himself. One little urchin has come right up to Jesus' face as He is still talking, while some others mischievously surround Him and all at once begin to mall Him, gigglingly. And just as Jesus is trying to finish His point, "I lay down My life for My sheep..... Whoa!......" they have pulled Him down and are all on top of Him, tickling Him, kissing Him and laughing.

Some of the adults in the crowd are irritated. They think Jesus is speaking arrogantly.

Jesus is lying on the ground now and the children have settled down. He props His head up on His fisted hand and scrutinizes His apostles until His eyes stop on Peter. "I have others not of this fold," He says as He waves His hand toward the crowd on the hill. " I must bring them also and they will hear My voice...and..." His gaze becomes distant. "....and they will become one flock with one shepherd. This is why the Father loves Me: because I lay down My life freely- so that I can take it up again." He now focuses His gaze on John. "No one can take it away from Me. I, Myself lay it down and take it up again. I received from My Father the command to do this."

These words have disturbed the crowd and some rise to leave, but not without saying, "He's crazy! He's full of the devil! Why do you even believe him?"

Jude and James, the cousins of Jesus, come to His defense. "No!....No!...He's not possessed! Can a demon perform loving miracles as these? He has given sight to the blind!"

My Shepherd

(John 10:19-30)

Many people are irritated at what Jesus has been saying in public. Recently, they heard Him say He has power over life and death. "He can choose to lay down his life and pick it up again, he says! It sounds like he thinks he can rise from the dead!" one man says, vehemently.

"Is he greater than God?" asks another. "How can he make such arrogant claims?"

"And here he is again, walking in the portico! Make him be clear about his claims! Let him come right out and tell us if he is here to overthrow the government. Does he plan to establish the power of Israel over the Romans?" They rush to Jesus, surrounding Him and attempting to corner Him. "How long will you keep us in suspense!" they demand."Are you the Christ or not?"

"I have already told you and you don't believe Me," answers the Lord. "The works I do in My Father's name testify to Me. But you don't believe Me because you are not one of My sheep." As Jesus says this, He catches the eye of one man in the crowd. The man looks stunned by what Jesus just said and falls back from the crowd. Jesus' analogy has hit a little too "close to home" for him.

This man had, on occasion, stolen sheep from his neighbor. He had observed that the sheep move as one flock, in chorus to the song of the shepherd. Their master needed only to call them with his sweet, familiar tones and the entire flock would turn heads toward him. This thief knew this all too well from one very embarrassing moment a while back. He was carrying a lamb away from the flock of an absent shepherd when the master, from a distance, began his song. Aroused by the good shepherd's voice, the lamb sprang from the thief's arms and excitedly frolicked toward its master.

The man remains in meditation while the crowd continues to harass Jesus, Who calmly speaks: "My sheep hear My voice and I know them, and they follow Me." Jesus' eyes are fixed on the thief and I see in them compassion and longing. Jesus has given him "that look"-- the same look I, myself, have seen so many times. ---that look that says, "I have so much to give you if you would only receive it!"

"I will give them eternal life and they will never perish...." Jesus is speaking with a kindly voice and his eyes have not lifted from the thief. "...No one will snatch them out of My hands." By now the man's eyes have filled with tears and he drops to his knees behind the crowd.

Jesus' words are infuriating the crowd because He seems not to be at all threatened by their now violent behavior. "He's not even listening to us! Is he crazy?" They yell and continue to crowd in closer.

"My Father Who has given them to Me is greater than all and no one can snatch them from the Father's hand. I and the Father---- We are One."

Though the crowd seems tumultuous and seething with anger, Jesus just passes right through them and walks down the steps from Solomon's portico where a dozen or more children catch sight of Him and go running up the steps to greet Him.

Joseph of Arimathea

Today I meditated on Joseph of Arimathea. Now, I had already thought about him when I meditated on the childhood of Jesus so I could already picture him in my mind. He was now 20 years older than I last saw him but he wasn't very young back then either. He is about 80 or so, thick, wavy, grey hair. He wears a head covering, nice clothing, showing him as a respectable rabbi. I imagine that he was the one who owned the house with the famous "Upper Room" where Jesus held His Last Passover meal with His Apostles.

Today (in my meditation) it is Easter Sunday morning just as the sun is peaking over the horizon. I see Joseph sitting at his table meditating as he holds the precious Vessel that just days ago held the Sacramental Blood of Jesus. He is pondering the events of the last few days, going over and over them in his mind: how he had met with Jesus and arranged the details of the Holy Meal; how he prepared the table in the Upper Room, spreading the large linen over it and setting it with the Holy Vessels placed in his care all these years (the Chalice and Paten were the golden gifts of the "Arabian Wiseman"); how he had experienced the mystical "communion" with Jesus during the consecration (though he was not at the Lord's Supper, he, like Mary and Mary, had a spiritual communion as Jesus seemed to bi-locate and appear before him giving him His precious Body and Blood).

As he is caught up in his meditations, and as he holds the Precious Cup in his hands, his eyes catch site of a figure standing at a distance in front of him. It appears to be the silhouette of Jesus. Putting down the Cup he stands and focuses on the figure. "Jesus, my dearest Lord!" he says in a trembling voice. "Have you risen so soon, my Lord? Has it already been 3 days?" He starts to come to Jesus but he is old and slow. Jesus quickly makes His way to him with a great smile and a warm embrace for this dear old man, who apparently has been like a secret father to Jesus. The Lord's eyes are twinking with delight.

"My father, the carpenter, sends his greetings to you from heaven. He is most grateful to you for your care of Me and My Mother in these past years. He sends you much love and awaits your arrival with eagerness. I will be returning for you soon to bring you home with Me but there is still more for you to do before that. " This is consoling news for Joseph and he seems to savour this fatherly embrace until he is startled out of this most blissfull apparition by a knock on the door.

Outside, he thinks he hears muffled giggles and loud, squeaky whispers of women. Presently, a door behind him opens and the Blessed Mother comes out of Her room aglow with joy. Joseph's face is stained with tears and he seems flustered and happily confused. The Lovely Mother hurries to steady him and escorts him to the front door to greet the enthusiastic visitors. It is, of course, the Marys and Salome, their faces flushed from excitement and their eyes illuminating the room. A chorus of happy and giddy remarks burst from their lips at once. "Oh, dear Mother! We have seen your Son!!! He is a live and well!!!"

Mother Mary beams with delight, but not surprise. "And what has He told you, my dears?"

"He has sent us with a message for His brothers...." they begin to say, but She interrupts them with:

"Well then, quickly! Do as He has told you to do!" and She rushes them up the steps to the Upper Room.