April 30, 2023 – Easter +3A

[Jesus said:] “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go 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.” John 10:1-10

I was recently reading a book about the collapse of the Pemberton Textile Mill in Lawrence, Massachusetts back in 1860. I do like a good book about a natural disaster, and especially when we are deep within our own trials and tribulations of this Pandemic, why not find some other tragedy to bring me some calm. Anyway, the collapse of this mill came as a result of inadequate control over working conditions in the midst of the Industrial Revolution here in America. 600 people were at work in this monster mill, many of them women and children, many more were immigrants, when the six floor building collapsed. It imploded because there were too many pieces of heavy machinery housed in the upper floors. Immediately after the collapse, firemen, police, bystanders and concerned family and friends rushed to the scene to try to rescue those trapped and care for the many more injured and killed. During the rescue efforts, someone dropped an oil lamp, the only source of lighting at that time, setting off an inferno fueled by the many bales of cotton, wood planks and oil from the machines. All in all, more than 400 men, women and children were killed in this tragedy. Unfortunately, this accident, along with the many others that would fill the newspapers at the end of the 19^th and the beginning of the 20^th century — this accident would not spark improvements for many years to come.

Tragedy, greed, industry, influence — all of these have been a part of the human condition and consciousness since the Tower of Siloam collapsed as told to us in the 13^th chapter of Luke in the first century. Isaiah wrote: “All we like sheep have gone astray; each one has turned to his own way”’. Isaiah wrote this almost 3000 years ago —— not much has changed, amen?

When Jesus says “His sheep will not follow a stranger”, the Greek have two distinct words that can be translated as “stranger”  — “Paroikos” and “Allotrois”. “Paroikos” means a “visitor” or “temporary dweller” or a “welcome” stranger. Whereas the word “Allotrois”, which Jesus uses here in John 10 for stranger, well this means “someone from another” or an “unwelcome” stranger, like an enemy. So, Jesus is saying something specific we need to hear —— his followers, his sheep will listen with discerning ears, hearing his voice over the other voices that try to lead us astray. Because we are easily led astray by the “Allotrois” voices of this world — the enemy, those who do not have our best interest at heart.

G-d is not so much person as G-d is voice – G-d is not so much a thing as G-d is all things – everything – a verb – not a noun. G-d is presence, action, everything and nothing at the same time. And if we are to be one with G-d, then we need to hone our listening skills. Which begs the question: “How do you hear the voice of G-d?”  How do you hear the voice of the shepherd in your life, calling you, naming you, pleading with you?

As people of G-d, as sheep who follow the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, we should double down on using this time to reconnect both with Jesus and our faith.  So, let’s double-down on activities that open our ears and eyes to the Good Shepherd.

Pastor Dave