A homily on John 10: 11-18. Jesus the Good Shepherd.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Today's Gospel is a short section from the tenth chapter of John's Gospel. About half the chapter is taken up by Jesus's referring to himself as the gate of the sheepfold, and also the shepherd of the sheep. Just before today's reading, Jesus is describing himself as the gate. After the reading, in the second half of the chapter, Jesus asserts his identity with the Father, and promises eternal life to the sheep who hear his voice and follow him.
Historically, and in the present day, these texts have been used, and are used, to assert the exclusiveness of the Church, outside which there is supposed to be no salvation. The texts are taken to mean that only adherence to an old understanding of them, of Jesus as the gatekeeper of the Christian world, as a Christian God excluding everyone who doesn't have the adjective "Christian" attached to him or her, is the true understanding. I reject this exclusiveness. In my view, it is not supported by the texts. An old, good friend of mine liked to say, "God is not religious!" God, in other words, does not support the taboos, distinctions, exclusions, and so on, that Christians have evoked down the years, including today's Gospel, to reject others.
Back in the day, when I was hitch-hiking around Europe (and doing it all on $5 a day, as we knew we could in those days) I found myself in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. There is a hill there, really a small mountain, called Arthur's Seat. It is very green, with paths crisscrossing it, and lots of sheep keeping the vegetation under control. And, every so often, there is a sign along the path, which says, "It is forbidden to worry the sheep!" And I remember in my college days, in Toronto, that the college administrators considered employing sheep to keep the campus lawns trimmed, but they rejected the idea, precisely because they feared that we would, indeed, worry the sheep!
There are many worried sheep in Christ's flock today, and many worried, even very angry, shepherds too. There are the historic, old divisions among Catholics, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestants, where some, at least, in each communion believe the others to be outside the Church and say so, some politely, some less politely. There are divisions within communions and communities, some quite bitter, as we know. Frankly, speaking for myself, I am astounded at the hostility, contempt, and ignorance that some Christians display toward others. Have any of them heard our Lord say, as he does in today's Gospel, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice." Some of the worried sheep and their angry shepherds seem not to want that to happen. But today's disputes over gender, sexuality, who may be ordained and who not, are in the very long run, beside the point. A few lines after the end of today's Gospel, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish." All are being called, but not all belong to the sheep, and so not all will respond. There is a deep mystery here, a mystery of freedom and choice. God's Providence is working even through the choices of those who do not hear his voice. If we hold fast to this belief, the bitter disputes and unhappy divisions of the world and the Church will not distract us from our goal, which is eternal life.
The other day I came across some writing by John Chrysostom, the 4th century Bishop of Constantinople who was unjustly driven from his diocese and exiled to a remote and dangerous place, where he soon died. Bad bishops, an angry empress, and fearful laity had combined to lead him into his very difficult situation. But here are some of the Saint's words: "For everywhere, it is the sufferings that hold in store the glory, the esteem, the crowns...do not be at all disconcerted nor troubled at the trials happening to each and to the community. In fact, this is how, at the beginning, the Church was nourished, that she increased. Do not be surprised. Nothing extraordinary has happened."
In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11 verse 19, Paul says, "Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine." Through the scandals and divisions in the Christian world, the faithful are able to discern authentic, true shepherds and genuine believers, and then we can follow the true guides. So, we endure patiently in faith, we keep our eyes open to discern the genuine, and our ears open to hear them, and we are confident that the present struggles and divisions in the Christian world will be used by God to strengthen his Church. None of us can be harmed by divisions in the Christian world, if we hold to our faith, and keep our ears open to hear the true Shepherd.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
Today's Gospel is a short section from the tenth chapter of John's Gospel. About half the chapter is taken up by Jesus's referring to himself as the gate of the sheepfold, and also the shepherd of the sheep. Just before today's reading, Jesus is describing himself as the gate. After the reading, in the second half of the chapter, Jesus asserts his identity with the Father, and promises eternal life to the sheep who hear his voice and follow him.
Historically, and in the present day, these texts have been used, and are used, to assert the exclusiveness of the Church, outside which there is supposed to be no salvation. The texts are taken to mean that only adherence to an old understanding of them, of Jesus as the gatekeeper of the Christian world, as a Christian God excluding everyone who doesn't have the adjective "Christian" attached to him or her, is the true understanding. I reject this exclusiveness. In my view, it is not supported by the texts. An old, good friend of mine liked to say, "God is not religious!" God, in other words, does not support the taboos, distinctions, exclusions, and so on, that Christians have evoked down the years, including today's Gospel, to reject others.
Back in the day, when I was hitch-hiking around Europe (and doing it all on $5 a day, as we knew we could in those days) I found myself in Edinburgh, capital of Scotland. There is a hill there, really a small mountain, called Arthur's Seat. It is very green, with paths crisscrossing it, and lots of sheep keeping the vegetation under control. And, every so often, there is a sign along the path, which says, "It is forbidden to worry the sheep!" And I remember in my college days, in Toronto, that the college administrators considered employing sheep to keep the campus lawns trimmed, but they rejected the idea, precisely because they feared that we would, indeed, worry the sheep!
There are many worried sheep in Christ's flock today, and many worried, even very angry, shepherds too. There are the historic, old divisions among Catholics, Orthodox, Anglican, Protestants, where some, at least, in each communion believe the others to be outside the Church and say so, some politely, some less politely. There are divisions within communions and communities, some quite bitter, as we know. Frankly, speaking for myself, I am astounded at the hostility, contempt, and ignorance that some Christians display toward others. Have any of them heard our Lord say, as he does in today's Gospel, "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice." Some of the worried sheep and their angry shepherds seem not to want that to happen. But today's disputes over gender, sexuality, who may be ordained and who not, are in the very long run, beside the point. A few lines after the end of today's Gospel, Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish." All are being called, but not all belong to the sheep, and so not all will respond. There is a deep mystery here, a mystery of freedom and choice. God's Providence is working even through the choices of those who do not hear his voice. If we hold fast to this belief, the bitter disputes and unhappy divisions of the world and the Church will not distract us from our goal, which is eternal life.
The other day I came across some writing by John Chrysostom, the 4th century Bishop of Constantinople who was unjustly driven from his diocese and exiled to a remote and dangerous place, where he soon died. Bad bishops, an angry empress, and fearful laity had combined to lead him into his very difficult situation. But here are some of the Saint's words: "For everywhere, it is the sufferings that hold in store the glory, the esteem, the crowns...do not be at all disconcerted nor troubled at the trials happening to each and to the community. In fact, this is how, at the beginning, the Church was nourished, that she increased. Do not be surprised. Nothing extraordinary has happened."
In his first letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11 verse 19, Paul says, "Indeed, there have to be factions among you, for only so will it become clear who among you are genuine." Through the scandals and divisions in the Christian world, the faithful are able to discern authentic, true shepherds and genuine believers, and then we can follow the true guides. So, we endure patiently in faith, we keep our eyes open to discern the genuine, and our ears open to hear them, and we are confident that the present struggles and divisions in the Christian world will be used by God to strengthen his Church. None of us can be harmed by divisions in the Christian world, if we hold to our faith, and keep our ears open to hear the true Shepherd.
Alleluia! Christ is risen!
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