The Good Shepherd Has Other Sheep Not of This Fold

This meditation is based on a passage for September 4, 2010 in the Daily Lectionary Year 2 from the Book of Common Worship for the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) (1993).

Text: John 10:1-18

Reflection and Question: Though most of us will live this life rarely encountering or thinking about sheep, the people in Jesus’ time relied on sheep in their daily lives for food and clothing. As a result, they understood shepherds and the value of a good one. The key phrase for me in Jesus’ extended comparison here is this one: “I have other sheep who are not of this fold.” Wow. Who might they be? I think of the people who have lived and died never hearing of Jesus and still lived good lives of loving their neighbors. I think of the LGBT faithful shunned by the church. Who else may be among Jesus’ flock?

Prayer: Your assurance is blessed to us, dear Christ, for we rest in Your words, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me. I give them eternal life and they will never perish.” May nothing snatch us from Your gentle hand! Amen.