What’s a sheep worth?

Choice is an interesting thing.  Every day in our lives we make choices.  They start as soon as you wake up in the morning.  You choose to get out of bed, to walk, bike, drive, or use public transport. Your day is made up of choices.  This week’s Gospel text (John 10:11-18) also demonstrates choices.  It talks about sheep, the hired shepherd and the true “good” shepherd.  What is interesting about the text is that all of the characters have choice, but not in the same way.  The hired shepherd has a choice whether to stay and fight for the sheep against the wolves, or to cave in to the pressure and fear that is offered by the wolves’ presence.  The shepherd runs away, not the sort of shepherd I would employ.
The sheep are scattered and easy prey.  Now, the good shepherd offers something different.  The choice here is not only to stay and defend the sheep, but to die for them.  How many of us as the shepherds would choose to do that?  We certainly value our life more than that of the sheep.  Our shepherd however, values his sheep greatly and his choice is to die for them.  He knows everyone of them by name and everything about them.  He keeps them together and together there is strength.  They know his voice, his Word, and they follow it.  Their choice is that they can run off into danger, but it is his voice that keeps them together. This is the Good Shepherd Sunday. Remember, Christ laid down his life for you.  I know my sheep and they know me. John 10:15.

Pastor Darryl