Fourth Sunday of Easter, cycle A

JOHN 10:1-10
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE WHO CAN'T SIT STILL? I HAVE AN ACQUAINTANCE WHO HOLDS DOWN TWO FAIRLY DEMANDING JOBS, AND WHEN HE ISN'T WORKING, HE'S HANGING OUT WITH FRIENDS, AND WHEN HE IS ALONE, HE'S NOT REALLY ALONE; HE'S ON FACEBOOK, OR WRITING AND READING EMAILS, OR IF HE CAN'T FIND SOMEONE TO EMAIL, HE WATCHES A MOVIE. HE DOESN'T GET NEARLY ENOUGH SLEEP; EACH DAY HE DRIVES HIMSELF UNTIL HE SORT OF FALLS INTO A COMA, AND GETS UP THE NEXT MORNING TO DO THE SAME THING. I DON'T THINK HE'S HAPPY, BUT HE DOESN'T WANT TO STOP AND THINK ABOUT HIS LIFE AND HIS FUTURE; IT'S MUCH EASIER TO DO EVERYTHING HE CAN TO AVOID THINKING, MEDITATING, PLANNING.
AND I COULD TELL YOU ABOUT ANOTHER PERSON I KNOW. SHE GETS UP IN THE MORNING, AND HER WHOLE DAY IS PLANNED TO THE LAST DETAIL. SHE PLANS HER LUNCH THE DAY BEFORE; HER DAY CONSISTS OF WORK, EATING, EXERCISE, AND SPENDING THE EVENING WITH HER COMPUTER. HER ROUTINE HARDLY EVER VARIES, AND SHE TENDS TO GET UPSET WHEN SHE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT IS HAPPENING.
AND I GUESS WE ARE ALL A LITTLE LIKE THAT. WE ARE COMFORTABLE WITH THE WALLS THAT KEEP OUT UNCERTAINTY AND DANGER. WE LIKE ROUTINE, WHETHER IT IS BORING, REPETITIVE ROUTINE, OR FRENETIC ACTIVITY THAT REFUSES TO LOOK AT THE FUTURE OR LEARN FROM THE PAST. AND WE MAY KNOW WE AREN'T PARTICULARLY HAPPY WITH THE WAY THINGS ARE, BUT WE ARE CONTENT, AT LEAST ENOUGH NOT TO WANT CHANGE.
BUT THERE ARE DANGERS. ONE IS THAT TIME SLIPS AWAY, AND SOMEDAY WE DISCOVER THAT WE HAVE RUN OUT OF TIME. WE'VE SPENT OUR LIFE GETTING UP IN THE MORNING, GOING THROUGH OUR ROUTINE, AND GOING TO SLEEP. WE'VE MISSED THE BEST THAT LIFE HAS TO OFFER. ANOTHER IS THAT A LIFE OF ROUTINE NECESSARILY KEEPS US FROM FORMING AND DEEPENING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OTHER PEOPLE, INCLUDING OUR LORD. MY GRANDMOTHER USED TO TELL ME THAT FRIENDS ARE LIKE SILVER, BUT OLD FRIENDS ARE GOLD. I WONDER WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THOSE PEOPLE I CONSIDERED CLOSE FRIENDS WHEN I WAS YOUNG? I'M ASHAMED TO SAY THAT I HAVEN'T KEPT UP WITH MOST OF THE FRIENDS I'VE MADE DOWN THROUGH THE YEARS. MY LIFE IS TOO BUSY; IT'S TOO MUCH TROUBLE TO NURTURE ALL THOSE RELATIONSHIPS.
IN TODAY'S GOSPEL, WE HEAR THE WORDS: WHEN THE SHEPHERD HAS DRIVEN OUT ALL OF HIS OWN, HE GOES AHEAD OF THEM. OUR IMAGINATION FOCUSES ON THE SHEPHERD CALMLY LEADING HIS SHEEP; BUT BEFORE HE CAN DO THIS, HE HAS TO FORCE THE SHEEP OUT OF THE SHEEPFOLD. THE WORD USED HERE IS THE SAME WORD USED WHEN JESUS DRIVES THE MONEY-CHANGERS OUT OF THE TEMPLE, OR THE DEMONS OUT OF THE MAN POSSESSED. SHEEP DO NOT LIKE TO LEAVE THE SHEEPFOLD. THEY RESIST BEING DRIVEN OUT.
WE SHEEP WHO BELONG TO JESUS ARE LIKE THAT. WE KNOW HIS VOICE; WE PERK UP OUR EARS WHEN HE CALLS US BY NAME. WHEN WE HEAR HIS WORDS IN THE SCRIPTURES, WHEN WE REALLY LISTEN TO WHAT HIS CHURCH TELLS US, THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE FEEL THE HOLY SPIRIT URGING US ON, BUT WE RESIST; WE LIKE OUR SHEEPFOLD.
ONCE WHEN THE DISCIPLES WERE SENT TO CARRY OUT THE WORK OF JESUS, THEY CAME BACK SO EXCITED; THEY HAD LAID HANDS ON PEOPLE AND SEEN THEM BE HEALED. THEY HAD DRIVEN OUT DEMONS. THEY HAD OPENED THEIR MOUTHS AND LISTENED IN AMAZEMENT TO THE WORDS THAT CAME OUT. AND THEY RUSHED BACK TO JESUS. AND HE SAID TO THEM, “COME AWAY WITH ME FOR A WHILE AND REST.” THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH THE SHEEPFOLD. BUT THE SHEPHERD CALLS US OUT, AND BRINGS US BACK.
THAT SHOULD BE THE RHYTHM OF A CHRISTIAN LIFE. IF WE FOLLOW OUR SHEPHERD WE WILL SPEND TIME RESTING, BEING WATCHED OVER, BEING TENDED TO. BUT WE HAVE TO LET HIM LEAD US OUT AS WELL, BECAUSE WE BELONG IN THE WORLD, WE HAVE BEEN MADE TO TRANSFORM IT, TO BUILD THE KINGDOM. SOME OF US SEE OUR RELIGION AS AN INWARD THING, BETWEEN ME AND GOD. OTHERS NEGLECT THEIR PRAYER LIFE, THEIR MEDITATION, THEIR SPIRITUAL READING, FEELING THAT RELIGION IS BEST PRACTICED BY ACTION. BUT THE SHEPHERD LEADS US IN AND OUT OF THE SHEEPFOLD.
DID YOU NOTICE IN THE GOSPEL READING THAT JESUS DOES NOT COMPARE HIMSELF TO A SHEPHERD; HE CALLS HIMSELF A GATE. LATER IN THIS GOSPEL PASSAGE HE WILL SAY THAT HE IS THE GOOD SHEPHERD, BUT WHAT DOES HE MEAN, HERE, THAT HE IS THE GATE?
A CHRISTIAN NEEDS TO COME IN TO THE SAFETY OF THE SHEEPFOLD AND GO OUT INTO THE WORLD TO GROW THE KINGDOM. BUT THE ONLY WAY THIS WILL WORK IS IF THIS MOVEMENT ALWAYS INVOLVES JESUS. THERE ARE RELIGIONS, NOBLE AND GREAT RELIGIONS LIKE BUDDHISM, WHERE A PERSON STRUGGLES TO BECOME ONE WITH THE DIVINE. THIS IS DONE BY ONESELF, WITHOUT HELP. NO WONDER SO FEW EVEN ATTEMPT IT. AND SO MUCH EFFORT IS TAKEN UP IN THAT STRUGGLE THAT THERE IS NO ROOM TO BUILD THE KINGDOM. THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS FOR THEM, AN ILLUSION THAT DOESN'T REALLY MATTER. AND THERE ARE OTHER RELIGIONS, MORE MODERN ONES, PERHAPS, WHERE INNER GROWTH ISN'T IMPORTANT. SOME STRAINS OF ISLAM ARE SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHAT MAKES YOU A RELIGIOUS PERSON IS WHAT YOU DO TO SUBJECT THE WORLD TO THE KORAN AND SHARIA LAW. YOUR SALVATION DEPENDS ON JIHAD, STRUGGLE, CONQUEST OF YOURSELF AND THE WORLD. YOU CAN BLOW YOURSELF UP IF IT HELPS. ENTERING INTO A RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD CAN WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT LIFE.
CHRISTIANITY IS A RELIGION OF BALANCE, AND THE BALANCE IS JESUS. IN THE SHEEPFOLD, WE GET TO KNOW HIM, WE STUDY HIS WORDS, WE SPEAK TO HIM AND LET HIM SPEAK TO US. WE ACCEPT HIS FORGIVENESS AND LEARN TO FORGIVE OTHERS. WE ARE NOURISHED, CLEANSED, ENLIGHTENED. AND WHEN WE GO OUT, WE KEEP OUR EYES ON THE SHEPHERD, WE FOLLOW HIM, AND WE DON'T WANDER OFF. WE DO THE WORKS HE WOULD DO, AND WE LOOK FOR WAYS TO HELP THOSE ALREADY DOING HIS WORKS. OUTSIDE THE SHEEPFOLD OUR EGOS HAVE TO BE CAST ASIDE, BECAUSE UNLESS WE FOLLOW OUR SHEPHERD, ALL OUR EFFORTS ARE USELESS.
WE GO IN AND OUT THROUGH JESUS.
OUR CHALLENGE THIS WEEK IS TO EXAMINE OURSELVES. ARE WE SPENDING ENOUGH TIME IN THE SHEEPFOLD? ARE WE SPENDING TIME IN THE WORLD; AND ARE WE GOING IN AND OUT THROUGH JESUS? AND IF WE DON'T KNOW WHAT THESE THINGS MEAN FOR US, ARE WE ASKING SOMEONE WHO KNOWS TO HELP US GROW AS CHRISTIANS?
JESUS, AFTER ALL, CAME SO THAT WE SHEEP WOULD HAVE LIFE, AND HAVE IT ABUNDANTLY. ABUNDANT LIFE IS A LIFE OF SURPRISES, GOOD AND BAD, A LIFE WHICH DOES NOT SURRENDER TO ROUTINE. LET US NOT LET SUCH A LIFE PASS US BY.