Tuesday of the 4th Week of Easter
Acts 11:19-26 | Psalm 86:1-7 | John 10:22-30
The sheep that belong to me listen to my voice;
I know them and they follow me. (John 10:27)
To be called a “sheep” is, in most modern contexts, to be gravely insulted. After all, sheep are widely believe to be foolish creatures, bereft of individual thought and easily preyed upon by others of evil intent. See how their gather together in such large numbers, so we don’t have to run them down one by one!
And yet, even such detractors almost certainly have their own “idols” and “wolf packs”, and while sheep generally form close-knit communities, woe betide the self-confident alpha “I need no one, least of all a deity” intellectual who fall prey to misfortune, or otherwise can no longer meet the unwritten standards of the pack. Suddenly the predator turns prey, or at best is ejected from the pack with much ridicule and contempt. If you can’t keep up, you’re the one who gets run down. Sleep well, sonny.
Being part of a united flock doesn’t look so foolish now, does it?
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Jesus, the Good Shepherd, always had a consistent message: “Love one another as I have loved you.” That’s the beauty of being a part of Christ’s flock: each member stands ready to help others in need, with no strings attached, because Christ Himself showed the way. When you walk with Christ and fellow Christians, You’ll Never Walk Alone:
Lord, remind us every day that You are our Shepherd, and in union with you and our fellow believers, we can meet the predations of the secular world with sacred Love, and come to You as a united flock to sing the praises of Our Father in heaven. Amen.