22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." 25 Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; 26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. 30 The Father and I are one."
Jesus response to the request of the Jews is troubling: "You do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep." How does one get into the "belonging with Jesus and his sheep" section of society? The church and our catechism dish out the answers about baptism and such-- a doable task. But here Jesus makes belonging sound like it has more to do with God's initiative. So, is it God's initiative that some humans do not belong? Such a possibility could make one want to throw stones at God. The Old Adam/Eve has some pretty big pockets for rocks.
What gives me hope here is that Jesus does not conclude with "you do not believe because you do not belong to my sheep." He continues by proclaiming the good news to those standing around him for whom trusting Jesus' words and deeds as messiah-like is a struggle. "I give my sheep eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand."
Jesus' move in this text makes room for the preacher to pull a Forde and directly declare the good news to the hearer. Faith would be created by hearing and the sheep would be hearing the shepherds voice. I am inclined to head that direction, if it weren't for that Lose guy who was trying to give us some other options, so as not to get stuck in the rut of ending every sermon with something like "God loves you."
Could we discuss what some of those other options might be? How do we leave the pulpit on Sunday feeling like we've preached creatively and courageously in such a way that the hearers in the pews picture themselves in the fold of Christ who holds them in his hand.
2 comments:
Thank you P d'Basement, for leading off so well.
You've summed things up with such excellent questions, that the rest of us have been rendered speechless.
Not to mention, we usually rely on Dr. PayNoToll to weigh in and give us direction. . . but I digress.
I think it might be interesting to posit this:
The religious officials ask Jesus a question that we might call a theological question. "Are you the Messiah?"
Jesus gives a response that speaks of relationship. "My sheep hear my voice."
Another perspective might be to talk about the voices we listen to. The ones that accuse and demean, and the voice that we know is most important - even as we often fail to fully heed that voice - the voice of the one who has pronounced you God's own child.
Yes, P'basement and underminer, you make good points. It's a mystery why the Jews don't hear his voice but the sheep do-it's never explained. It seems God is doing the electing "You do not believe because you are not my sheep" but the sheep at the same time "hear the shepherd's voice, I know them adn they follow me." The lectionary .org guy says "we expect Jesus to say that the sheep follow him because they know him, but he says they follow him because he knows them! We long to be known to be understood at the deepest levels. Profound intinacy bespeaks profound love."Spurgeon said,"Lord save all the elect, and then elect some more!" The identity of Jesus and who sees him and knows him is central.Some are bothered by Jesus , others are "brothered" by him and become His sheep.It's a hostile question, the Jews question, they are annoyed and bothered by Jesus" Brown says "the phrase "how long will you keep us in suspense" leterally means "how long will you take away our life (pysche-breath of life) John uses a play on words, Jesus lays down his own life for those who follow him (v.11 & 15) , he also provokes judgemnet and takes away the life of those who reject him"
so Jesus words are both law and gospel- it kills, it gives life.It's interesting that the Message translation has this same idea of death/life, only from the opponent of the shepherd. Peterson says "They are protected from the Destroyer for good." No one can steal them..." the Father who put them under my care is so much greater than the Destroyer and thief" The good news is that the life Jesus gives to his sheep can never be destroyed, even as he begins his journey to the cross to become the sacrficed, destroyed lamb of God.
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