Jesus’ Death for Eternal Life

Read John 10:1-22

Sheeps. They’re fluffly and cute, they make funny noises and look really silly when they run. They’re also about as sharp as mashed potatoes. I guess so are we since God sees fit to mention that people are like sheep repeatedly in scripture. I think it interesting to note in this passage Jesus makes reference to himself in two different ways. One primary way we see Jesus is as the Good Shepherd. Jesus as the Good Shepherd lays down his life for a bunch of sheep. These sheep, by the way, might not even comprehend the significance of the sacrifice of the Shepherd; because they’re so busy going about their business of being sheep. Only the Shepherd is wise enough to find the good pastures for the sheep, find the places of quiet waters for their drinking, keep predators away, save them if they foolishly run off or fall in a pit and break a leg. Sheep don’t see this, they just see each other and the things right in front of their face, and yet Christ, the Good Shepherd with all authority lays down his life on behalf of his sheep. This implies that there was something so deadly coming at the sheep they didn’t even see, and the Shepherd in his wisdom realized the significance and in an act of sheer love lost his own life to save the herd. The other way Jesus speaks of himself in this passage is as the Gate. The Shepherd is the one who uses the Gate, it is his field, his sheep. The sheep don’t typically leave the pen by jumping over the fence though I’m sure a few silly sheep try. No, they generally leave by the gate when it’s opened for them. Likewise, Jesus is the one who leads us, and he is the only way through. If we try to go hop over the fence by ourselves we get lost without our Shepherd, we are isolated from our fellow sheep, and an easy target for any predator looking for a meal. The pasture is Eternal life, and only through the sacrifice of Jesus can we as sheep be lead by the Shepherd safely into sharing in it. As a person, I may not like the implications of this kind of reference, but in a very real way we are often the same as these sheep, and our Shepherd has used his authority as Shepherd to sacrifice himself on our behalf so that we with him might shared in the redemption of Eternal life which he has come to lead us into. Are you hearing the Shepherd as He’s calling you?

Reflection on the Discipline of Chastity
You might be asking yourself what any of this has to do with the spiritual discipline of Chastity? We as believers participate in the Eternal Life through Christ; because we live in Christ and he also lives in us. While some view this as a largely spiritual connection, I think that many times we overlook the physical connection of our bodies with Christ. When God says that we are one body as the church, it is very physical words he uses.
My Mom, who grew up Catholic, was able to give me a better perspective on this, since Catholics tend to have a longer tradition and richer understanding of the practice of Celibacy. As a result of these talks with my Mom, at an early age (middle school) I began to fantasize about becoming a nun. In my mind I would be like St. Clare of Assisi forsaking the promise of a wealthy future for a life of devotion to God. Now, I realize this concept might sound quite foreign to a number of you, but follow me here. What I realized from these dreams is there is a whole lifetime full of the Divine romance in whatever capacity you serve. Being single allows us to participate in the Divine romance in a way we are not capable of doing if we are married. Likewise our perception of the Divine romance changes if God brings us into a marital relationship. Wherever you find yourself now, remember that we are all called to purity in Christ. This purity is one of the thought life and the body. It’s a purity that is internal and interpersonal. Since through Christ we are made pure, let us not defile one another by the way we treat and view them.

Prayer
God, to you I come at this hour. I earnestly wish to be pure in thought, word, and deed in imitation of your own holy purity. Obtain for me, then, a deep sense of modesty which will be reflected in my external conduct. Protect my eyes, the windows of my soul, from anything that might dim the luster of a heart that must mirror only Christlike purity. Help me to understand the nature of the Divine romance in Eternal Life through Christ. Amen.