Good Shepherd
Among the parables Jesus used, the good shepherd is one of the well-known stories and I think one of the most comprehensive ones in terms of symbolizing the Christian faith. At the beginning of chapter 10 of the Gospel of John (right after chapter 9, the story of Jesus healed the blind), he started the parable of the good shepherd.
"Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that entereth not by the door into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep." (John 10:1-2)
The Good Shepherd by Bernhard Plockhorst
As we all know, all the sheep here symbolize us, humans, who've been suffering various problems in this world from the "big issues" like poverty, violence, crimes, and injustice, to the "small issues" like conflicts, uneasiness, and unsatisfactory situations we experience each day. We are struggling with our living one way or another in blaming others or ourselves, as well as society at large. We've already overwhelmed and devastated by the fact that we humans are sinful and out of control over these things.
Jesus was saying that we were just like the sheep in the sheepfold and there must be someone who should take care of them.
Someone or something "great" must take care of us -- this way of thinking is a sort of "archetypal consciousness" that every culture, ethnicity, and civilization would possess. In the same way, there were a set of things or people who would destroy and kill the sheep saying they do not come through the "door."
The sheep, therefore, should be cautious about such malicious people or things, even though they looked attractive and satisfactory at a glance. In the biblical days, such malicious people or things would be signified as false prophets or teachings. In the present days, such would be various "worldly values" that eventually destroy and kill our living and life. They look attractive at a glance from the eye blinded by our own selfishness.
Thus, the person who can truly take care of all those sheep is the shepherd from the door; moreover, the "Good Shepherd". And Jesus was describing four attributes for such Good Shepherd.
At the Catacomb of Priscilla, Rome
1. He is the Door
Compared with the other three Gospels, this fourth Gospel of John strongly emphasizes the divinity of Jesus Christ due to the doctrine of the Johannine community (I would like to talk about this some other time). And the first thing we notice in this statement of Jesus is the fact that he identifies him as the door.
The door of the sheepfold implies a proper entrance where a legitimate shepherd enters and takes care of the sheep. This is supposed to be the "mainstream" gate that the sheep can meet their trustworthy shepherd.
Throughout human histories, we have established the so-called mainstream societies. The various mainstream (seemingly attractive) worldly values have been the cause of all our sufferings and sins. But, this is also true that we've been able to establish the so-called "mainstream right livelihood". With the eye NOT blinded by any selfishness, we can see something proper and wholesome in such right mainstream.
Thus, there is no reason why we should avoid the proper door. Using and reply on such proper door signifies this appropriateness. If we are the sheep, then the entrance should be always the proper door of the sheepfold. This proper door is always open to all sheep if they are willing to enter. And yet, it may look as small as a needle's hole from the eye blinded by selfishness.
2. He died for each of us
"I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep." (John 10:11)
This sentence is the key that Christian faith can show its unique value. If you ask some Christians why they believe in Christianity, then their answers would be like this:
This is the only religion that teaches us the love of agape focusing on the fact that God died for us. And the following portion of the Bible is actually a one-sentence summary of the whole of Christianity.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. (John 3:16)"
"God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son." This Son is Jesus who died on the Cross to take away the sin of the world; our selfishness. The teaching that "God died for us" is uniquely Christian. Timothy Keller said in his book, The Reason for God as follows.
"Jesus came on a rescue mission for creation. He had to pay for our sins so that someday he can end evil and suffering without ending us… So, if we embrace the Christian teaching that Jesus is God and that he went to the Cross, then we have deep consolation and strength to face the brutal realities of life on earth. We can know that God is truly with Immanuel – God with us – even in our worst sufferings."
Indeed, Jesus knew his Father's will; this is why he told his disciples using the metaphor of the Good Shepherd. "The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
"As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. (John 10:15)"
3. He calls us by name and hears each voice
The third phrase I would like to point out is as follows:
"But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out." (John 10:2 - 3)
Especially I would like to emphasize the part, "he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out". This sentence implies the fact that Christian faith is so personal and existential. When you believe in Jesus Christ, at this very moment you must be experiencing the personal, existential encounter with Him.
Without this intimate relationship with Him, we can never realize the truth that he died for the sins of the world and for our own sinfulness. To the same extent, without experiencing the resurrection of Christ, we can never recognize the truthfulness that you are saved by our own faith.
Without such experience of His Death for you, you can never recognize you are forgiven. Without such experience of His Resurrection for you, you can never recognize you are saved. Even Thomas and Peter were not able to recognize this truthfulness in the beginning.
Aside from "God died for you", this "God is so close to you" is another uniqueness of the Christian faith. Christianity is so unique in the sense that it requires a very intimate relationship with Jesus Christ.
When I talked about the story of "God/Jesus died for you and for your sin", I always encounter the answers like this:
I understand your point. However, I cannot feel that Jesus who lived more than 2000 years ago and died had actually died for me and my sins. How this could be connected? Am I so sinful? Yes, I accept the fact that I am not perfect. But I've never committed any crimes and I've tried to live my life without bothering anyone else. Why do I have to be so serious about my own sin and God or a guy who died for what you call my sin?
If you've encountered this kind of answer, then, just pray and wait sincerely, and then avoid any unnecessary intervention. For, your sinfulness here is not what others point out but what you recognize by yourself --- the subjective truth. If the sense of your sinfulness is not coming from your inner self, but from outside, then you would never realize the truth that Jesus died for your sin.
(Even for other regions, one’s true faith should be already related to such inside-out awareness of suffering and sinfulness. In the Buddhism, for example, the Four Noble Truths start from the realization that everything is suffering, such suffering has the cause, such cause can be diminished, there is the way to diminish such cause because it is caused by the realization of one's selfishness).
Such an inside-out realization of your sinfulness and selfishness is indispensable. If you do not realize it, then your Christian faith would be confined within the teachings of self-help and positive thinking for your happiness, wellness, and prosperity. A lot of people are attracted by such teachings, thinking that the Christian faith is the way to enjoy their living and getting rich in this world.
Put it bluntly, we can never establish the intimate relationship with God and Jesus Christ until and unless we recognize our selfishness and "die" in it. The paradox is this: At the moment when we realize that He died for us and He is so close to us, we are actually died (our ego has been dead). Thomas Merton said in his book, New Seeds of Contemplation as follows.
"To enter into the realm of contemplation, one must in a certain sense die: but this death is in fact the entrance into a higher life. It is a death for the sake of life, which leaves behind all that we can know or treasure as life, as thought, as experience as joy, as being."
Thomas Merton (1915 – 1968) in his studies
Does God make you happy and rich? I do not know with you. The important thing is the truth that you can hear His voice and He also recognizes your voice at the very moment of your Repentance where you encounter the truth that He died and raised; at the same time, you died (saved).
"And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd." (John 10: 16)
4. He protects us
Lastly, I would like to point out the following phrase:
"And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand. I and my Father are one." (John 10:28-30)
Like the sheep, now we know who the Good Shepherd is. We have faith in Him because we know He died for us and He can hear the voice of each of us. We can hear His voice so intimately and existentially to the extent that we also died (saved). At the moment of this true faith, you can feel the extreme Joy that your sins are forgiven and you are saved. That is the meaning of Eternal Life.
In this extreme Joy, you can also sense the very strong "Protection." You are no longer existentially lonely. You are not controlled. You still have your own free will, which means theoretically there is still a room for you to commit sins and become selfish (the cause of suffering). Despite this possibility of such free will, however, you can feel the sense of Peace and Protection, not because God controls you, but because you are forgiven and saved.
"We can recall one of the famous chapters of the Psalm. We should taste this Psalm in this depth of our faith, NOT in a shallow dichotomy of you against your enemies.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever."
Psalm 23
The Lord is My Shepherd by Eastman Johnson in 1863
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