John 10

When Jesus’ hearers don’t understand him, is it because they are spiritual doofuses? Or is non-understanding part of Jesus’ intent?

Animals know kindness from cruelty—even sheep, who are not the sharpest tools in the shed.

Just when victory should be a show of power, the vulnerable lamb appears, standing as if slain.

Jesus is very clear: Snatchers, no snatching!

Two new books trace the history of a rich religious image.

Two new books trace the history of a rich religious image.

The church in Acts 2 will follow Jesus, for they know his voice.

How did faith and medical science become, for some people, mutually exclusive?

Tabitha’s community embraces her in her season after loss.

The first step of repentance is telling the truth about ourselves.

Thirty years later my petty crime came back to haunt me.

John 10:1–10

A shepherd’s staff has a crook for drawing the sheep away from danger, and a blunt end for prodding them toward places they would rather not go. This week’s texts embrace the tension between the two in the shepherd’s role.

This Sunday of words and songs about sheep and shepherds has always challenged me. For most of my preaching life I’ve been in or near a city. Now I live in New York City, where as far as I know even the Sheep Meadow in Central Park has no sheep.

Yet here is an enduring image from Jesus, an image captured perhaps millions of times in our art, our songs, our stories.