Gathering Stones with the Shepherd
John 10:1-6
1 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.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus is presenting a parable concerning the shepherding of sheep, which is a practice which all of the Jews would understand. This particular passage is a reference to a type of shepherding which is not in the open grazing area, but rather a confined sheepfold such as might be next to a house or even an area where herds of sheep from different shepherds are held together for the night.
The use of the term "porter" signifies this.
The porter is the person who has charge of the sheep for the night. It is the porter who sits in the doorway (gateway) guarding the sheep, keeping them safe through the night while the Shepherd is away from the flock. The porter acts on behalf of the shepherd, and it is the porter who allows the shepherd to enter through the gateway the next morning.
Most people look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but they forget the porter is also a necessary part of the shepherding job. The porter is the "comforter" for the shepherd. The porter takes the place of the shepherd in his absence for there is no need for both a porter and a shepherd to lead, guide and direct the sheep. It is one or the other, but not at the same time.
In the morning, the porter relinquishes his authority over the sheep back to the shepherd.
After the porter allows the shepherd into the fold, the shepherd calls each sheep by name, for there may be many flock in the fold, but each sheep knows the voice of their shepherd, and the shepherd leads HIS sheep out of the fold. Sheep will not follow a strange voice, but instead, will move away from the strange shepherd who calls them. Just as the Holy Spirit can be sent by the Son as a comforter to the believer, the porter is positioned by the shepherd as the comforter from the Shepherd and a comforter to the sheep.
~serapha~
1 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.
2 But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.
3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
5 And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers.
6 This parable spake Jesus unto them: but they understood not what things they were which he spake unto them.
Jesus is presenting a parable concerning the shepherding of sheep, which is a practice which all of the Jews would understand. This particular passage is a reference to a type of shepherding which is not in the open grazing area, but rather a confined sheepfold such as might be next to a house or even an area where herds of sheep from different shepherds are held together for the night.
The use of the term "porter" signifies this.
The porter is the person who has charge of the sheep for the night. It is the porter who sits in the doorway (gateway) guarding the sheep, keeping them safe through the night while the Shepherd is away from the flock. The porter acts on behalf of the shepherd, and it is the porter who allows the shepherd to enter through the gateway the next morning.
Most people look at Jesus as the Good Shepherd, but they forget the porter is also a necessary part of the shepherding job. The porter is the "comforter" for the shepherd. The porter takes the place of the shepherd in his absence for there is no need for both a porter and a shepherd to lead, guide and direct the sheep. It is one or the other, but not at the same time.
In the morning, the porter relinquishes his authority over the sheep back to the shepherd.
After the porter allows the shepherd into the fold, the shepherd calls each sheep by name, for there may be many flock in the fold, but each sheep knows the voice of their shepherd, and the shepherd leads HIS sheep out of the fold. Sheep will not follow a strange voice, but instead, will move away from the strange shepherd who calls them. Just as the Holy Spirit can be sent by the Son as a comforter to the believer, the porter is positioned by the shepherd as the comforter from the Shepherd and a comforter to the sheep.
~serapha~
posted by ~serapha~ at 8:19 PM
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