God Loves Us Dirty Sheep: Reflections on John 10:1-10

May 04, 2014 by Mike Baughman

Continued from Page 1

I have a bachelor's degree from Duke University and two master's degrees from Princeton Theological Seminary. I've even had the chance to contribute to a bunch of books. I know that I am, as a result, privileged and I do whatever I can to leverage that privilege to benefit the church and world. Yet I know that aspects of Jesus' message will make much more sense to those on the outside of knowledge who learn more about discipleship by tending sheep, cleaning houses, serving espresso, and driving buses than I ever will from a book. As insightful as my exegesis—any exegesis—might be, there will always be aspects of our faith that I will just not understand, appreciate, or realize. In this story, Jesus embodies the kingdom of God in which the powerful are humbled and humbled are made powerful.

So maybe on this week of the lectionary, us pastor-types could take a step back and listen to people who haven't benefitted from the same pedagogical advantage that we enjoy. Buried in their testimony is a rich understanding of God that we need to hear and learn from. May we humble ourselves and follow the lead of some other sheep who know the shepherd's voice in a different way.

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