The Sheepfold and the Voice of the Shepherd

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Stone sheepfold John 10:22-30 Recently my boys have been spending a great deal of time outside in the area that will soon be transformed into our garden. They spend endless hours digging in the dirt for worms. They then promptly take those worms and throw them to the chickens. It amazes me how even chickens can learn to recognize sounds or voices. My oldest makes this funny high-pitched sound when he comes out of the house and heads toward the coop. The chickens practically fall over themselves running toward the fence or out of the coop when they hear him making his sound. They know there is food to follow! In Sunday's Gospel Jesus tells us that, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me." and "I am the gate for the sheep." Today, again, Jesus mentions that His sheep know His voice and follow Him.  In these few verses we learn that Jesus is both gate and shepherd for the sheep. In those days and even today in some places, a sheepfold w
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My Family Tree is Tied to Jesus'

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Mark 3:31-35 

(Originally posted January 2007)

This morning I taught two six grade classes about the Bible. I showed them that the Bible is more than a library of books. We briefly examined the fact that the Bible is an elaborate family tree that shows the relatives and ancestors of Jesus from Adam onward. We discussed certain key figures in His lineage, both good and bad. We talked about Noah, Shem, and David. And we talked about Cain, Ham and David (he fits both categories). 

On the board I drew a basic tree that showed the lineage from Adam and Eve to Shem and then drew a line to Jesus. I explained that this line is traced back for us in Luke 3:23-28 but it is much more exciting to trace this line back by reading parts of the Bible than by reading that long list of "the son of, the son of, the son of." 

At the end of the discussion I pulled one more trick out of my bag. I drew lines parallel to Jesus' name and started listing their names with His. Here I illustrated that the Bible is not only Jesus' story, His family tree, but ours as well. For through our Baptism we have become adopted sons and daughters of God and can call Christ our brother. We talked more about how His story is also our story and we have a duty to study that story so we can be more like Abel, Noah, Shem and Jesus and less like Cain, Ham, Ishmael and so on. 
 
This tied in nicely to today's Gospel where Jesus teaches that no one can lay claim to Him simply on human terms or by mere human relations. In order be true "kinsman" of Christ we must be true sons and daughters of God the Father doing His will in all things. "Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and sister, and mother." 

FROM THE SAINTS - "Christ had an eternal generation and a generation in time, and gave preference to the former. Those who do the will of the Father reach him by heavenly generation [...]. Everyone who does the will of the Father, that is to say, who obeys him, is a brother or sister of Christ, because he is like him who fulfilled the will of his Father. But he who not only obeys but converts others, begets Christ in them, and thus becomes like the Mother of Christ." - Saint Thomas Aquinas


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