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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Are you far enough away from the hole?

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Matthew 5:20-26

If you've ever killed someone, please raise your hand.  Okay, put your hand down.  The vast majority of us have never purposefully taken the life of another human being.  If you have, I invite you to seek the counsel of  a good priest and confessor.  Of all the people I know in my life, I've only known, and been friends with, one convicted murderer.  He did his time, I loved him like a brother, and he has since gone on to his reward. (You can read about him here - The Day I Picked up a Hitchhiker).

I'd venture to say that unless you are reading this on death-row, most of us don't know too many murderers.  How about adulterers?  A few more hands.  Shoplifters?  More hands.

Truth be known, we are all murderers and adulterers and thieves and liars and greedy little people somewhere deep inside.  It's part of our fallen nature.  We have a tendency, an attraction, toward sin.  It takes vigilance, grace, and work to keep on the right path and not just obey but embrace and live the commandments.

In the Gospel readings all this week Jesus has been drilling down in His Sermon on the Mount.  He has been taking us deeper and deeper into the heart of God.  He has been getting to the the heart of the matter; the heart.

Jesus is helping us realize that none of us, not even those on death row, simply wake up one day and decide to kill.  None of us make a decision to commit adultery or steal simply on a whim.  We don't decide to break a commandment in the same way we just decide to grab a Snickers in the check-out line.

All of these violations of the commandments begin somewhere deep in our hearts.  Sin starts there like a vicious weed, it takes root and it grows wildly if not checked by grace and the sacraments, especially Confession and Communion.

In Jesus' example, thou shalt not kill, He illustrates that we must not only not murder someone we must not hate them.  He further illustrates that we must not only not hate them, we must not be angry with them.

Why does He do this?  Imagine a hole in your yard about 5 foot in diameter and 1000 feet deep. Now, you, being a loving friend and neighbor, warn everyone to stay out of the hole.  Are there going to be people who get in the hole? YES, probably a few!  So you, being a loving neighbor ask everyone to not go near the hole.  Will people go near and get in the hole?  YES, probably less than before!  So you, being a loving neighbor, build a fence around the hole.  Will people climb or cut the fence, get near, and get in the hole?  YES, perhaps not many.

Jesus is pushing us, rather He is inviting us, to move back and build our own fence around the hole; the hole of sin.  The further we can place ourselves from this danger, the happier we'll be and the world will be a better place.  Keep this thought in mind as you read Jesus' words saying, "you have heard it said....but I say...."  He is helping us move back from the hole; sin.

The devil's mode of operation is this - toehold, foothold, stronghold. An impure thought (toehold), an occasional impure glance (foothold), an addiction to pornography (stronghold). One too many drinks every once in a while (toehold), drinks every night (foothold), drinks often anytime and to the point of blacking out (stronghold).  Jesus is teaching us that it's easier to fight off an attempted toehold, or even a foothold, than it is to oust the devil from a stronghold.

What sin do you struggle with most right now?  How can you move back from the hole?  What barriers can you place between you and the sin that will give you time to pause, recognize the temptation, and repent (turn around)?  Jesus wants to help you with this sin, will you let Him?


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