Opening Prayer
Lord, gather us into Your sheepfold, and lead us by Your hand. Amen.
Text: John 10:1–10
“Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them; and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” Jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, “Most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who ever came before Me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not hear them. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.”
Devotion
The Lord Himself is the Shepherd of His Church. But since the Means of Grace, which are visible, cannot be administered by the transfigured Savior without means, He chooses some from the flock of souls as shepherds for the others. “He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ” (Eph 4:11). He speaks about this in this Gospel. “He who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep.” And here we learn these two things:
- Only those who truly belong to the Church themselves can be real caretakers of souls. A servant of the Word who himself does not have heartfelt communion with the Lord, although he may enter at the door, is not really called and cannot tend souls rightly. Only those who come to the Father through Jesus and continually live from His love, daily receive forgiveness, daily stand before the throne of grace and go out again into life with new strength. Only those for whom Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, can be shepherds who rightly feed and tend His sheep.
- Every true servant of God’s Word must be appointed to the work by the Lord and must not have forced his way into the office. He must not only have come into the Church through the right door, but he must also have come into the office of the ministry through the right door. The external call in and by the Church is necessary because God is a God of order, and every member in the Church has his place of service. This external call is also a very necessary help and comfort needed in the temptations and difficulties of the work.
But here we are talking about the inner call, without which the outward call really has little value. How shall we then recognize this call? The answer is not difficult, but the proof is difficult. If you can say with Peter: “Lord, You know all things, You know that I love You”; if you have such a compelling desire to work as a shepherd, and point your life in that direction, then the Lord has said to you: “Feed My sheep.” And when you have followed the call, then you have entered at the door, and then the sheep follow you and know your voice.
The Lord Himself is the door to the sheepfold: He is the door for all, because only by His merit and blood do we enter the kingdom of grace, and He is the door for the shepherds, because only by His love do we rightly enter the pastoral office. – The Pharisees and all worldly pastors and hypocritical exhorters are thieves and robbers, the Lord says. How this shows the need for self-examination! They are thieves and robbers, for they gather for themselves, and work for worldly honor and simple profit, while Christ’s true servants consider it the highest honor to lead souls to Him. Blessed is everyone who goes in and out through Jesus! They shall have life and have it abundantly. They shall enjoy His abundant grace and His more than conquering love. Then His life shall rule in them, and they shall richly administer to hungry souls from “the fullness of His house, and the river of His pleasures” (Psa 36:8).
Closing Prayer
Lord, give us shepherds who feed Your sheep on the good pastures. Bless them, and keep Your flock. Let us also be found among Your people, to our last hour continue in Your Church, and live through You. Amen.
Hymn
O Jesus, grant us shepherds sure
Who love Your holiness so pure;
Guard us against the world so vile
And Satan sly who would beguile;
Grant us around Your throne to stand
In rest and comfort without end!
Danish: Op, Zions Vægtre, sover ei! L 231:4 tr. DeGarmeaux;
tune: St. Petersburg (ELH 505); alternate hymn: Lord of the Church, we humbly pray ELH 502:1