Jesus the Door Sunday
This Sunday, like all fourth Sundays of Easter, is Good Shepherd Sunday. This is the one Sunday we are invited to take note of what Kenneth Bailey [1] describes as the ongoing Good Shepherd tradition with scripture. As I have said before this tradition begins with 23 rd Psalm which uses the ordinary work of a shepherd to describe how God seeks out the lost sheep, brings them home, protects them, and provides all they need to flourish. Bailey says this basic tradition is reinterpreted again and again, including by Jesus in today’s reading from John 10. This is not just Jesus’ reinterpretation. It is also John’s. He sets his version within the story of the man born blind who was healed, was then cast out by the Jewish leaders, and then became a disciple and was included in Jesus own community of followers. Everything Jesus says relates back to those very concrete acts. In this version Jesus is the shepherd who lies across the gate at night and risks his own life to protect...