The Shepherd’s Rod

Traffic Sheep I came up close and personal to a real life shepherd with his sheep.

Experiencing this really helped bring the words of Jesus in the Scriptures come to life.

Without understanding the context of these examples Christ gives did not really hit home.

Today Jesus makes this claim that he is the Good Shepherd.

The shepherd is often seen carry this staff of his.

That is why we call the Bishop like the Shepherd of the Flock entrusted to him. He carries this staff as a reminder of his responsibility. He is called to be a shepherd after God's own heart.

What did the shepherd use this staff for?

If a sheep would ever walk away from the flock, in order to protect it from predators, the shepherd would ring it back in.

Also, at the end of the day, when the sheep would be gathered back into their area, the shepherd would stand and place his rod/staff sort of low and wait for each lamb to pass through.

As they would pass through he do a quick examination to see if while they were out grazing, they got injured while grazing.

It was only when these sheep returned under the pastoral care of this shepherd that they found healing.

They had to be found in communion with the other sheep to be protected and cared for.

They had to be found in communion with the shepherd. When in this communion they had life.

When separated from this communion death was waiting for them.

With us, Christ wishes to gather us as a flock to grant us life eternal.

When we stray away from this flock, the Church, sin, evil thoughts, and death waits for us. Without the Church we remain lost. We remain like sheep without a shepherd. We lose a sense of our identity and our purpose of life.

Ultimately, if apart from the church, is sin and death. Then our salvation is in Christ in and through the church. Notice, this care happened when they returned each night for this examination.

For us, this examination happens each time we examine our conscience:

We notice the wounds inflicted from temptation and sin. What has happened to US.

In an examination of conscience, it’s not just what you’ve done but We allow Christ to examine our wounds.

We allow Christ to examine our bad ways of thinking.

We allow Christ to discipline us when we've strayed far off.

Brothers and Sisters, let us not fear this examination. Let us not be afraid. Let us not be ashamed to show Christ our wounds. Let us be afraid and in regret if we don't come to Christ with our sin.

Confession, many of us avoid it because we don't like to think of our failures. Instead, when we come to confession, it is a place of victory. It is a place where Christ the Good Shepherd becomes victorious in us.

In confession, he turns death, into life.

From the slavery of sin, to the freedom of obedience.

From fear and anxiety, to confidence in salvation.

In these last weeks of Lent, let us return to the door, and allow Jesus, the Good shepherd to win in us.