On my pilgrimage to Holy Land, before we went to Bethlehem, we visited Bayt Sāḥūr (Shepherds’ Field). This location is traditionally held to be the site of the Annunciation to the shepherds on the nativity night of Jesus Christ. Our guide told us something enlightened my thinking about Jesus who named himself as a gate of the sheepfold. I didn’t know about it before.
So, back in Jesus’ time, shepherds would keep usually their sheep in one of two types of pens. One type of pen was a big pen found in cities, where several shepherds could keep their flocks, all of their sheep, all together. Can you imagine about 2000 sheep together? This type of pen had a door, which was guarded at night by a gatekeeper. In the morning, the shepherds would come and call their own flock out. What is incredible, the sheep would follow only their shepherd because they knew his voice, just like the sheep in Jesus’ gospel when He says: “They won’t follow a stranger; they will run from him because they don’t know his voice” (just watch this film to see how sheep can recognize shepherd’s voice: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Coq_grSFlNs ).
But there was also second type of sheepfold that was common in Jesus’ time was a smaller pen out in the countryside. The shepherd would keep his sheep out here in good weather. The walls of these pens were made of piles of rocks, and there was no gate, just an opening for the sheep to enter through. To keep his sheep inside and to keep wild animals out, the shepherd would lay across the opening to sleep.
There is no doubt that in today’s gospel the main message for us is this: Jesus is the gate for us. He keeps us safe and protects us from anything that could hurt us. Yes, He is indeed!
But today Jesus also mentions thieves and robbers: The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy.
Jesus was absolutely right when He said: shepherd goes ahead of the sheep, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. But – can you imagine – I’ve got completely opposite experience than Jesus said.
When I was visiting our Canon Pat in Cong (Ireland), he took me to his brother house (Martin). Imagine that there is a shepherd’s pen next to Martin’s house. I remember it was a rainy day and I was wearing a rain jacket. When I saw the sheep flock – to make a fun – I went to the wall and started doing “baaaaaa”. When the sheep heard my “baaaaa“, they started running towards me quickly. I thought – why? I’m a stranger, sheep don’t know me. Why are they running to me? They shouldn’t.
Martin gave me the answer: Tomasz, anytime the shepherd (or owner) comes to feed these sheep, he always wears a yellow jacket. Today you have yellow rain jacket on you as well, and this flock is probably hungry. You just stole the flock. And we started laughing.
So, what do you think: in this modern world, what or who can come into our lives and steal us away from God? What or who is it? Who whispers various lies about how we can be saved or what is more important than God in our lives? Think about it!
And please remember: the true sheep of God, the people that really know Him, should never listen these lies.
Tomasz MAMELKA - Timperley 