A full life
by Colleen Fitzpatrick
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I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full (John 10:10b).
Read John 10:1–18
Today’s text is very evocative to me. I have written previously about my memories of my father feeding his sheep: emptying a bag of wheat as he walked along and the sheep queueing up behind him, eating the good grain. My dad loved his sheep and looked after them, ensuring they weren’t fly-blown and didn’t have footrot. The lambs who were weak, rejected or could not be not cared for by their mothers were brought home and fed and nurtured until they could return to the flock. In lambing season, he would go around the flocks of sheep daily, checking that all was well.
This passage stresses the importance of the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep. It is only when the sheep know and recognise the shepherd that they will follow. The shepherd places the sheep at the centre of their life – they will even lay down their life for the sheep.
There is also a strong message of unity – the inclusion of the sheep that are not from this flock. They come together, and one flock is formed by the shepherd. We are reassured that Jesus chose to lay down his life of his own accord – and in doing that, he followed the command of his Father.
What an amazing and generous act on behalf of Jesus, our shepherd. Surely we can respond in kind and with a generous heart. We can put our lives in Jesus’ loving hands and trust we will find that abundance of good things. We have been given so much; what can we give back to our community, friends, family or church? Let’s take time to listen to the voice of our good shepherd calling us to be the people we have been created to be, working for the good of others with servant hearts that give God the glory and rejoice in knowing that we are following the good shepherd into a place of safety and peace.
Good Shepherd, thank you for calling me and leading me through life. Help me trust that you are watching over me and guarding and protecting me, even in the wilderness times. Amen.
Colleen Fitzpatrick is a mother of two, grandmother of three and godmother of four. She is allegedly retired and lives in Adelaide. Colleen trained as a social worker, and after working in the foster care program at Lutheran Community Care in South Australia, she became the director and served in that role for 13 years. Colleen serves on a number of boards and committees within the LCA and the wider community.
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