For love, not money

‘When the hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away; so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them.’ (verses 12-15)

Read John 10:11-18

I watched a mechanic trying to track down a niggling electrical fault in a car. He spent at least twenty minutes meticulously checking fuses and wiring before he discovered what was wrong. When the owner asked how much he owed, the mechanic replied, ‘Nothing. I wasn’t going to let a machine beat me.’

In this day and age, when financial greed seems to drive so many people in our society, it’s refreshing to come across people who are prepared to work out of love for their trade or profession. Such dedicated service of others is a rarity these days.

It was that kind of service that typified Jesus’ work in this world. He acted out of love, not for money. He was like a shepherd who was so devoted to the sheep in his care that he was willing to die to protect them.

It may have sounded like a hypothetical situation at the time, but ultimately Jesus did demonstrate his willingness to die to save all people from the fatal consequences of their sinfulness.

Thank you, Jesus, for being so good to us. Help us now to love and serve others, and not just to make money. Amen.

by John Vitale, in ‘Guidance for each Day’ (LCA, Openbook, 2002)

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