Brief synopsis of the readings: Since it’s still the Easter season we’re still in the Acts of the Apostles for our first reading. Peter and the eleven spoke to their fellow Jews and told them that this man Jesus who they had crucified was “made both Lord and Christ.” On hearing this the crowd asked what they should do. Peter told them they needed to repent and be baptized and by this they will be saved from this corrupt generation. About three thousand were added that day. In John’s Gospel Jesus spoke about sheep in a sheepfold. The shepherd enters through the gate and those who climb over the fence are thieves. But the sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd and follow him, and not a stranger. The Pharisees who heard this didn’t understand what Jesus was saying and Jesus responded: “I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them…A thief comes only to steal and slaughter and destroy; I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.”
Many years ago I saw a commercial where a famous televangelist offered to mail out a free series of sermons on cassette tapes that explained how one could be a disciple of Jesus. This was long before email and cell phones and (more to the point) endless opportunity for spam and just for fun I sent away for them. This shouldn’t come as a surprise but his message basically came down to “do what I say and financially support me and God will love you.” I don’t remember the names of most of the sermons but one of them was titled: “The Law of Sowing and Reaping.” Simply put, he asserted almost a transactional relationship where we get only from God what we give to God. We get what we deserve; if we sow God’s love we will reap complete joy.
This televangelist has since died and I never got to provide feedback to him, but if I had, I would have pointed to our first reading from Acts. When Peter addressed his fellow Jews he was pretty direct in describing Jesus “whom you crucified.” Between those who called for Jesus’ execution and his disciples who abandoned him, a strict understanding of sowing and reaping would have called Jesus to return to settle scores. But that’s not what happened. We need only look to Jesus’ words on the cross when he asked God to forgive those who crucified him (see Luke 23:34).
But the message Peter and the others proclaimed was that they could repent and be welcomed; they were so successful that three thousand accepted the invitation. Pretty good day all around. There’s no mention but we can assume that not everyone was baptized and this raises an interesting question: why didn’t everyone follow the twelve? Clearly that was the intent of Jesus’ followers and Matthew’s Gospel goes to great pains to explain to the Jewish community that Jesus was indeed the Messiah and Redeemer they had been waiting for.
We know that no movement reforms everyone and in fairness Jesus was not the only person of that time who claimed to be “the one.” Those who didn’t hear the message clearly didn’t believe Jesus rose from the dead. Others probably felt that they had enough wealth, popularity or social standing that they liked things the way they were and some feared that following Jesus would lead to unknown territory. It’s also possible that some feared that since they caused Jesus’ crucifixion they would never be forgiven.
It’s important to note that throughout history many Christians have taken the idea that “they had the chance to follow Jesus and didn’t take it” as a reason for antisemitism. Simply put, these readings from Acts cannot and should not be justification for persecution of Jews today. Many years ago I read a book titled Siblings: Rabbinic Judaism and Early Christianity at Their Beginnings that makes this case well.
But I think we can look at those who didn’t accept Peter’s message in light of the sheep Jesus talks about in John’s Gospel. For those of us who aren’t shepherds, sheep need to graze in pastures where the shepherd watches over them. These pastures are dangerous because of predators and at night the sheep need to be herded into a protected area, a sheepfold. It’s safe but not sustainable as it doesn’t have enough food or water.
Given that, we can easily see how some sheep, knowing the dangers out there, don’t wish to leave the sheepfold. They see the short term safety and fear the long term consequences of leaving for greener pastures. If there is one thing Jesus makes clear, it is that he guards the gate and calls the sheep. The sheepfold will never stop being safe but unsustainable and the pasture will always have dangers.
Jesus came so that we “might have life and have it more abundantly.” In our first reading it wasn’t easy being a follower of Jesus, and it’s not easy today. We can look at some leaders today who loudly proclaim belief in Jesus but have climbed the sheepfold wall to promise us safety if we stick closely to them. For all their promises they can’t deliver abundant life. The sheepfold is ultimately exclusive and presents us with a world that is too small for abundant life.
When Jesus promises us abundant life in the pasture he is promising life with sheep from other sheepfolds, other experiences and common dreams. Not all of the other sheep will look like us, speak like us, or believe the same things we do. But a large herd with a trustworthy gatekeeper promises us a future that is unimaginable if all we know is the sheepfold.
The call to leave safety is never easy and we’re always going to hear voices who vilify the pastures as dangerous places. But ultimately that is what we are given. Our safety doesn’t come because the pastures have changed but because the gatekeeper has promised to keep us safe.
By the way, it took a year of not sending money to this televangelist to get off his mailing list.