Daily Devotional • January 3
A Reading from John 10:7-17
7 So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and bandits, but the sheep did not listen to them. 9 I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own, and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me, and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
Meditation
One of my favorite images of Jesus in Scripture is the Good Shepherd. He guards us from the assaults of the enemy, leads us to abundant life, provides for our every need, and even lays down his life for us. This image of the Good Shepherd evokes a sense of safety and security under his loving care.
Thanks to God, the Good Shepherd’s concern is not limited to us alone. In John 10, Jesus emphasizes his deep care for the “others” — those who are not yet part of his fold. These are the ones Jesus pursues, welcomes, and ultimately sacrifices himself for. The abundant life of communion with Christ is not just for us; it is for them as well. To Jesus, the “others” belong in his fold too.
If we truly believe that Scripture is alive and active through the power of the Holy Spirit, we must ask where this message intersects with our own lives. Who are the “others” today? Who would Jesus be seeking and welcoming in? Who are the “others” in our families, churches, neighborhoods, denominations, or even our nations? Who have we deemed outsiders or excluded, and when did we assume the role of gatekeepers to God’s flock?
It’s vital to remember that we were not always the people of his pasture or the sheep of his hand. At one time, we were estranged from God, lost in our own ways. We were the “others.” But our radically inclusive Good Shepherd sought us out, rescued us, and brought us into his fold. May we follow his example, being just as bold and gracious in welcoming the “others” in our own lives.
Steven McCain serves at St. Timothy’s Episcopal Church and School in Raleigh, North Carolina. He lives in the Raleigh area with his wife, Elizabeth, and three sons, Benjamin, James, and Micah.
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Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Kyoto – The Nippon Sei Ko Kai
The Episcopal Diocese of East Tennessee
