A little to the North of Herod's Temple in the wall surrounding Jerusalem there is a gate where shepherds bring their sheep into the city. Not surprisingly, it is called the "Sheepgate."

The flocks are immediately herded all into one pen while the shepherds go about their business in the city. Near the pen there is the "Sheep Pool" where the animals are watered. The flocks mingle together with other flocks and are indistinguishable from all the other sheep. When a shepherd is ready to leave the city, he comes back to the pen and calls his sheep. Amazingly, those that are his recognize his voice and come to him. The others either ignore him or scatter at his unfamiliar voice.

Jesus had come to the fence surrounding the pen. Leaning on the fence rail, he watched them mill about and bleat. A shepherd entered through the gate and called his sheep. Watching what happened was a pleasure. The shepherd's sheep separated themselves from the rest and gathered about him. After counting to make certain all were present, he opened the gate and exited with his flock intact. Jesus turned to us and, smiling, said, "Did you see that?"

"Yes," Thaddeus responded. "It would be amazing if it weren't so ordinary."

"Stand here and you will see this every day. Ordinary indeed," responded Jesus, "yet I never tire of watching them. I tell you the truth," he said, "that sheepgate is the key. Only thieves and robbers enter by other means. The true shepherd comes to the gate and the gatekeeper opens it for him; he steps in and calls his sheep. He calls them by name and his sheep respond to his voice. Shepherds name their sheep. Did you know that? He has named each one, and he calls them out by name." Jesus laughed. "Then he leads them out to pasture. They follow him because they know his voice. It is fascinating that they will never follow a stranger! They run away because they don't recognize a stranger's voice." Most of us were fishermen, not shepherds. Most of this we already knew, but knowing Jesus, we also knew something else was coming.

And it did. Smiling gently, Jesus slowly raised his eyebrows and said, "I am the gate for the sheep." He paused briefly, as if waiting for the impact of his words. "Whoever enters through me will be safe. He can come in and go out and find pasture. All who came before me were strangers 'thieves and robbers'the sheep did not respond to them. The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy, but I have come that the sheep may have life. Life! And I want them to have it to the very fullest. Not only am I the 'sheepgate,' I am also the good shepherd. I lead them to the richest pastures to feed. I protect them from predators. They feel the touch of my staff and are in constant communion with me."

"A good shepherd," said Jesus, "will lay down his life for the sheep. A good shepherd feels a sense of ownership for the sheep. He feels responsibility for them and accepts that responsibility gladly. A mere hired hand does not. So when he sees a wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away, leaving the flock vulnerable and scattered. He cares nothing for the sheep."

"I know my sheep," he said, "I know them by name, and my sheep know me. I lay down my life for my sheep. And, of my own accord, with the power and authority given me by my Father, I will take it up again." Before we could think too much about that he said, "And did you know that I have other sheep that are not of this flock?" This surprised us. Where was this other flock? Had he been preaching to others without us? We were puzzled. Then he said, "They are those from peoples and generations to come who will also respond to my voice. I will bring them also; then there shall be one flock and one shepherd."

I must confess that when I reflect on this, I weep. The vastness of God's love . . . his meticulous care for us all. He gave everything. Through my tears I thought of the shepherd's psalm.