I'm remembering the citation from John's gospel in last week's installment. The one where Jesus claims those sheep that are not in the fold of his audience. The audience looks to be the Pharisees who are pushing back against the authority he exhibits mostly through healing some whom they wouldn't deem worthy for such. In this case it is the man born blind.
I'm thinking the disciples were likely within earshot if not also part of the group to whom he is speaking. so much of the context indicates the difference between physical blindness and spiritual blindness. I can't help but imagine their looking at each other when he pronounces, "I'll bring them in also" and wondering in the own way about whom he is talking.
It's safe to say there was some confusion but being "a good Jew" was still important for some of the twelve. Some more than others. More than one of them believed Jesus to be the one promised to come and save Israel from its latest accumulative crisis of colonialism and unrighteousness. It's not until Jesus is raised that some of the twelve finally start to understand the teachings about the Messiah as having been misinterpreted.
So for at least two sets of listeners the questions persist, who are these other sheep and how is he going to do this claiming.
The question persists today, still.
At least the questions about who is right and who is wrong; who is in and who is out. Some have asked the question this way: Is there salvation outside the Church? Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is the historic teaching first articulated by Cyprian of Carthage late in the 3rd century. His phrasing was a little different: "Salus extra ecclesiam non est."
TBTG there has long been a recognition that what matters more is who is doing the saving. In other words, those of us who count ourselves "in" or "saved" had better be careful not to think we have accomplished that reality/status without Jesus first having a claim over us.
No coercion here just Jesus' claim resulting in our submitting in humility and gratitude.
I'm thinking the disciples were likely within earshot if not also part of the group to whom he is speaking. so much of the context indicates the difference between physical blindness and spiritual blindness. I can't help but imagine their looking at each other when he pronounces, "I'll bring them in also" and wondering in the own way about whom he is talking.
It's safe to say there was some confusion but being "a good Jew" was still important for some of the twelve. Some more than others. More than one of them believed Jesus to be the one promised to come and save Israel from its latest accumulative crisis of colonialism and unrighteousness. It's not until Jesus is raised that some of the twelve finally start to understand the teachings about the Messiah as having been misinterpreted.
So for at least two sets of listeners the questions persist, who are these other sheep and how is he going to do this claiming.
The question persists today, still.
At least the questions about who is right and who is wrong; who is in and who is out. Some have asked the question this way: Is there salvation outside the Church? Extra Ecclesiam nulla salus is the historic teaching first articulated by Cyprian of Carthage late in the 3rd century. His phrasing was a little different: "Salus extra ecclesiam non est."
TBTG there has long been a recognition that what matters more is who is doing the saving. In other words, those of us who count ourselves "in" or "saved" had better be careful not to think we have accomplished that reality/status without Jesus first having a claim over us.
No coercion here just Jesus' claim resulting in our submitting in humility and gratitude.
So let's not be blinded by our fear or our pride and instead like the man born that way, accept the gift of sight, which is the gift of really understanding whose we are.
The Transfiguration of this Sunday's lesson is full of things to see. But more than anything we are being invited to see Jesus as God's beloved Son, as the Good Shepherd, the Way, the Truth and the Life, Our Savior, and because of who he is we get to be his sheep.
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