The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1886-07-03
The Sunday School.
BY REV. @. L. DEMAREsT, DID.
LESSON FOR JULY IL, 1886.
JESUS THE GOOD SHEPHERD.
TJohn K. 1881
THE PARABLE.

"Verily, verify say unto you, He that
on tereth not by the door into the sheepfold
ut climbeth up some other way, the same i
hief and robber. But he that enterett
in by the door is shepherd of the sheep.
8 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep
hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep
by name, and leadeth them out. When he
hath put forth all his own, he goeth before
them, and the sheep follow him: because they
know his voice. And a stranger they Will
NOT follow, but will fee from him; because
they know not the voice OF strangers" .
This parable JESUS spoke unto them: but
they understood not what things they were
which he spoke unto them.
When JESUS learned that the blind man to
whom he had given sight, had been cast out
of the synagogue by the prejudice blinded
Pharisees, he sought him and secured his
homage and declaration of disciplesh1p.
He called attention to the very different and
opposite effects of his ministry upon the
iudgments of those who heard his words and
witnessed his works. He said, "For this
am in the world, that they who see not might
see, and that they who see might become
blind" (ix. 39). blind man is not more
blind to outward things than a prejudiced
man is to the truth he dislikes. The excita-
BILE and self-conscious Pharisees, who were
present and always on the lookout for some
reflection on themselves, asked, Are we
also blind?" He answered.: In natural blind
ness there would have been no guilt; but in
the blindness of wilful error claim to the
power of sight was but self condemnation.
And when the rulers, the teachers, the guides
were blind, how could the people see? (see
NJ -: 1n6 not
urally to observations concerning the nature
of true and false public religious teachers.
The familiar imagery of 4 shepherd and his
flock was employed.
The possessions of the ancient Hebrews, as
of most Eastern nations, consisted chiefly OF
sheep and other focks. The patriarchs and
their ancestors were shepherds; their large
focks constituting the chief wealth of their
time and their history and literature are
rich in scenes of pastorallif Abraham and
Lot and Jacob and Job were owners of large
focks, and their sons and daughters were
frequently employed in tending them. Da-
vid, the sweet singer of Israel, was shep
herd lad when anointed by GoD's prophet to
rule his people as their most distinguished
king, and type of him who shall rule the
world in righteousness: and the most beauti-
full and striking imagery of his poetry is un-
mistakably drawn from his experience and
observation when tending his fathers flocks.
The twenty third Psalm is notable illustra-
ton of his use of figures drawn from the pas
toral vocation. JEHOVAH is frequently set
forth in the Scriptures as shepherd and Is
aol- h i1d oca nod c
one who will feed his flock like shepherd"
"gather the lambs in his arms and carry
them in his bosom.' The apostaoy of sin
ners from GoD is the straying of lost sheep.
The mission of the Son and Sent of God is
that of a shepherd seeking his sheep which
were lost, leaving the ninety and nine and
going after the one that is lost till he finds it
and restores it to the flock and the fold. The
later prophets often denounced the shepherds
of Israel, rulers, who neglected their focks,
who distress, i'll treat and lead them astrays;
sbrutish pastors, who sought not the Lord,
but who destroyed and scattered the sheep of
his pasture" (see Jer.; Eek, and Zech.).
The parabolic discourse of CHRIST is close
ly connected with The preceding miracle, and
suggested by the tyrannical and cruel con-
duct of the Pharisees-the blind guides and
false shepherds-tow the blind man who
had been restored to sight by JEsUs-the Light
of the world and the true shepherd. 1t was,
no doubt, spoken before the same audience
as may be inferred not only from the unin-
terrupted connection, but also from the ex-
press reference to the preceding miracle in
verse 81. We have here divine pastoral
taken from every day life in Palestine. With
the whole subject should be carefully COM
l0StQmQnt dissertations
false shepherds of Israel, with prophetic ref
erence to the Messiah, in Ezekiel xxxiv.;
jeremiah xxiii. 1-6; Zachariah xi. 4-17.-Dr.
Schaf, IN Lange's Commentary.
Q-5) 1t frequently occurred that focks
were kept and tended long distances from
the place of residence of the owners. The
shepherds, -either the owners or persons
hired for the service,-often spent months
together with their focks in the wilderness
or desert, leading them here and there for
pasture and water, and protecting them from
wild beasts and robbers. For the relief and
convenience of the shepherds, and the better
protection of the flock by night, folds were
provided, presided over and guarded by some
trustworthy person, called in the Lesson ''the
porter" (gate keeper), who admitted the
hocks at night, and the shepherds in the
morning to lead forth their respective
focks again by the wells and fountains and
into the green pastures. Each shepherd had
his fayorite sheep which he caressed and
called by name, and that readily recognized
and responded to his cal, this owD," in the
sense of pet or dear ones. These were the
leaders of the fiock-"the bell-wethers which
precede the flock and are followed by it -
Lange. The shepherd was admitted to the
fold by the porter. He called these, s'hi:
own," by their familiar names, and when
they had all responded he led them forth, the
flock usually following. And when all were
out, he went before them to the place OF
their pasturage.
The routine of the shepherds duties ap
pears to have been as follows: In the morn
ing he led forth his flock from the fold (John
K. AZ, which he did by going before them ano
calling to them, as is still usual in the East
arrived at the pasturage he watched the
flock, with the assistance of dogs dob XVI
and should any sheep stray, he had to search
for it until he found it ezekiel xxxiv. II
Luke XIV. A.; he supplied them with water
either at a running stream or at troughs at
tached to wells Genesis xxx. Z; Xxx. 80; Elk
odus ii. Is; Psalm xiii. p; at evening he
brought them back TO the fold, and reckoneo
them to see that none were missing, by passing
them under the rod" as they entered the dool
of the enclosure (Levticus xviii. 80; Ezekiel
Xxx. 30, checking each sheep as it passed. BY
motion of the hand Jeremiah xxxiii. l3)
aud, finally, he watched the entrance of the
fold throughout the night, acting as porter