Parable of the Good Shepherd

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9 “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and 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.”

In the context of John 10, what specifically does Jesus mean by saying these things?
 
The Jerome Biblical Commentary says this:

Vs. 9 “Another application of the figure of the gate is made, this time it relates to the sheep, *whoever enters through me will be saved: * Just as the sheep enter and leave the fold only through the gate, so entry is gained into God’s fold, God’s pasturage, only through Christ.”

Vs. 10 “He reverts to the original contrast: The thieves and bandits who enter not by the gate come only to prey on the sheep.”
 
Didi, thanks for your reply.

I guess what i’m looking for even more specifically is: What does Jesus mean when he says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”?

What does “have life, and have it abundantly” mean? Does it mean to be able to enjoy our lives more as Christians? If so, in what way?

Where does suffering and “Take up your cross and follow me” come in?

Can anyone offer an explanation to clear this up?

Thanks
 
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Caldera:
Didi, thanks for your reply.

I guess what i’m looking for even more specifically is: What does Jesus mean when he says “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”?

What does “have life, and have it abundantly” mean? Does it mean to be able to enjoy our lives more as Christians? If so, in what way?

Where does suffering and “Take up your cross and follow me” come in?

Can anyone offer an explanation to clear this up?

Thanks
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Hello Caldera,

We go to heaven through Jesus. Human life is long if it reaches one hundred years. Eternal life is endless. Eternal life is abundantly more life than physical life.

Jesus calls us to pick up our cross (suffering for the faith) and bear it if we wish to enter the abundance of eternal life through Jesus.
 
Hiya Steve,

Could you tell me if this is an official Catholic interpretation, or is it your own? It sounds to me like a good interpretation for those verses. It clears up any possible contradiction with suffering, and “Take up your cross”, etc.

At the same time though, i often wonder why it is that many faithful Catholics do prosper in this life while so many others suffer… But then i guess the same could be said for Protestant Christians, or people from other religions as well…

Oh well, life is confusing for me… maybe because i’m part of the suffering crew… 🙂

Thanks for your reply.
 
Just a response about suffering. Nobody goes through life on this earth without suffering. We all lose loved ones, we all get betrayed by people we thought were friends, we all get sick, etc. Even though on the outside it looks like some might have a better life, we never know what crosses people are bearing silently.

Regarding “having life abundantly,” the Jerome commentary says that John’s emphasis is on the nature of life and its origin. “Life is not mere existence – even inaminate things exist; life for John signifies some kind of sharing in the Being of God. … that the supernatural life of man is a sharing in the divine life of the Holy Trinity.”
 
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Caldera:
Hiya Steve,

Could you tell me if this is an official Catholic interpretation, or is it your own? It sounds to me like a good interpretation for those verses. It clears up any possible contradiction with suffering, and “Take up your cross”, etc.

At the same time though, i often wonder why it is that many faithful Catholics do prosper in this life while so many others suffer… But then i guess the same could be said for Protestant Christians, or people from other religions as well…

Oh well, life is confusing for me… maybe because i’m part of the suffering crew… 🙂

Thanks for your reply.
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Hello Caldera,

I am a cradle Catholic who has heard a great deal of homilies in my life. According to the homilies I have heard, this is how the Church would give you advice. I do not have a Church document to show you.

I give the example of Mother Theresa. She gave up all in this life to focus on building free willed love for God to fill the Kingdom of God in heaven where her treasure is. Mother Theresa is like the person who bought the pearl of great value. She sold all pleasures in this life for the greater treasure, which is free willed love for God, in the next.

NAB LUK 12:31

“Instead, seek his kingdom, and these other things will be given you besides. Do not be afraid any longer, little flock, for your Father is pleased to give you the kingdom. Sell your belongings and give alms. Provide money bags for yourselves that do not wear out, an inexhaustible treasure in heaven that no thief can reach nor moth destroy. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”(TOB 4:7)NAB MAT 13:44

“The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field. He hid it again, and rejoicing at his find went and sold all he had and bought that field. Or again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant’s search for fine pearls. When he found one really valuable pearl, he went back and put up for sale all that he had and bought it.”
 
Mother Theresa or any other Saint of the past probably have had a special calling from God…

Deep breath
If everyone discovered this “burried treasure” or “valuable pearl” through the confusion of this world, (probably the objective of every individual at some point in the journey of life) and chose to sell everything they had to live a life of poverty, chastity, obedience, to serve God, etc., then the few remaining Catholics would be Saints, and we would have a very low Catholic population!
Inhales (No, i’m not Jim Carrey) 😉

Luke 12:29-31
“And as for you, do not seek what you shall eat, or what you shall drink; and do not exalt yourselves (for after all these things the nations of the world seek); but your Father knows that you need these things. But seek the Kingdom of God, and all these things shall be given you besides.”

Then it goes into:

Luke 12:32-34
“Do not be afraid, little flock, for it has pleased your Father to give you the kingdom. Sell what you have and give alms. Make for yourselves purses that do not grow old, a treasure unfailing in heaven, where neither thief draws near nor moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there also will your heart be.”

To me it seems like a contradiction. First is says: The Father knows what you need, so, seek the kingdom first, then all these things (that the world seeks as well) will be given you.

But then it says: Sell what you have and turn it into treasure in heaven, etc… (i.e. Deny yourself / Take up your cross, etc.)

Think about it.

The question again is why do many people (whatever religion) prosper in this life, and many other people (whatever religion) suffer?
 
Many people in this life who don’t appear to be suffering much, that is they are financially prosperous, seem to have a lot of “friends” (who may just be friends because of the money), etc., but don’t know Jesus, really are suffering because they don’t know unconditional love and forgiveness. Their idea of love and friendship is often much different than God’s.

I remember the conversion story of Father John Corapi who was a very successful and wealthy businessman in Hollywood. His circle of friends included a lot of stars, athletes, directors, etc. He also became heavily addicted to cocaine and abused other drugs as well as being very sexually promiscuous. When he realized he was going downhill, losing his mansion and many cars, NOT ONE “FRIEND” CAME TO HIS AID. He ended up homeless and in a psychiatric hospital for a year.

Thank God his mother had been praying for him all this time. He went home, found his faith, was ordained by Pope John Paul II and is now one of the most dynamic Catholic preachers you will ever hear! He is able to reach so many more people because of the suffering he endured.

A friend told me that we cannot have a "test"ament of our faith if we do not first have the “tests.”

Again, what may appear to be success by the standards of this world is far from bringing us true happiness and joy both in this world and in the next. Only Jesus can bring us that; only Jesus can save us from eternal suffering.

Please look at my signature 👍
 
Didi,

I agree that Fr. John Corapi is a great Catholic speaker. I am familiar with his teachings on EWTN. Too bad there aren’t more inspiring Catholics like him.

Maybe i’m looking for an answer to my own problems that nobody can really answer but God. It’s just frustrating at times…

Thanks
 
While on this earth, we may never know the reasons that things happen to us as they do. When we get to heaven, however, all things will make sense to us.

Once in awhile on earth we can look back at a situation and say “Oh, I get it; if this hadn’t happened, then I never would have met so-and-so; or I never would have been led to this job; or I never would have had the opportunity to meet and help this person, etc.”

We need to have “retro-active faith,” believing in advance what only makes sense in reverse.

When I am troubled, it really helps me to pray “Jesus, I trust in You.”
 
Didi and Steve, thanks for both of your replies…

I agree with a lot of what was said in this thread. The love of Christ puts any material thing in this world to shame when you experience it.

It’s just hard to live in this modern world with it’s influences and temptations, then trying to be Christ-like.

I continue to struggle with why life is the way it is…(i.e. Going against the ways of the world)
 
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Caldera:
The question again is why do many people (whatever religion) prosper in this life, and many other people (whatever religion) suffer?
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You must expand your vision of what suffering is, and what freedom is.

In Hitler’s concentration camps, who were the real prisoners: the Jews who walked into the gas chambers quietly reciting the psalms, or the nazis with rifles in their hands?
 
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