By: Obed Pineda
It is well recorded in Holy Writ that one of our Lord’s preferred methods of teaching was through the use of parables (cf. Matthew 13:34-35). Although it is one type of figurative language employed by the Master, it was not the only one He utilized when teaching or responding to His audience. In fact, on a certain occasion the Holy Spirit records that “Jesus used this illustration but they did not understand the things which He spoke to them” (John 10:6). Greek lexicons explain that the word used for “illustration” is paroimian (derived from paroimia) and it is interpreted as “any dark saying which shadows forth some didactic truth; an allegory” (Thayer, G3942). It is valuable to note the difference between a parable and an allegory to gain a better grasp of the Savior’s lesson. Simply put, a parable is a comparison that studies the points of resemblance between the two things juxtaposed to one another whereas an allegory is a literary device where a character, object, or event is a symbol that represents a specific moral or religious principle. Ergo, the allegory that Jesus spoke was done so to unveil the legitimacy of His relationship and care for the people, unlike the Jewish rulers who only feigned to be concerned for the well-being of the people “for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God” (John 12:43, cf. Matthew 23:5-7, 23-28). This harsh reality exposed by the Master is evinced by how strongly the religious leaders reacted to Him miraculously restoring a blind man’s sight, leading to His illustration (cf. John 9:1ff). It is important to keep in mind that miracles of healing had been witnessed by the Jewish people before and thus this begs the question: Why would the Pharisees react so frantically against this miracle (cf. John 9:16-34)? The answer is provided by the Son of man as He declared, “Most assuredly, I say to you he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber” (John 10:1). The great Shepherd begins His allegory by using a technique called epanadiplosis which is when the same word or same phrase is repeated for the intent of emphasizing a point, teaching, or concept. Although in the New King James translation of Scripture it is written as “most assuredly,” the older King James and the American Standard of 1901 both have it as “verily, verily.” The significance of the Master’s usage of this rhetorical approach is that He was firmly establishing for His audience the integrity of His apologue. Furthermore, His choice of representing these truths by the example of the relationship between sheep and shepherd would be easily understood by them because this was a trade they had great knowledge and understanding of. Sheepfolds were typically enclosed buildings built with dry stones that were placed at a sunny spot in the home village where shepherds would leave their flocks upon returning from their journey for safekeeping. However, when a shepherd was aware that he was too far from home before nightfall, he would then search for a shallow cave where he could gather his sheep safely and watch over them. The shepherd would proceed to build a wall across the cave mouth to enclose it and keep out any savage beasts lingering nearby. If there was no cave where he could gather his sheep and he had to stop out in the open, he would gather stones or thorns and build a barrier around the flock and he would lay down across the opening of the palisade, making himself the door for his sheep. Upon learning of the extent to which a shepherd would go in order to protect the safety of his flock, the message Jesus is delivering to the Pharisees was abundantly clear. Here they were more worried about discrediting Him as sent by God rather than rejoice with the man healed from his blindness. They cared more about the threat that Jesus posed to their political power than the fact that He was undoubtedly the Shepherd promised by Jehovah God by His prophet Ezekiel (cf. Ezekiel 34:23-24). Curiously, Ezekiel’s prophecy came to be when God made the same charge against the leaders of Israel that the Savior was making in His illustration (cf. Ezekiel 34:2-3). The Redeemer was unmasking them by demonstrating that by them prioritizing their self-interests above the interests of the people, this revealed them to be “thieves and robbers.” Nevertheless, Jesus also clarifies that the reason they were unwilling to go through the authorized entrance to gather the sheep was because “I am the door of the sheep…I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (John 10:7, 9). The Master was proving that fellowship with God’s people originates with being in fellowship with God, the owner of the flock (cf. Amos 3:3-8, 1st Peter 5:1-4). The Pharisees served only themselves and their own interests and for this reason were unfitting to shepherd God’s chosen people. The Son of Man on the other hand was fit because “The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep” (John 10:11) and this He did by becoming the door that protects His sheep when He decided that “I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself” (John 10:17b-18a). The exhortation now is for us to go and do the same for one another (cf. 1st John 3:16-18).