“All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.”
All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them — this stark declaration applies to false messiahs and fraudulent leaders who claimed to be Israel's savior but came seeking their own glory rather than God's. Jesus distinguishes between all who came claiming salvific authority outside of the Father's appointment (the thieves and robbers of verse 1) and the true shepherd. The sheep's failure to follow these imposters demonstrates that God's people, when spiritually attuned, recognize the voice of the true shepherd.
Church Fathers on John 10:8
Our Lord, to waken the attention of the Jews, unfolds the meaning of what He has said; Then said Jesus to them again, Verily, verily, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep.
let us enter, and let us enter with joy.
As if to say, The sheep hear not them, but Me they hear; for I am the Door, and whoever enters by Me not falsely but in sincerity, shall by perseverance be saved.
Read all 14 entries in the readerCatena Aurea · St. Thomas Aquinas, tr. J. H. Newman · public domain
COMMUNITY REFLECTIONS
Publish a reflection on this verse
No reflections on this verse yet. Be the first to write one!