Let the Big Dog Eat

So Jesus again said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. (John 10:7-14 ESV). First, a disclaimer and a request are necessary. I am going to mention guns as an illustration today; please don’t write me and tell me how horrible it is for me to own a gun. I promise I’m perfectly happy to debate the issue of guns and violence in another venue. There are positive and negative sides to this hotly contested debate concerning our Second Amendment of the constitution. Also, the safety of the shooting I mention cannot be questioned. I was accompanied by a professional law enforcement officer and every precaution was taken before and during the use of the weapons. So with that in mind, what in the world does shooting rifle have to do with today’s Bible reading. Well, stay with me for a bit. Some time ago I was given a new rifle as a gift. It is a semi automatic weapon. It is primarily a weapon for target shooting, though it certainly could be used in hunting. I needed to take my larger caliber rifle and check the sighting of the scope and fire it a few times to get ready for the fast approaching hunting season. I went to my friend’s house, who is the Sheriff of Maury County, Tennessee. He has a large farm with an area designated to shoot. I wanted to show him my new rifle. He had quite a bit of ammunition for that caliber rifle; so, after sighting the large caliber rifle in and making sure it was performing as it should, we decided to do some target shooting with the smaller rifle. We shot from different distances. He is significantly better than I am, though I held my own in grouping the shots close together. We shot about fifty rounds each and decided to move closer to the target. He was giving me instructions all along in the proper operation of this rifle at fast speeds. Then we set up to do rapid fire shooting. As I was ready, he said, “Go ahead. Let the big eat!” I must admit that firing that rifle twenty-five times in a matter of seconds was exhilarating. Excuse the pun… but it was a blast! When Jesus was speaking to his disciples and told them he had come that they would have “abundant” life, I’m not sure he was really thinking specifically about target shooting. However, I do know that he was thinking about their experiences in life being filled with excitement and joy, even in the most trying of circumstances. He did not die so that our lives would worse. He died that we would know everything we experience works toward our best. My experience at the range was not the least bit “trying.” It was pleasurable. As good as it was, it is nothing compared to what awaits me in my eternal home. I don’t what heaven will be like, except it will be greater than we are now capable of even imagining. That is what Jesus has secured for us in his redemptive work. So, go ahead… let the big dog eat! Life is so good in Christ! Trust Him!