Over the last week I have been rather grumpy on this blog. I generally try to comment around the text. And the text remains Jeremiah, who is scathing when it comes to the priests and prophets of his time. He is preaching the destruction of the first temple: for idolatry, for corruption, for the tolerance of evil. And when sexual immorality has been elevated, in the name of equality, to be an idol we are ordered to worship, then scathing we should be.

But this morning the gospel reminds us of one thing. The sheep know their master. The spirit within us rejects the falsity of the current bunch of activists. We should have faith in Christ, who will preserve his bride.

And, as today I travel, I think we need a cat photo.

“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. To him the gatekeeper opens. The sheep hear his voice, and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, but they will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.” This figure of speech Jesus used with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.

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. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

(John 10:1-18 ESV)

We are told that there will be false teachers. They will come to steal, to destroy. But they will not prevail: for the congregation knows that their master is not the prelate or cardinal, but Christ.

Those who ally themselves with evil become stupid quick. This is obvious, it is catching: to this reformed bloke Mundabor is doing a sterling job of correcting over the Tiber, and I try to do my bit, in anger in tears, because that great old thing called the Presbyterian Church is being ground into the mire.

We have to call evil when we see it.

But I do not lose hope. Because the church is Christ and he knows his own, caring not a whit for title or status.