This drawing, done by a member of our group, comes from Jesus’ I AM statement: “I am the good shepherd.”
The mandala has two main regions. The region outside the triangle is spiritually dry and desolate. The sheep in this region are not nourished.
The region inside the triangle is filled with the presence of Jesus, the good shepherd. The grass is green, there is water, and we see the beginnings of a nice looking sunrise. The sheep here are spiritually fed.
The depiction of Jesus is interesting. This is not a meek and mild man. Jesus is shown as a shepherd that will feed and protect his sheep. He is willing to lay down his life for his sheep. Jesus states that he will lay down his life for the sheep twice. I think he is serious.
Sometimes I think of Matthew the Tax Collector and Simon the Zealot. If I was building up a team, I would be nervous about putting these two together.
Matthew is essentially collecting taxes from his own people, giving the money to the Roman government and becoming wealthy in the process. Matthew is something of a traitor.
Simon, on the other hand, is a member of a revolutionary party that wants to rebel against the Roman Empire. I believe Simon would be labeled as having militant tendencies.
William Barclay states: “The plain fact is that if Simon the Zealot had met Matthew the tax-gather anywhere else than in the company of Jesus, he would have stuck a dagger in him.”
That Jesus could put these two men together and use them to help bring about His Kingdom speaks of a very strong leader.
In Part 3 we move on to Jesus statement: “I am the resurrection and the life.”