Good Shepherd Sunday

©David Sanger | African Art, Sculpture, Jesusthe Good Shepherd

In our assigned lectionary readings this morning, the images of shepherd and sheep are unavoidable.  Hence, this fourth Sunday of Easter by tradition is called Good Shepherd Sunday.

The faithful of the 8:30 ‘encouraged’ me to keep the sermon to no more than 5min… so the 10:45 folk get benefit that distillation as well as the opportunity to expand on it into some more conversation together.

As hard as it might be for some of us to admit, we are like sheep.  Catching all sort of stuff in our outer coats as we graze seemingly mindlessly on whatever is in front of us, we end up carrying around a lot of debris if not groomed periodically.  Left to our own devices, we don’t seem to have a great sense of direction (look at how we’ve ‘evolved’ or not throughout history), instinctively preferring to travel with the herd even if it’s headed in the wrong direction, and getting easily lost if we wander off on our own.  We’re prone to follow whatever voice seems to have the most seductive authority.

There are ‘bad’ shepherds and predators in this valley in which we graze who can and will lead us astray – separating us from each other so that we’re easier prey.  Some ‘shepherds’ are less concerned about our well-being and more intent on using us for their own purposes.  They will not guide and protect us toward a common good.  They will abandon us in times of trouble.

by Fr. John Giuliani

There are also good shepherds (thanks be to God) who work with self-sacrificing, protective care towards us.  Yes, they will sheer and fleece us of our protective coatings now and then, leaving us ‘clean’ albeit more vulnerable.  Ultimately, though, they are interested in keeping us healthy and nourished.  Such shepherds are vigilant in keeping watch out for dangers that we might not notice and keeping us gathered together – even searching out for those who have wandered off and gently guiding them back into group.  Haven’t you known at least one of these good shepherds in your life?

This was all true in the time Jesus and it’s still true for us today. 

Two questions to ask ourselves this week:

1.    How are we discerning which voices to follow – are we following the Good Shepherd?

2.    How are to participate in good shepherding of others, working with Christ, to bring all sheep into one fold, a unified flock.

Consider the well-known Psalm 23 that we’ve heard again this morning.  Perhaps the initial emotional images that are conjured up resemble the popular pastoral image of a gentle Jesus walking through a pleasant meadow carrying a clean, cute little lamb over his shoulders… puffy white clouds in a blue sky, etc..  Indeed, particularly in the midst of a disorienting crisis (like acute grief) that image is, and should be, comforting. 

And, if we go deeper, when combined with our other readings this morning, we also hear themes of want/longing/hunger, the risks and perils of getting lost (wandering off the safe path), fear of evil, accusatory judgments of others - those that trouble me, rejection, personal sacrifice, and the shadow of death.  So below the surface of that peaceful pastoral image of smiling shepherd and the docile lamb, we also have emotional undercurrents of danger, fear of abandonment, protection from predators, longing to be healed and/or taken care of, issues of intimacy, security, trust, and surrender (and the list goes on). 

These emotional undercurrents are the fields in which we are to tend to love itself.  With God’s help, we are to shepherd each other through these shadows into greener pastures together, gathered in Christ’s name.

The Scriptures tell us over and over that God’s love it constantly seeking to draw us out shadows and back into light – to liberate us from bondage and to find us when we’re list,  bringing us back into the holy fold where we can graze kindly and safely with our neighbors. 

As some context for the images in our lectionary readings today, hear what the prophet Ezekiel said to our ancestors about God’s response to the bad shepherds who were scattering and scaring the flock for their own purposes (this is Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase of Ezekiel 34:10-16 in The Message):

¹⁰ "'Watch out! I'm coming down on the shepherds and taking my sheep back. They're fired as shepherds of my sheep. No more shepherds who just feed themselves! I'll rescue my sheep from their greed. They're not going to feed off my sheep any longer! ^11-16 "'God, the Master, says: From now on, I myself am the shepherd. I'm going looking for them. As shepherds go after their flocks when they get scattered, I'm going after my sheep. I'll rescue them from all the places they've been scattered to in the storms. I'll bring them back from foreign peoples, gather them from foreign countries, and bring them back to their home country. I'll feed them on the mountains of Israel, along the streams, among their own people. I'll lead them into lush pasture so they can roam the mountain pastures of Israel, graze at leisure, feed in the rich pastures on the mountains of Israel. And I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep. I myself will make sure they get plenty of rest. I'll go after the lost, I'll collect the strays, I'll doctor the injured, I'll build up the weak ones and oversee the strong ones so they're not exploited.

And, as particular context for the Gospel lesson we heard, hear how Jesus prefaced his words that we heard this morning – the first ten verses of John 10 (again, from Eugene Peterson’s paraphrase The Message):

 ^1-5 "Let me set this before you as plainly as I can. If a person climbs over or through the fence of a sheep pen instead of going through the gate, you know he's up to no good—a sheep rustler! The shepherd walks right up to the gate. The gatekeeper opens the gate to him and the sheep recognize his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he gets them all out, he leads them and they follow because they are familiar with his voice. They won't follow a stranger's voice but will scatter because they aren't used to the sound of it." ^6-10Jesus told this simple story, but they had no idea what he was talking about. So he tried again. "I'll be explicit, then. I am the Gate for the sheep. All those others are up to no good—sheep stealers, every one of them. But the sheep didn't listen to them. I am the Gate. Anyone who goes through me will be cared for—will freely go in and out, and find pasture. A thief is only there to steal and kill and destroy. I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of.

Indeed, there are shepherds that lead us astray, putting our lives in danger… and there are good shepherds who seek us out and lead us back into safety and health together.

How do you discern which shepherd you’re following? 

It’s not that hard really – look up from your grazing and determine if you’re in the lush green valley, without as many fears… or if you’re more often in want and fear of the shadows that lurk perilously close.  Are the waters more often still around you?  Or, are you made to feel anxious at their rushing pace?

If you’re not in good pasture, it’s time to listen anew for the voice of Christ this Easter season.  And, look around to see if there’s a flock that appears to be more in the sunlight than the shadows… a flock that appears non-anxious and healthy.  Make your way to be close to them and learn to recognize the shepherd that they follow. 

If you’re in a healthy and lush pasture now, good for you.  Remember to help lead others there are well (sheep are prone to follow each other, remember).

God, we pray that you will help us each and all recognize and listen to the voice of your Son, or Savior, and follow where he leads us.

In this telling of another time that the risen Jesus appeared to some of his disciples (John 21:15-17), the author of John writes that some of the disciples had gone back to fishing but were not able to catch enough for their breakfast.  Jesus appears and helps them gather more food than they were doing on their own and then he breaks bread with them again, opening their hearts and minds, and instructs them…

¹⁵When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”¹⁶A second time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Tend my sheep.” ¹⁷He said to him the third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter felt hurt because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.”

Feed my lambs.  Tend my sheep.  Feed my sheep.

The instructions are pretty clear.  Lord Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd, expects us to model his good behavior toward others.  We’ve heard this before and we’ll continue to hear it as we listen to the Scriptures.  Love others as Christ loves us.

Our Lord says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me…. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.” (John 10:14-16)

How is St. Andrew’s here in Emporia calling the flock together and tending to the needs of all the sheep gathered in Christ’s name? 

Our call is clear and consistent with voice of our Good Shepherd, no?

At St. Andrew’s you are welcomed as you are and wherever you may be on your journey. As part of the Episcopal Church and Anglican Christianity, we share a long tradition of making room for a diversity of religious, political and social positions while always maintaining that the Risen One, Jesus Christ, is sovereign of all. Whether you are a lifelong Christian or just curious about the Christian Faith, you are welcome here. Whether you are a conservative, a liberal, or something in between, you are welcome here. Whether you are wealthy or broke, you are welcome here. Whether you are black, white, yellow, married, single, divorced, straight, gay, male, female, introverted, extroverted, young or old, you are welcome here. (http://standrewsemporia.org/about/)

And, as lambs and sheep gather here, we are feeding them - quite literally on Saturdays… and in more subtle and sublime ways during the rest of the week.   This is good news, indeed.

And, just as all good shepherds must remain alert and vigilant while the gathered sheep graze in the green pasture, we must remain mindful not to let the love of God fall back into the shadows as a mere feeling or sentiment – we must continue to live it out through our actions toward each other and toward those not yet of our flock.  We are to help others learn to recognize the voice of the Good Shepherd what we do.

As we’ve heard in the Epistle lesson this morning:

“Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth…. And, this is [God’s] commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us.” (1 John 3:18-19, 23)

AMEN.