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A shorter than usual sermon, since the Gideons were speaking. (and our Gideon was - Excellent! Great stories, great delivery, passionate!) The sermon inspiration was "Tough Love" by Richard Moore, on-line at the Winderemere Centre in England)
Easter 4B, May 3, 2009
Acts 4:5–12, Psalm 23, 1 John 3:16–24, John 10:11–18
What a gift these lessons are! On this Sunday we think about our Great Shepherd. We are far from shepherds, and most of us far from sheep. The reality of this occupation in the time of Jesus was much different from our Sunday School story or the religious art we see. It wasn’t an image with clean feet and robes and a nicely trimmed beard. Shepherds were rough, mostly solitary, and fierce.
Fierce and tough. Look at what Jesus says. The shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Not that the shepherd just takes care of the sheep, not the shepherd just gets them fed and watered – this Good Shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. This is how we know we are out of the realm of pretty pictures – out of the realm of typical occupational behavior. Most shepherds would NOT die for the flock – they would let that wolf take one or two.
No, this is more. This is a prediction of the Passion – pointing to the cross. This is pointing to the extraordinary events that would follow in the life of the disciples – Jesus would go to the cross, and he would be glorified. In the gospel of John glorification does not mean what we might think – It does not mean beams of light and power and angels bringing good news. In the gospel of John ‘glorification’ looks a lot like defeat. Glorification – the goal of Jesus life and ministry – looks a lot like death by execution. Death on the cross. 17For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again.
Now the cross was not loved, not seen as a symbol of anything but pain. For centuries the cross was not part of Christian Art, was not painted or depicted, did not become part of jewelry. It was too painful. It was there, it was known about – but it was part of the mystery of what God has done – for us.
Because Jesus was a volunteer. He chose this path, and demonstrated God’s fierce love for his people. God acted – decisively – in love and power. That is what Jesus is pointing at. That is love.
"We know love when we see it" – and we see in Jesus, the Good Shepherd, doing more than providing, although he does that, doing more than comforting, although he does that – he saves – he gives away his life. He lays down his life.
And in the Gospel, this kind of love is transferred to those who believe. We are not just recipients of this love, we are to embody it ourselves. Love one another, as I have loved you. This fierce love, this powerful gift, is for you and me.
Love is tough. It is the sort of love that is embodied (literally) in the shepherd who provides for the sheep and protects them with his life against wild beasts. We know love, says the apostle John, when we see it - and we see it in Jesus laying down his life for us (v16). But that means that those of us who live because of that love ought to live by it.
In the same family of writers we hear: 16We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us — and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. 17How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help?
18Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.
In truth and action – think of the ways, the many ways we can love in truth and action – you heard about the work of the Gideons, still necessary – maybe even more necessary these days.
The first Sunday of the month is food ingathering day – but any day, every day, there are hungry people in our community. We are worried about the flu – but shouldn’t we be even more concerned about the children who are malnourished and needy? Should we not be thinking about ways to help families get health care coverage, to improve and correct the inequities in our rich society?
I have other sheep, says Jesus. Yes, he does, and we have been given a responsibility to learn fierce love, to extend the blessings we have received to them.
To be “in Jesus” and to have Jesus abiding “in us” means that we will be those who, having experienced God’s love in Christ, live it out
in world-transforming, community-shaping actions
that are the work of the same Spirit that was “abiding” in Jesus.
If we follow the Good Shepherd, we will be shepherds to others and to the world.
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I wonder how much of the power of the passage from the Gospel of John as been de-fanged by our seeing it relationship to Psalm 23. Look at what Jesus is saying - that's way beyond the shepherd of Psalm 23 - this is about more than safety and reward and comfort. This is about life and death and fighting off the wolves and letting the wolves kill the shepherd for the sake of the sheep.
"The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want" - The Good Shepherd will die for the sheep.
"he leads me, comforts me etc." - The Good's Shepherd's blood will save the sheep.
This is deep stuff.
Deep magic.
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