The Fourth Sunday in Easter
The Good Shepherd
I have always loved the imagery of Jesus the Good Shepherd. It is probably one of the best known and comforting pieces of Scripture as it reminds us both of God’s protection and God’s tender care. Out of curiosity I googled the words “Good Shepherd” this week and came upon hundreds of paintings and drawings depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd. I am sure you have seen a few of these pictures yourself. When I see these pictures, Jesus always seems to be in a tranquil green pasture surrounded by happy and adoring sheep. These beautiful pictures are peaceful and comforting, but I wonder if they accurately represent the life of a shepherd.
To be a shepherd in Jesus’s time was a hard job. While shepherding was not the most dignified profession, livestock such as sheep were valuable and large flocks were considered a sign of wealth. Sheep were used for food, religious sacrifices, and many other things. The sheep were a great asset to the owner, so the shepherd held a great responsibility for their protection.
A shepherd was responsible for the sheep at all times and would often live outside with the flock. During the day the shepherd would lead the sheep to pasture and calm waters and keep watch all day as they grazed. Come heat, wind, rain or storm, the shepherd remained steadfast. If a sheep wandered off—as they are prone to do—the shepherd was responsible for bringing it back to the flock, and if a sheep became injured or sick the shepherd was responsible for that too. At night the shepherd would lead the flock back to their pen, often sleeping at the gate entrance so no sheep could wander, and no thieves or wild animals could come in. Simply said, shepherding was a hard, tiring, messy and sometimes dangerous job.
And yet, despite the hard work, the shepherd was dedicated to the sheep. The shepherd came to know and care for each sheep individually, to the point that he would risk his own wellbeing for the sake of the sheep. No generic hired hand would go to such lengths, and that is why the sheep knew the shepherd’s voice and trusted the shepherd alone. For the sheep, the shepherd was their protector, their provider, their comforter and their leader. The shepherd was their lifeline and their survival.
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In our Gospel today, Jesus asserts himself as the Good Shepherd, taking on the role of deep relational love and care for the flock, God’s people. God is the owner of the flock and the flock is valuable to God. God knows each member of the flock. Each and every one of God’s people has a name and a story, and God wants each and every person to know that they are loved and belong to the fold of God’s people.
Yet, God knows that we are a vulnerable flock. We live in a world that is unpredictable and sometimes dangerous. There is sin and fear, distractions and voices that lead us astray from God’s goodness. In a world that is so busy and uncertain, it can be hard for us to hear God’s voice. We can forget who we are and who God is. But because God loves God’s people, God sent his most trusted shepherd, God’s own Son, to personally tend to God’s people. In love, Jesus accepts the task and desires to care for and love each person whom God has created and loves.
I am thankful today that Jesus is our faithful Good Shepherd. Jesus knows and cares for each of us personally, and Jesus knows our needs. Jesus offers us guidance and company in a world that is chaotic and sometimes uncertain. Troubles will come and we may go astray, but the Good Shepherd is steadfast and will not run away in the hard times. The Good Shepherd stands with us when the rain pours and the thunder rolls, carries us when we are tired, and comes after us when we wander. Our Shepherd will go to great lengths for our wellbeing and there is nothing that can snatch us away from the love of our Good Shepherd. In fact, our Good Shepherd loved us to the point of laying down his life on a cross, so that we could find life and have it abundantly. Our Good Shepherd is faithful, and in Christ we find our hope.
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I also give thanks today for the flock and for the gift of community. Just as sheep do better in a flock, our Good Shepherd created us to be in community too. We were created for life together, with God and with one another. The flock is both community and family.
I learned this truth for the first time when I was 4 years old. I always loved going to church. I loved the Bible Stories, the music, the grownups who would always smile at me. But I remember one terrifying moment at church when I got separated from my mom. I was standing in the back of the sanctuary with a crowd of people moving around me. It was the busy time right after Sunday school as parents were gathering their children and going into worship, and others were coming in to get ready for the service. Everyone was shuffling around me and no one seemed to notice me. The faces were familiar as I saw many of them each week, but as I turned in circles none of them were my mom and I was scared. I started to cry. A woman named Lesley noticed me and immediately came to my aid. Giving me a hug and taking my hand, she told me that church was family and I didn’t need to be afraid.
Lesley’s words stayed with me as I grew up and they became true—church was family. There was Robin who always gave me a bear hug and a kiss on the top of my head. There was Mary who taught me how to “pan for gold” during Vacation Bible School, and Judy who told me Bible stories and taught me how to cross stitch. There was Andy who played the guitar and knew all of my favorite church camp songs, and Chuck who was at every church event with a helping hand. These people became family and community for me. They weren’t in my life every day when I was at school or at home, but there were still family, a community, a support system and a refuge for me no matter what I was going through. I needed my community, to be a part of the flock.
Faith-Lilac Way is the same. Some of you have been members for years and some are newer to the group, but it doesn’t matter because we are family. We worship together and work together to do ministry. We share our talents and passions with one another, whether that be music, fixing things around the building or cooking in the kitchen. We have book clubs, pancake breakfasts and community gatherings. Many of us have formed friendships that go beyond our church doors and we walk alongside one another in the daily parts of life. Together we laugh, play, cry and pray. We live life together, both the good and the bad. We are blessed to live together in community, to be a part of God’s community.
God’s community is special, both at Faith-Lilac Way and in the wider Church, and what is unique about God’s community is that there is always room for more. God’s flock comes with an open invitation. In our Gospel today Jesus says he must bring others into the fold until there is one Flock and one Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is good at finding lost and vulnerable sheep, and sheep that did not originally belong find welcome in the flock. In my mind I picture a ragtag group and colorful and unique sheep gathered around the Shepherd—sheep of different colors and sizes, ages, background, abilities and beliefs. It is a beautiful picture I see. It is the Shepherd who decides who belongs, and it is the job of the flock to simply be the flock. Now, life together in the flock is not always easy. Challenges do come and sometimes the sheep get on each other’s nerves. Sometimes mistakes are made and sometimes feelings get hurt. Sometimes life together is hard, but with the Shepherd’s help the flock is strong and remains united. The flock is the community of welcome and life together, guided by the Good Shepherd.
What a beautiful image of church—to be a church that lives in community together as God’s flock, a community that supports one another in good times and in bad, a community that eagerly welcomes and loves all of those brought into our midst. What a transforming and beautiful kind of church that is—God’s Church. With God’s help I pray that Faith-Lilac Way can be that kind of church now and always. May we be a church that follows the voice of our Good Shepherd, a church that trusts in God’s promises, a church where others find welcome, and a flock that reflects God’s love to one another and the world. May it be so. Amen.