CLOSE TO THE SHEPHERD

Fourth Sunday of Easter B

John 10:11-18

May 7, 2006

Grace to you and Peace from our Lord and Shepherd, Jesus the Christ.  Amen.

            Heath Civetta, Rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Concord, N.H. writes about observing a faith formation class(Sunday School) for 3-5 year olds where the central image for the year was Jesus the Good Shepherd.  The materials the children were using to explore the story were some beautiful wooden figures of a flock of sheep, a shepherd, a wolf, and a hired hand.  His most vivid image while observing was of a three year old boy holding some figures in his three year old hands.  One was the figure of the shepherd and the other was one of the sheep.

            The child could not put them down.  He had been watching and listening, sitting quietly while the teacher told the story of the Good Shepherd, his sheep, the hired man, and a wolf.  The three year old and the other children had sat listening to the teacher and watching as the figures were used to tell the story.  He noticed how the teacher had the wolf scatter the sheep by knocking the figures around.  He noticed how the sheep never moved to where the hired hand was place.  Instead, the sheep always followed the shepherd, whether in the pen or outside of it.

            The presentation must have made a huge impact on this youngster because, when the children were invited to work with the materials, the little boy went right over to the Shepherd and the sheep.  He took the shepherd and one of the sheep in his hands.  He started to tell the story to himself, holding one sheep as if it was “glued” to the side of the Good Shepherd.  No matter where he moved the shepherd figure, in the sheepfold or outside of it looking for greener grass, his sheep figure was not only following the shepherd but was snuggled up against the shepherd with no daylight between them.

            Civetta watched for a while, wondering what this little boy might be thinking or feeling.  He did notice the joyful smiles on the child’s face as he moved the figures around with such ease.  “He’s right”, thought Civetta, “life in the sheepfold can be blissful at a times, especially when we stay close to the Good Shepherd.”  This little one knew what the writer had forgotten.  When life seems overwhelming, stay close—ever so close as to be one with the Shepherd.

            But he also noticed that the other children were working with the other story telling materials.  They seemed to be most concerned with the wolf.  So had he.  He have even jumped, a bit startled, when the teacher had knocked the sheep over with the wolf during the lesson.  He didn’t like it!  Wanted the wolf out of there! He knew first hand what it’s like when the “wolf” comes.  What it means to be scattered from the group. Split apart!  Lost!  Full of fear!  Broken from the flock! Lost without the Shepherd!  The wolf doesn’t bind with love, but scatters with fear!

            Oddly, the children who were working with the wolf and other sheep figures seemed to experience the story another way.  Instead of keeping the wolf far away from the united sheep family, they had the wolf right in the midst, living right alongside.  They were simply moving the figures on the rug, but always keep the wolf among the sheep.  Maybe, he thought, even at such a young age they knew that the wolf was part of life.  Living among the sheep; fear or separation simply part of life. Not good news; but maybe correct.

            Then, the little guy with the shepherd and the sheep still in his hands, returned to the others.  He gently moved the shepherd to stand at the opening of the sheepfold. “EVERYBODY IN!”, he said and all the children moved their sheep figures carefully back into the enclosure.  One little child tried to move the wolf into the enclosure, but the 3 year old, closed the gate by placing the shepherd in front of the gate, facing the sheep and keeping the wolf out.  And then he said, “One shepherd. One flock!”  And Heath

Civetta said, “I began to cry!”

            In his conclusion he said, the children knew the Good Shepherd’s power, His way, His truth, and His love.  They knew that in the Good Shepherd’s sheepfold there is no need to fear.  They knew that they, that we, have been called by name.  They knew that all are welcome, and all are made new through him.  They are members of the fold, and we are too, no matter how fearful, how scared, how scarred, or how broken. Stay close to the Shepherd!

            Jesus says these three things about himself in this segment of the 10th Chapter of the Gospel of John…

                                   -That he’s willing to give his life for the sheep.

                                   -That he knows each of us intimately.

                                   -That there are other sheep to whom his heart goes out.

            It’s the season of Easter, the season when we emphasize more than any other, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Yet, the gospel for this morning is the first in “Eastertide” when it doesn’t portray an appearance of the Risen Christ. We’ve traveled from Easter Sunday morning to an encounter with doubting Thomas, traveled to Emmaus when Jesus appeared to the two men walking and in the midst of a gathering of folks.  But today, on this Sunday, we’re taken back to John’s Gospel and one of the great “I AM” passages where Jesus describes himself as the Good Shepherd.

Here he affirms the love for and the knowledge of the sheep.  While it is the Season of Easter, the resurrection never makes much sense unless it is directly related to the Cross.

            So to continue to speak about the death of Christ in this season is very appro-priate.  Jesus pushes the metaphor of the shepherd. “I AM THE GOOD SHEPHERD. THE GOOD SHEPHERD LAYS DOWN HIS LIFE FOR THE SHEEP.” Isn’t that taking shepherding a bit far?  Must the shepherd’s care for the sheep go to such extreme lengths?  A shepherd is not only willing to care for the sheep, but also to lay down his life for them is some kind of shepherd.

            As Jesus notes, a hired hand “runs away” at the sign of trouble. They are not his sheep.  The Good Shepherd stays because the sheep belong to him.  Furthermore, the

Good Shepherd who dies on behalf of the sheep doesn’t do so from some eternal coercion or fear.  “NO ONE TAKES MY LIFE FROM ME, BUT I LAY IT DOWN OF MY OWN ACCORD.” The shepherd is not a victim.  The shepherd’s love unto death is something that the shepherd has decided to do.  He gives his life rather than having his life taken from him.  No passive victim in his death, rather he offers himself up for the purposes of God “of my own accord”. Such love do we have from this Christ, whom we name as the Good Shepherd for we belong to him.

            I remember Gene a local shepherd in my previous parish.  I would see him in the spring of the year in town running errands.  If we met up he’d be in his farm clothes which were often indication that it was a busy season.  “Are you getting lamb?”, I’d ask. His response was usually, “By the handfuls!”  His usual stern demeanor turned to smiles for they were his sheep, his lambs, and his flock. They belonged to him!  It’s important to stay close to the shepherd!  He seeks to remain close to us so that we remain close to the shepherd.

            Secondly, he knows us and cares for us.  “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.”   There it is again, caring so much he lays down his life for the sheep.  I remember Earl!  An older adult who lived on the farm with his parents until they died and then he moved into a group home for special needs adults. Living just down the street from my home, we would see each other several times a week.  His needs were basic, but purposeful.  He was the gardener and mowed the lawn for the group home.  He and some of the other men worshipped with us almost every Sunday.  Walking downtown one day, I was visiting with a friend outside the local post office when Earl came by.  He stopped and I introduced him to this friend. Offering his hand, he looked at my friend, at me, and back at my friend and Earl said to him about me…”HE KNOWS ME!”  He didn’t say, “I KNOW HIM!” but rather “HE KNOWS ME!”  It was a humbling and touching moment.  It was more important to be known than to know.

            While it is important to know who Jesus is, isn’t it just as important that we come to realize that we are also known.  And cared for!  Sometimes, it isn’t only about us!  It is about Jesus!  To known and to be known flows together. The Good Shepherd, who lays down his life for the sheep, knows his flock.  The Good Shepherd knows us and cares for the flock, his people-the church, his world, his creation.  The Good Shepherd’s knowing is not just about acquaintanceship but about God’s desire for us to be known as His very own.  As we are!

            We know what Jesus the Christ is like, because he did live and die for us.  By his offering of himself, we know what he is like and the full extent of his love.  There may be things we don’t know about him, but this we know…what a price he paid for making us his own.  He seeks to keep us close to the shepherd! He willingly lays down his life for us and knows each of us intimately.

            The third thought is that there are others to whom his heart goes out.  “I HAVE OTHER SEEHP 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.”  We aren’t sure who Christ may have had in mind when he spoke of “other sheep”. Is he thinking about the lost sheep of the house of Israel?  Or is the mission to the Gentiles envisioned?  Who?  But when combined with the final commission…”SO I SEND YOU”…we can assume that Christ has a broader mission in mind.  Whatever else we read into it, there is that sense of an inclusive, encompassing desire for those others that do not yet belong, those who have not yet heard the voice…to be included as well.

            What a source of comfort and hope for us when we know the love of Good Shepherd for all in the fold.  What a source of challenge and mission for us to know that the love is extended far beyond to others as well. There can be absolutely no doubt that the love of God, the grace and mercy of Christ, is broader, wider, deeper, more encompassing that we have envisioned it to be. He wants all to be close to the shepherd.

            This afternoon marks a celebrative moment in the lives of 27 young people in our congregation.  They affirm their baptism…confirm their faith in the Lord Jesus who is the Good Shepherd.  If there is one hope which we as a congregation together might verbalize to each of them…it is that they will remain close to the shepherd.  Why?

            -Because he has laid down his life for them.

            -Because he knows them well and cares deeply for them.

            -Because they too are part of this fold, this flock, this family of faith.

            I pray they will “snuggle” in close, if you will, close to the shepherd all the days of their lives.  The Good Shepherd.   Eat of the holy food of the Good Shepherd.  Receive daily forgiveness and affirmation of the Good Shepherd.  Listen to the voice  that speaks directly to their hearts.  That voice that reminds them that they belong to Him  and is always calling them back into the place where they belong. 

CLOSE TO THE SHEPHERD.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

                                                                                             Pastor Clark Cary