“I came that they may have
life, and have it abundantly.”
The image of a shepherd and sheep
is one of the most powerful in our faith. The 23rd
psalm that we heard today is one of the most repeated and
memorized in the entire Bible. The image of Jesus carrying a
sheep over his shoulders has decorated many nurseries and Sunday
school classrooms over the years.
But what do we know about sheep?
Have any of us ever worked as a
shepherd or even talked to one?
For most of us, the extent of our
knowledge about shepherds and sheep is what we have heard in
Sunday school stories or perhaps seen in some movies or briefly
observed in a petting zoo. If someone does have some first hand
knowledge about sheep, come see me after the service today and
educate me before the next time I preach on this passage.
Now what is the first thing that
most of us think of when we think of sheep? Well a common phrase
used in our language is “Dumb sheep.” Being called a sheep is
usually not a compliment. One of my favorite Gary Larson
cartoons shows a flock of sheep grazing in a field with one of
them standing up and shouting “Wait! Wait! Listen to me! … We
don’t have to be just sheep!”
This understanding of sheep
influences how we interpret these images from the Bible. If
we’re sheep and Jesus and God are the shepherds, then the
message we hear consciously or subconsciously is that we’re
dumb … we’re passive … that we move together mindlessly as part
of a group … and that when we get lost, we’re in deep trouble.
Now frankly, that understanding of sheep and God’s people is
present-- and sometimes helpful-- in our tradition.
The passage today from John’s
Gospel is different though. Jesus describes the sheep and those
around them in a way that gets a little complicated. Let’s look
at the story more closely to see what we can learn.
The story begins with an image of
a sheepfold. Imagine a stone walled enclosure filled with sheep.
Jesus’ initial point seems straightforward enough: If someone is
sneaking in by a way other than the gate, that person is a
thief. The person who comes through the gate is the shepherd. So
that’s clear—roles are identified based on behaviors
demonstrated. The person sneaking in is up to no good; the
person coming in through the gate is there to care for the
sheep. Makes sense.
But what about the sheep? Jesus
describes the sheep in this story a little differently. They are
more than just dumb, passive animals that move around in groups
and occasionally get lost. These sheep are more than those
stereotypes. First, the sheep are described as knowing the
shepherd by hearing his voice. In this story, the sheep have
remarkable discernment about who knows them and who cares for
them. They are more than just dumb animals.
Second the sheep are described as
following the shepherd. Now this may reinforce the “dumb sheep”
image-- they just go where the shepherd leads them. But another
way to understand the sheep following the shepherd is that the
sheep have the courage to go out and leave the safety of the
sheepfold. They follow the shepherd to find good pasture and
fresh water and to fully experience all that it means to be a
sheep under the protection and guidance of their shepherd.
Now we’re told that this story--
as often happens with Jesus’ stories-- confuses his audience. So
Jesus tries again. He says that he is the gate for the sheep.
Now that might seem to make the story even more confusing. But
we learned in the JAM Sunday school that in that day and part of
the world, the shepherd served as the gate for the sheepfold. At
night, the shepherd would lay across the opening in order to
protect the sheep. So when Jesus said, “I am the gate,” he is
also saying that he is the shepherd, a description that he will
use in the verses that follow our gospel today in the 10th
chapter of John.
Jesus contrasts his role as gate
and shepherd with others who have bad intentions toward the
sheep. In the prophetic tradition of Israel, the religious and
political leaders were often described as shepherds. Jesus
joined his voice to that prophetic tradition and criticized
those leaders who came before him and used their power and
authority to take advantage of the people. Jesus makes clear
that he provides a radically different type of leadership. His
leadership helps people to live full lives, not abused or
abandoned by those in whom they trust.
So this is a good story that
reinforces our Christian belief that Jesus is our shepherd—our
leader and protector that cares for us and in whom we can trust.
That is good news and something that we can build our lives and
our faith upon. But is that all we learn from these images of
shepherd and sheep? Let’s go a little further and see what the
sheep can show us about our life together in the church.
Remember the Gospel for today
describes sheep in two ways:
Jesus calls us to be sheep that
listen for his voice and courageously follow where he leads us.
Now what does this mean practically for us two-legged sheep in
our daily lives? Let me tell you a story that might help us
consider how to be discerning and courageous sheep.
I was on the vestry at St.
Patrick’s over twenty years ago. Our rector at the time wanted
to open the church on a Sunday evening for a group to have a
Eucharist and healing service for people with HIV/AIDS. This was
somewhere around 1986 or 1987. Back then, many people in the
world and church at large and in our congregation were unsure
about how to respond to people with HIV/AIDS. Some thought the
disease was a judgment from God and that the service might send
a “mixed message.” Others worried that the disease could be
caught through casual contact. So those concerns were present
among some members of the vestry as we considered the rector’s
proposal.
Now on the St. Patrick’s vestry,
whenever we could not reach a clear decision about an issue, we
practiced what we called “prayer consensus.” We would pause from
our discussion and spend a few minutes in silent prayer. We
would often be instructed to imagine Jesus standing in the room
with us and then listen for what he might say to us. Because of
the emotions and differences involved in this decision, it
became clear that we needed to stop and pray and listen for
Jesus’ voice.
After spending a few minutes in
prayer, we were asked what had come to mind in response to this
proposal. One member said that he was reminded how in the
stories from the Gospels, it was often the disciples that kept
people in need away from Jesus. Another vestry member—a no
nonsense, business person who had been against the proposal—gave
a start. He said, “That’s remarkable; I got almost word for word
the same message.” The conversation continued to unfold and
there were still some practical concerns that needed to be
discussed and worked out to allay peoples’ fears; but the vestry
voted unanimously to support the proposal. The Eucharist and
healing service was held for many people in dire need as well as
their family and friends. Today, over twenty years later, I
still remember the power and love that was expressed in that
service for people that often felt that they had been rejected
by the church and even abandoned by God.
Jesus said “I came that they might
have life, and have it abundantly.” But that abundant life is
not about always having everything we want, even good things.
Rather it is about being part of a community of people who are
like the sheep in this story: people who seek to discern the
shepherd’s voice and have the courage to follow where he leads.
Abundant life like that creates a people that care for those
around us, a people who can stand up like the sheep in the Gary
Larson cartoon and challenge us to be different. In our life
together, let us be like those sheep that listen for the
shepherd’s voice and have the courage to follow where he leads
us. Amen.
