April
21st, 2013 “The 23rd Psalm” Rev. Heather Jepsen
Psalm
23 and John 10:22-30
The 23rd Psalm is perhaps
the most beloved of all our Scripture.
Of every piece of literature that people have written about God, and
specifically about God’s love, nothing transcends time and applies to all
generations like the 23rd Psalm.
When we explore the words of the Psalm
we find out why the images it presents are so timeless and meaningful. This morning I would like to spend some time
with the Psalm and examine each of the Psalm’s lines. Feel free to follow along using the Bible in
your pew.
As you know, the Psalm begins, “The
Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” I shall not want. What a powerful statement that becomes in our
modern culture. All we do is want. We want higher salaries, a better retirement,
a bigger house, a nicer lawn, a better car.
We want and want and want more of this and more of that. We are possessed by our desires for what we
do not have.
And not all of our wants are negative
things. When I think of wanting the
first thing that pops into my mind is that I want to sell my house in
Washington State. I want to be more
financially secure; I want to be more settled here in Warrensburg, I want to be
able to stop relying on the generosity of others and to support my family
myself. Expand that thought and we find
it is not simply about material possessions, I want more good things for myself
and my family. Safety for my children,
that they would have good opportunities, good education, that my parents would
be in good health and happiness in retirement.
It’s not about greed, I want good things for those I know and love.
And
yet, “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not
want”. When we say that, we are making a
statement about our faith. We are saying
I believe that God will provide for me and for those that I love, God will give
every good gift that I need. Similar to “give
us this day our daily bread”, God will provide for me one day at a time. If I let the Lord be my shepherd, then I
shall not want, rather I will trust in the goodness of God. It can be a challenge.
As the Psalm continues it explores the
ways that God provides for us. “He makes
me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters, he restores my
soul.” When we think of ourselves as
humans, this image brings to mind feelings of peace and rest. I always imagine laying in the deep green
grass on a sunny afternoon, the day is not too hot, there is a light breeze,
and not a tick in sight. I also imagine
myself walking beside a cool lake or a gentle creek. Can you see those gentle places, those green
pastures and still waters? Sounds like
vacation doesn’t it, don’t you want to be there right now? The image is a rich one for us.
If
we continue with the image of sheep presented in the first line then we find
something deeper, we find a God who provides more than a peaceful moment. Green pastures are food for a sheep, still
waters are drink. God provides for the
needs of the body as well as the needs of the soul. Food, drink, nourishment; these are the
things we can count on God for. The Lord
is my shepherd, I shall not want; God gives food, drink, nourishment to us. God provides because God is God.
“He leads me in right paths for his
name’s sake.” In right paths shelter is
provided and danger is averted. In right
paths we are safe and our lives are productive.
And, as many of you know, if you spend time walking in the paths of the
Lord, you are often walking in a different direction than most. Like a salmon swimming upstream, you are
going against the grain, going against the easy way. You are walking in paths of righteousness.
God
keeps me alive through food, water, and shelter, and God does these things for
God’s name. God does these things
because it is in God’s nature. God does
these things to help me stay on right paths, to help me to continue to work for
justice and peace in the world around me.
God’s fundamental character is one of goodness and mercy, so will mine
be if I am following in right paths, and that shall reflect on the name of God.
“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil; for
you are with me.” This phrase touches
each of us deeply. Who has not felt at
some moment in their life to have been in the valley of the shadow of
death? As a nation we have been there
several times this week. From the
bombings in Boston, to the explosion in Texas, this nation sometimes appears to be nothing more than a
valley of death’s shadow.
We
have all also been there in our personal lives, and we have witnessed loved
ones on that journey as well. Whether
from emotional, physical, or spiritual distress we have all been in this dark
valley. We have all been in this darkest
of places where everything around us tells us that we are at our most
alone. Yet, “I will fear no evil; for
you are with me.” Though we feel utterly
alone in our suffering, God is with us. Though
as a nation we seem to bog down in sorrow, God is with us. And though our loved ones suffer, God is with
us and them. Ours is a God who knows
suffering, so ours is a God who knows that dark valley. The presence of God helps us to remain strong
in the face of fear. At the moment of
greatest threat, God still provides.
“Your rod and your staff, they comfort
me.” In shepherd’s terms the rod is
present for our safety, the rod is used as a weapon to protect the sheep. God provides protection from things in the
world that seek to harm us. The rod is
that straight stick, weapon of choice, that can knock a threatening intruder
upside the head. The rod can also
represent the royal scepter, for our God though a shepherd is also a king.
The
staff is the crook that pulls the sheep into line, the crook that pulls the
sheep out of the dark valley. In my
silly imagination the shepherd’s crook makes me think of that big hooked stick
that would pull unsuspecting performers of the stage in old comedies. As a pastor I find comfort that just when I
am about to make a fool of myself, God’s crook will yank me off the stage. The rod and staff are a comfort for they keep
the sheep protected and keep the sheep in line.
God works to keep us on those paths of righteousness, and to rescue us
in times of peril.
“You prepare a table before me, in the
presence of my enemies.” God provides
for us even in the presence of those who seek to harm us. I always envision, sitting at a table laden
with food, while those who seek to harm me crowd around. In remembering our reading from last week, Jesus
encountered the disciples at breakfast. Our God is a God who invites us to sit and
eat. God cares for us spiritually and
physically even in the midst of a dangerous world.
As
a clergy person I find a connection here to the sacrament of Communion. When we share a meal around the table in community,
then that becomes the table that the Lord has prepared for us. The Lord’s Supper is a meal that will sustain
us as we journey through the dark valleys of life. Whether dining with friends, strangers, or
even foes, God meets us when we gather at table.
“You anoint my head with oil.” God marks us as separate, as special. God names us, claims us, and marks us as one
of God’s own. Here I find a connection
to the sacrament of Baptism where we are marked as God’s own people. In Baptism God anoints us as God’s own and we
are forever bound to God, through all time and eternity. I also am reminded of the times I have
anointed folks with oil. Weather for
healing or for blessing, making a physical sign of the spiritual mark of God is
a powerful moment in our lives.
“My cup overflows.” I love this image of the cup of blessings, so
full that it sloshes over the side. Not
only does God provide for us what we need, God provides for us abundantly. Hence, I shall not want.
“Surely goodness and mercy shall
follow me all the days of my life.”
Wherever we go, good things will follow in our paths, because we are on
the path of the Lord. I love this idea
that goodness and mercy are not only marks of God, but marks of the lives of
God’s people. I am reminded of cartoon
characters who leave a path of blossoming flowers in their wake. Some people leave messes and heartache behind
them but not those who follow the shepherd.
They leave paths of goodness and mercy.
“And
I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.” I think this is my favorite line. Forever God will provide. Forever God will be in relationship with
us. Not just in the green pastures and
dark valleys of this lifetime but throughout all of eternity. I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
forever. Even when I feel like I have
turned away or am trapped in that darkest valley, I know that I dwell in the
house of the Lord. It is a powerful word
to give hope to the hopeless.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus speaks of
the shepherd’s relationship with his sheep.
“My sheep hear my voice. I know
them, and they follow me.” Those who had
the ears to hear could recognize that Jesus was the Messiah, could see that he
was in fact the good shepherd. The sheep
need not only to hear the shepherd’s voice, but they need to see clearly enough
to recognize that he is the shepherd in the first place.
Being sheep of the good shepherd comes
not because we are the best looking, the brightest, or because we have earned
our way there. Being one of these sheep
is a gift of grace. It is grace alone
that provides for us in green pastures and dark valleys. And it is grace alone that scoops us into the
Father’s hands and keeps us safe there forever.
What a wonderful God we have that provides for us in such a way.
As you know, the Psalms were written
as songs. They were meant to be set to
music. So this morning, as we have
explored this Psalm in words, we will now experience it in music. Beyond singing a few settings of the Psalm, I
have brought music to listen to. This is
from John Rutter’s Requiem and is entitled “The Lord is my Shepherd”. I am certain that like me, some of you here
have performed this piece yourselves.
This is one of my favorite things, and whenever I read the 23rd
psalm I hear this music in my head. I
invite you now to sit back, close your eyes, and let yourself be enveloped by
this setting of the 23rd Psalm.
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