Monday, May 8, 2017

Going Out the Gate

May 7th, 2017          “Going Out the Gate”     Rev. Heather Jepsen
John 10:1-10 with Psalm 23
          This morning is what is sometimes referred to as “Shepherd Sunday”.  On the fourth Sunday of the Easter season, the lectionary always turns to Psalm 23 and pairs that reading with various “sheep themed” readings from throughout our scriptures.  This is a Sunday that we love to return to, as the 23rd Psalm is a favorite of many.  We love those green pastures and still waters.
          For many of us, the familiar words of the 23rd Psalm provide a great comfort and peace.  When we are in difficult places in our lives, these are the words that we turn to.  It is no surprise to find that this is one of the few pieces of scripture that many un-churched folks are familiar with, as well as the most popular reading at funerals. 
          One of the reasons we love the 23rd Psalm so much is because the whole of our lives is found within its simple phrases.  The good is there of course in the images of green pastures and still waters.  The bad is there in the valley of shadows and death and in the enemies that surround us.  Even God’s nudging in our lives is there, when we consider the work of the rod and staff in correcting the path of a wayward sheep.
          The words of the 23rd Psalm give us comfort in days like these as for many of us this is a troubling time in our world.  We see things around us that make us wonder just what direction our world is headed in.  This surely isn’t a time of green pastures and still waters.  In fact for many, this feels like a valley of darkness.  We are thankful to have the shepherd to lead us through this frightening time, and we are hopeful to enter that sheepfold, and to be kept safe from predators.
          Of course, predators are everywhere.  That is the message of Jesus in the gospel of John.  As always, context is important here, and Jesus does not simply offer this soliloquy out of the blue.  Jesus is responding to conflict within the church community.  This speech is given following the long drawn out story of the man born blind.  You may remember that we looked at this story briefly in March.  Jesus healed a blind man which started an argument between him and the Pharisees.  The Pharisees claim that Jesus is a sinner and therefore unable to heal.  The blind man claims that he has been healed and the fact is indisputable.  In the end the blind man worships Jesus, and the Pharisees are left wondering whether or not they are the ones who are actually blind.
          From here, Jesus launches into a discourse on the role of the shepherd.  In typical Johannine fashion, Jesus spins language in many directions.  Is he the shepherd, or is he the gatekeeper, or is he the actual gate itself?  It is no wonder that “they did not understand what he was saying to them.”
          Shepherding imagery is common in the Hebrew tradition.  Not only is the 23rd Psalm which features the image of God as a shepherd significant, there are also the prophets’ calls for a shepherd who will come and rule like none other, plus the love the tradition holds for David, the shepherd boy who becomes king.  Jesus is building on all of this imagery when he talks about the sheepfold, the gate, and those who come in and go out in his name.
          The point Jesus is making to the Pharisees is that he is the chosen one.  They are merely gatekeepers, but he is the gate itself.  They are merely substitute shepherds, but he is the one who all the sheep recognize.  The writer of the gospel of John is carefully painting Jesus with the brush of Old Testament imagery that will mark him as the chosen one of Israel, the greatest shepherd of all time.
          That’s all well and good, and clearly the historical context of this text, but really it doesn’t have a whole lot to offer us.  As the products of over 2000 years of Christianity, finding out that Jesus is the good shepherd is hardly a life altering event.  We can just swallow that up, along with the comforting imagery of the 23rd Psalm and go home feeling good about ourselves today.  If that is what you are in the mood for today then please stop listening now. 
          For everyone else, I need to give you something to actually think about this week.  So as I was looking at these 10 verses in John in comparison with the 23rd Psalm, I came upon another thought.  Take a look at verse 3, the shepherd calls the sheep, and “leads them out”.
          Here we are a frightened and disturbed people.  Like sheep who have been through a thunderstorm, we are happy to just hide out in the sheep pen.  We are happy to lie down in green pastures and sip from still waters and simply let the world pass us by.  But, that is not what the shepherd in John 10 is offering.  No, that shepherd, Jesus the Christ, is leading us out of the sheepfold and into the big scary world.
          I think sometimes we forget that the gate of that sheep pen swings both ways.  Sure, we can follow the shepherd in and find rest, but eventually we must follow the shepherd back out again.  In fact, Jesus implies that the ones willing to follow him out into the world are his true followers.  It’s easy to get into the sheep pen, but it takes a lot more courage to leave.  “When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow because they know his voice.”  Not all sheep leave the pen, but those who do are Jesus’ own.  Those who truly belong to the Lord, follow out the gate and follow him out into the world.
          In our modern lives, so many of us are so scared.  We literally worry about everything.  From the new neighbors moving in next door, to the ever present threat of war and violence, to the new ways of harsh discourse that mark our lives, we have really worked ourselves into a tizzy.  For many, the response to this discomfort is to hide away.  We want to enter the sheepfold and bury our heads in the sand.  But that is not the response of the true sheep.  The true sheep follow the shepherd back out the gate again, into the scary world, into the valley of the shadow of death where enemies surround our every side.
          You might be asking why.  “Why do we need to follow Jesus out of places of safety?”  And Jesus tells us why.  “So that all may have life, and have it abundantly.”  That is why the shepherd came and that is why the shepherd leads us out; so that all may have life, abundant life.
          As followers of Jesus the Christ, Jesus the shepherd, we are called to go out into the world in his name and preach life.  This means standing up to the negative forces in our world.  This means pointing out racism and sexism where we find it.  This means working for the causes of social justice including the right to healthcare.  This means volunteering at the Food Center and at Shiloh to insure that all have a meal to eat tonight.  This means supporting the cause of education for all of our children.  This means saying something when you see something.  This means standing up for the little guy, and taking responsibility for the lives of our neighbors.  We are called to follow the shepherd out of the gate into the dark places of the world, and we are to do that so that all may have life, and have it abundantly.  If we don’t answer this call, if we stay in the fold, then perhaps we are not his sheep after all.  “He calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out.”
          Just like you, I long to stay in the nice spots of Psalm 23.  I long to lounge in safety in green pastures and still waters.  But I know that God requires more of me.  I hear the shepherd calling my name, and I am willing to go out into the world, following my shepherd, and lifting up the causes of justice so that all may have life.  How else will goodness and mercy follow me all the days of my life?  That certainly won’t happen if I stay within the safety of the sheepfold.  If want to leave a trail of goodness and mercy behind me, then I need to follow the shepherd out into the world.
          The hope of this message this morning is that we are never alone.  Yes, it is scary to go out into the world to fight for justice, but the promise of the shepherd is to be always with us.  The Good Shepherd calls us out, leads us, goes with us and protects us.  Even though we walk through dark valleys, we are comforted by the rod and staff which keep us safe.  Abundant life for us, and abundant life for others, means leaving the safety of the sheepfold.
          This week, as you once again consider the image of the Good Shepherd, I encourage you to listen to the voice of the shepherd in your life this day.  How is Jesus calling your name?  Is now the time that you are being called out of the sheepfold, to follow the shepherd out into the world?  If Jesus has come that all may have abundant life, what does that mean for you, and your role as one of his followers?  These are all good things to consider, as we continue to make our way through the dark valleys of these modern times.  Amen.   

No comments:

Post a Comment