Acts 4:5-12
Psalm 23
1 John 3:16-24
John 10:11-18
Grace and Peace to you from God, our Good Shepherd, who laid down God’s life for us all, to
lead us beside still waters and restore our souls; to dwell in God’s house our whole lives long.
Amen.
“I am the good shepherd. 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. I have other sheep 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.” (John 10:14-16 NRSV)
How many of you know the 23rd Psalm by heart, or at least most of it? Yeah, it’s a good
one. We love it so much; we have it read at important points in our life. Whether it’s at a
wedding or a funeral at a loved one, we read the 23rd Psalm. We have it read at our hospital beds;
we read it when we want scripture to comfort us. Some of us may have other favorite passages in
the Bible, but there’s just something about that shepherd image. There’s something about the
image of someone watching out for us; when we’re at our deepest depths of sorrow. The Good
shepherd knows us, and we know the Good Shepherd. We know the Good Shepherd is there to
indeed walk with us in our deepest and darkest valleys. We have that faith; that God’s got our
back, even when the wolves of our lives are biting at our heels. When our backs are against the
wall, God is there, with the rod and staff to comfort us.
It can be easy to forget about the Good Shepherd though. It can be easy to not even notice
the Good Shepherd. Some may not even know the Good Shepherd, or know that there’s anybody
watching over. Jesus, however reminds us that he already has other sheep that are not in the fold.
It is Jesus’ job, as the Good Shepherd, to bring in the other sheep. The onus is on Jesus, the Good
Shepherd to gather us all, into one flock, one shepherd. God watches over us all, even if we don’t
know it. Even if we’re unaware of God’s presence, God is there. That’s what makes the job of
being a sheep so easy. It’s not up to us to find the other sheep. As sheepish as that sounds, it’s
true. Being a sheep ain’t so bad after all.
“We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our
lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees
a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech,
but in truth and action.” 1 John 3:16-18
We can’t be the Good Shepherd, that’s up to God. But we can be more than sheep, too.
Finding the other sheep is, always has and will be, up to God. But we can be more than sheep.
Our Second Lesson this morning reminds us that love is found in not only Christ’s death and
Resurrection, but in our laying down our lives for one another. Laying down our lives...
What does that mean for us? Sure, maybe we’ll have the chance to step in front of a
bullet for our friends; but hopefully not. No, laying down our lives for one another means more
than that. It means separating from ourselves the stuff that gets in our way... to really listening to
people; to really being there for people. It means tearing away the barriers inside ourselves that
prevent us from being present to ourselves; to each other.
Let me give you an example: poverty. Homelessness. Underprivileged individuals living
among us. You may be thinking to yourself, “Poverty doesn’t exist here!” “Alberta? There are no
slums here.” And, you may be right. There aren’t slums like you see on TV. THOSE people live
there. Not us. Not us strong and fervent Minnesotans. Not us humble farming folk.
I’m here to tell you this morning, that poverty does indeed exist within our midst. I know
hard-working folks who grew up just miles from here... that spent years living below what the
Federal Government considers poverty. But poverty is hard to spot in these parts. Poverty
doesn’t look like what it does on TV. That’s because the faces of Greater Minnesota’s
impoverished, look like mine and yours. Those of us who grow up and live outside the Twin
Cities overwhelmingly have similar backgrounds. We have similar culture, similar occupations,
similar livelihoods that we keep to ourselves. To call people around here poor... is a slap in the
face. We work hard for our money; for our families. We work hard to keep the meat and potatoes
on the table. We are a hard-working people. We survive the harsh (or not so harsh...) winters
and sweltering summers. We are a tough people, us Minnesotans.
What if I were to tell you – that at least 500,000 people living in Minnesota live under the
Federal Poverty line every year. That’s half of a million people. That’s more than the entire
human population of Wyoming. 2/3 of North Dakota. Half of South Dakota. Yet, in comparison
to other states, we have one of the lowest poverty rates at 11%. The highest state has almost a
quarter of its residents living under the Federal Poverty Line.
We are a tough people. Even when people are clearly in poverty in this state, we don’t
admit it. How many of you were shocked by the numbers I just gave you? 500,000 people don’t
make enough money to be able to feed their families in this state. We struggle on, knowing we
are a proud and strong people. We don’t want to admit defeat. We don’t want to call ourselves
poor, because that’s a sign of defeat. Calling ourselves poor looks bad on ourselves, our parents,
and those tough ancestors of ours that carved out a living out of this soil. This soil that gives us
life; that gives others life. And yet, an estimated 14,000 Minnesotans sleep on the streets or in
shelters every night. Children go without food on their plate. And yet, we’re too proud to admit
when we need help. We’re too proud to admit that our neighbors go without, and we know it. For
we are a strong and hardhearted people.
1 John reminds us that “...by this we will know that we are from the truth and will
reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our
hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness
before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and
do what pleases him.”
Jesus laid down his life, by dying on the cross for us all. By the freely-given Grace of
God, we are saved from our sins of this world. We have to hold onto that. Whatever ailment
befalls us, we have to know that there is someone watching out for us. Someone who loves us
enough to lay down their life for us.
God calls us to lay down our lives for one another. For the weak, the lonely, the poor in
spirit. We are all God’s blessed children. We are all beloved Children of God. We are all in
God’s fold. God is there to restore our souls, and lead us on our paths, for God’s sake. When we
walk through the darkest valleys of our lives, God is there to comfort us. Jesus is our Good
Shepherd, and watches over us. The Good Shepherd laid down his life for us, and we must do the
same for others.
So when you’re sitting there reading the 23rd Psalm, and you read about how the Lord is
our Shepherd, and he makes us to lay in green pastures and beside still waters – think of Jesus,
our Lord, our Good Shepherd who guides us through our darkest valleys. For though we walk
through the valleys of our lives, with the shadow of death looming; we may hold in our heart the
comfort of a Savior.
The comfort of a Savior who laid down his life for us all; on a hill named Calvary; so
very long ago. This Savior who rose again the third day, saving us from the sins of this world, to
join him in the next. Laying down our lives for each other may seem like a daunting task.
Breaking the barriers we have in our own lives; so that another’s life in whatever muck they find
themselves in, may be set free. Poverty is rampant in this world. It may not seem like it here in
Alberta, but poverty is around you; it’s just hard to see. Dig down deep, friends. Have no fear,
little flock. Breaking the bonds inside you is hard enough. Breaking the bonds of poverty in this,
the richest country on the planet – now that’s a feat to behold. I dare you, to engage the
conversation of poverty with your neighbors, coworkers, classmates, teachers, students. Learn
from them, teach them. Knowing – that a man laid down his life for us all, once; so too may you
also lay down your life for your neighbor.
Being a sheep is easy. Being more than a sheep; that’s up to you.
Amen.
Link to Video -
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B7uFAcq5lEgRdWlyZ213cXBib00/view?usp=sharing
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