Fourth Sunday of Easter/Good Shepherd
April 29, 2007
Acts 9:36-46
Psalm 23
Revelation 7:9-17
John 10:22-30
One of my favorite fictional TV characters is Kermit the Frog from the Muppets. If you remember, Kermit’s theme song made popular the phrase, “It’s not easy being green.” As I read today’s lections, Kermit’s song came to mind as I reflected on what it means to be a sheep of Christ’s fold. A follower of our Shepherd, Jesus. And I thought to myself, it’s not easy being a sheep. And yet, the image of a sheep is the right metaphor, I believe, to describe followers of Christ. But only if you have a familiarity with sheep.
Unfortunately, most people in the modern world have little or no familiarity with sheep. Rural farming metaphors no longer resonate with urban and suburban life. Many people have never met a sheep personally, and if they have, it was most likely at a petting zoo. Consequently, preachers find that they have to explain the metaphor before they can explain Jesus’ teaching about it. And I am not the priest you might want to explain Jesus’ sheep and shepherd metaphor.
For one thing, I grew up in a large city and I was nearly a teenager before I made my first acquaintance with farm animals. But sheep were not among them. I was well into my adult years before I had an opportunity to tour a sheep farm with a member of the church I attended at the time who happened to own the farm. And I can tell you, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. The sheep were dirty and smelly and when I was invited to pet one of them my hand slid through a thick, oily coat of fur. Before this experience my acquaintance with sheep came from passages of scripture, and children’s story books. I had imagined sheep to be cute and cuddly, and smart little creatures. What a disconnect from what I experienced that day on the sheep farm. As you might imagine that I began to think more deeply about sheep and shepherd metaphors in scripture, and over time I believe I have come to a better understanding of them. I have also come to value the ways I see myself as a sheep and my relationship with Jesus as my shepherd.
So, I don’t know how much explaining I need to do for people who have lived their life in a more bucolic area like the Berkshires. But I imagine it couldn’t hurt to draw the comparisons I believe writers of scripture intended for people who knew how and why they were being compared to sheep. The problem as I see it in modern times, however, is that people might not relish being compared with sheep. Not just because sheep are dirty and smelly, but because the metaphor is repulsive in a cultural like ours which forms people to become so unlike sheep.
Just think about the characteristics of a sheep. First of all, sheep are not very bright. Left to their own devices they will wander away from the things which are good and necessary for living a healthy and long life. Without a shepherd sheep will always go their own way, believing it is the way they should go. And in their wandering, sheep do not make good choices; they get caught in thickets and run into and over things that can maim them or kill them. Sheep are also very trusting which makes them quite vulnerable in a world which can bring them to great harm. This is what makes us think of sheep as such innocent creatures. And, in fact, they are. Sheep are not capable of cunning or deceit, nor are they able to defend themselves from the cunning or deceit of others. They are creatures who will never learn the ways of the world, and should never be left to their own devices for living in it. Sheep are made for shepherding. For their entire life they need a shepherd who will see to it that their needs are met, that they will be safe and that their life will accomplish God’s purpose for them.
As followers of Christ, I hope you can identify with qualities of a sheep, even as they go against the ways we have been formed by our culture. Because as Americans we have been formed by a history of rugged individualism. We strive for independence at an early age, because dependence is a sign of weakness. Innocence is laughed to scorn; worldly wisdom and street smarts a worthy goal. We thrive on competition which is a breeding ground for cunning and deceit. There are only winners and losers in our world, and only winners count. We fear nothing and nobody. Vulnerability is a sign of weakness; we will deny that we have any vulnerabilities, or at the very least never show them to anyone. We are our own boss. We make our own decisions for our own life. And freedom is our God-given right to wander wherever we want, and do whatever we feel like doing as long as we can get away with it. We live with the consequences of our mistakes, and we don’t need or want anyone’s help to solve our problems.
Can you identify yourself in that catalogue of cultural norms? I can. I can’t imagine that any of us have escaped experiencing such attitudes and behaviors in our life. It may not be easy to be a sheep in any culture in the modern world, but I think it is more difficult for people formed by American culture to think of ourselves as sheep. And yet, this is precisely what Jesus would have us do, if we are to follow him. Because in the end, we really are sheep, and like it or not we need a shepherd. But it is difficult for us to hear or accept that image of ourselves because, to use another metaphor, we are sheep who learn to put on wolf’s clothing as we grow into our life. Until we really think we are a wolf, then believe we are a wolf and we begin to act as a wolf would act.
But Jesus knows us better than that. He knows us better than we know ourselves, because we are God’s human creatures, created for relationship with each other, dependent on each other for all of our life. We are people who need to be guided in the choices we make for the good and right consequences they will have for our life. Because let’s face it, we all know that left to our own devices we are capable of wandering into thickets which can take a lifetime to extricate ourselves from, and only by a help from others.
Yes, Jesus knows who we are. We may think we are wolves, or eagles or mountain lions, or any other kind of animal metaphor you can think of. But Jesus knows that we are sheep, needing a shepherd throughout our life if we are to fulfill God’s purpose for us. Jesus knows the harm we are capable of suffering left to our own devices. Jesus calls us by name hoping we will respond to his voice and follow him into greener pastures for our life. The problem is, there are so many other voices that call to us in this world, and they promise many other kinds of pastures for us to inhabit. You and I have been lured by those voices into such pastures. But to our credit you and I also hear the voice which leads us into places like this on a Sunday morning.
On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we remember that we are sheep. We remember why we come here. We come because we have heard his voice and we have followed him into this place of worship. In good faith and conscience we will follow him out that door and into the world to meet the many challenges we will face as his sheep. All the other voices out there that call to us; voices that make us believe we own our life and make our choices when, in fact, they make us follow them in ways we were never meant to go.
But there are many ways for us to keep the voice of our Shepherd out in front of all the other voices we hear in our life. Attending church regularly and practicing religious disciplines help us remember that we are sheep. As Episcopalians we believe we are formed to be followers of our Shepherd in our experience of worship. We hear Jesus’ voice in the scripture we read, in the prayers we pray, in the hymns we sing, in the sermons we hear, and in the communion we receive. These religious practices form us to be the sheep we are meant to be. Sheep who follow our Shepherd, because we know his voice. We hear his voice in every aspect of our worship. And if we listen carefully we can hear Jesus’ voice in the voices of other sheep who follow him. Voices which help us stay focused on his voice and stay together as his flock.
One of the most important voices in my life is the voice of my spiritual director. I meet with her regularly (once every 4 to 6 weeks) and she helps me sift through, and sort out, all the voices I am hearing in my life and in my work, voices which can be distracting to my personal life and to my work as your priest. She helps me find the voice of my Shepherd. She helps me see the ways that I may or may not be following him. You might say she helps to restore my soul, and lead me in the paths of righteousness. And when I find myself coming back to my Shepherd’s voice, I touch the glory that is God’s glory in creating me and all of the sheep he has named for his own. I hope that in some small way that as your pastor and teacher I help you hear the voice of our Shepherd amid the many voices which call out to you in your life. And I hope that others hear the voice of our Shepherd in your voice in the many places of your life. I know that I listen for his voice in your several voices. Hearing his voice in your voice is what makes me a more joyful follower of our Shepherd and a more faithful priest of his flock. There are so many way for us to hear Jesus’ voice, but only if we remember that we are his sheep.
Our scripture lessons today help us remember we are sheep. Especially the 23rd Psalm. Especially for me. I was 8 years old when I first heard this psalm. I heard it spoken at my grandmother’s funeral. I heard the voice of the Shepherd in it. And in that moment, somehow in my child’s mind, I knew I was a sheep, his sheep. My grandma was gone from me. I was feeling alone and empty of her. Of her guidance and direction, her comfort and protection. She had followed her Shepherd home, and all I was given was a small card to take home with me. On one side of the card was a picture of what I thought was heaven; the 23rd Psalm was printed on the other. I clutched that in my hand and took to bed with me every night for weeks. It was all I had left of her, but somehow it became everything that I needed. I was finding comfort and protection, guidance and direction in that Psalm. And even today, when I hear his voice, my Shepherd is still all that I need—unless I am hearing other voices, voices other than the Shepherd’s voice. Voices which make me anxious and afraid; voices which offer me the world, and promise to meet my needs, needs which, in the end, only the Good Shepherd can supply.
It’s not easy being a sheep, especially in a world of sheep living in wolves’ clothing. Unless, of course, you have a good shepherd. And we have the best there is. He is THE Good Shepherd. Our Shepherd. My Shepherd and your Shepherd. Whenever we choose his voice and follow him.