The Good Shepherd and ANZAC Day
Listen to it here
Gate Pa – Easter 4 + ANZAC Day 2015
Readings:
Psalm: Psalm 23
First Reading: Acts 4:5-12
Second Reading: 1
John 3:16-24
Gospel: John 10:11-18
What I want to say:
I want to enter into the
world of a shepherd, and see how “David” uses this to describe his trust in God,
noting that we need to be careful not to romanticise it. Then to notice how
that tradition was used and expanded by the prophetic tradition and finally by
Jesus. And then wonder what all this offers us on this centenary anniversary of
the landings at Gallipoli
What I want to happen:
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
23 psalm – probably best known
us of British descent – part of our cultural
fabric really.
wonder what you see and feel as we hear or say
that psalm
suspect for many us conjure visions nice
idyllic scenes
able to rest for eternity with Jesus
after long troubled road
easy to romanticise
I suspect that these images bears little
resemblance to how people Middle East would hear that psalm?
we miss that what described here
was
the hard, sometimes brutal and dangerous reality for all shepherds
what is life shepherd like -
2. The Life of a Shepherd
based on book Kenneth Bailey
bible scholar
lived and worked in middle east most life
had men who were family shepherds in his
classes
accessed commentaries and translations in both
Syriac – one of 3 major languages of early church
language of that part world
Arabic
from his work learnt following
2 kinds of flocks
small flocks most families have – provide wool
keep warm
these
with cow and donkey sleep in house with family
keep
warm in winter
keep
safe thieves
families get together and choose one son –
(nowadays 2 girls) be shepherd
go
around each morning collect up little flocks and take out
larger flocks wealthier families
kept outside in an enclosure – high walls
thorns
on top discourage thieves
gate
– opened from inside
each morning shepherds collect sheep
larger
flocks – shepherd open gate
both cases shepherd then goes before them
leading them through the streets village/town – out into country side
shepherd never goes back driving them
always in front
imagine that scene - number flocks going
through towns and villages at same time
all
mingling up together
eventually get out narrow streets and
shepherds then go separate way
shepherds each have unique tune
play
on little flute
sing
- sheep recognises
all
use common huhu tata
recognise
voice shepherd
each case follow
shepherd then takes them to place
green
grass
still
water
sheep
only drink still water – not running water
once
find such place – spend day there until return home at night
easy find spring,
as
summer and autumn roll and then winter harder find
go
further
travel through more dangerous terrain
one such place danger sheep and shepherd
narrow valleys
dark
walk
in single lane
shepherd
at front
easy
for thieves steal lamb or sheep from back
times need stay out overnight
build enclosure rocks
again thorns on tip
light fire near entrance
shepherd sleep across opening - literally become the door
role shepherd lead sheep food and still water
also defend sheep against –thieves and
predators – lions, wolves, bears
shepherd take two aids with him
his staff – looks like bishops crook – used
rescue sheep
comfort
sheep
walking
staff
rod – much shorter
more
like club with metal driven into ends
use
beat predators and thieves with
use
place over doorway enclosure at night
sheep
go under one by one to count
if
one not there
go out find it – disaster loose a sheep
rod then weapon protected them
also
means by which their absence noticed
rescue mounted
Bailey offers several accounts all night
searches lost sheep
entire village know about – see the lights and
hear calls those looking
sheep – once realise lost – hunker down and
wait
listen intently for call shepherd
once hear it reply loud as can
search never easy
unlike original journey stick to worn rutted
paths
now shepherd forced scramble across rocks,
through thorns and bushes
may
take long time
when sheep found shepherd himself scratched,
grazed, and worn out extra labour
always price to be paid for rescuing a sheep
always celebration in village if and when lost
sheep in found
3. 23rd Psalm
so lets read 23rd psalm in light of
that
first thing we note is that this does not
describe some idyllic scene
but
harsh life of shepherd
Psalm uses this everyday experience of
shepherd
describe
Psalmists experience of God
In the harsh reality of everyday life – God is
present
Bailey uses tradition to suggest that David is
Psalmist
David
was flawed person
adulterer
had
faithful servant killed take servants wife
poorly
managed own family
ended
up in civil war son
killed
lot
not to like about David
Despite all that - Lord was still his shepherd
God – the shepherd is trustworthy even when
he,
David,
was far from trustworthy.
Not only did God lead David each day
(this
is a daily journey remember
not
a stop and stay scenario)
but when we went astray
when
his life seemed in peril
vs 3 “You re'vive my ' spirit:
and guide me in right pathways '_
for your ' name's ' sake.
God sought him out”
Hebrew word translated as “revive” is “shuv”
more commonly translated at seek out and
restore
clear illusion to David being lost sheep
Kenneth
Bailey says – bad sheep not listen and follow shepherds tune
God has come in person
God rescues
has
willingly searched and rescued psalmist
paid
price of that search
and then led him again on right paths
he does this
not because of anything David has done
David
is bad sheep
but because that is the nature of God
verse 5
shepherd imagery is lost
celebration at recovery of lost sheep (David)
interesting about this is feminine imagery
implied here
completely miss
women prepare food
women cook
women spread tables
never men
not even slave men
When God is addressed in the 2nd
person
“you”
addressed God using image of woman
not just some crazy modern feminist reading of
this
Bailey quotes 11th and 12th
writers in Syriac – write out same cultural context David lived
draw attention to this
importance of this
here God is described in feminine terms
God is beyond gender
last verse
Surely your goodness and mercy will follow me
Hebrew word there much better translated as
pursue
We are pursued by God’s goodness and mercy
no matter what we do
–> God’s goodness and mercy is hunting us down
till the end of our lives
we cannot escape it
what an image
finishes with “and I will dwell” – again that
word “shuv”
I will be sought out, returned, restored, to
the house of God forever.
not about idyllic place we end up
psalm is about life’s journey
on that journey
God’s nature is to lead us
and when we do not heed the voice of God
God’s nature is to pursue us
to restore us
no matter what we do
4. The beginning of a tradition
more than nice psalm
important psalm
starting point of significant tradition within
scripture
tradition of good shepherd
tradition that Jesus deliberately uses and
builds on
psalm establishes number themes that
developed, and added to over next 1000 or so years
5. The Tradition
Psalm 23 reinterpreted to new situations
expanding psalms one sheep
to flock – representing all people God
before fall Jerusalem for first time – Jeremiah
23 –
after total destruction Jerusalem after second
uprising – Ezekiel 34
after restoration and new peril – Zechariah
Tradition – good shepherd attached hopes for
coming Messiah
When God acts with compassion
seeks out and restores (shuv) people God
Tradition Jesus then picks up
Luke 10 – stories lost sheep, lost coin, lost
sons
Matthew 18 – lost sheep
Mark 6
finally here John 10: 1-18
each reinterpretation intensifies tradition
real sense reaches climax with reading this
morning
Jesus does some really interesting things in
Johns account
first call shepherd good
implied
all other parts tradition
here is it explicit
good cf bad shepherds lead sheep wrong path
attacked
sheep own gain
devoured
sheep
deserted
sheep when in peril
ð good shepherd does none of those things
Here Jesus takes tradition – God good shephers
applies
it to himself
I
am the good shepherd
implied in other gospels
here
explicitly stated.
all hopes part good shepherd tradition
hopes that God will come
God will seek out, rescues, restore good sheep
hopes bad shepherd destroyed
hopes new age
those hopes are being realised right now
in Jesus
finally first clearly state price to be paid
more what shepherd pay when scramble seeking
lost sheep
price is life laid down
not taken
no room blame anyone
see it as defeat
freely laid down
and taken up again
final and greatest enemy of sheep
death
is defeated
all is restored
God has come
God is acting
here before you
powerful statement of fulfilment of hopes go
back at least 600 years
but reinterpreted
reconfigured
Jeusw is saying that all hopes held 23rd
psalm are being lived out
before
their eyes
before
our eyes
6. Anzac and Gate Pa
we hear Jesus make these bold statements
having yesterday remembered those who fought
all wars New Zealanders fought in
particularly remembering Gallipoli
we prepare remember own battle
New
Zealanders fought preserve freedom, way life, land
from invading British forces
wonder what we are to make of this good
shepherd
where are we in this story?
lost sheep?
bad sheep
good sheep
shepherd = good or bad
danger of romanticising these events just like
romanticise 23rd Psalm
forget true nature of both wars
battles
fought
easy to forget cost paid by those who went
those
stayed
those
objected to this war
easy to romanticise those whose decisions led
to this conflict
decisions
made after this conflict
how might we describe them?
good shepherd
bad shepherds
confused shepherds
In face of these tragic events
cost people of this land so dearly
what does it mean for us to say
the lord is my shepherd
we shall not want
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