Today’s Shepherds
This sermon can be listened to here
Gate Pa – 4th Sunday in Easter- Year C - 2019
Readings:
Psalm Psalm:23
First Reading:
Acts
9:36-43
Second Reading:
Rev
7:9-17
Gospel:
John
10:22-30
What I want to say:
to talk about the good shepherd tradition, and how the gospel
writers and John in particular apply that to Jesus. This gives rise to 2
questions
-
how do we pay
attention to Jesus the good shepherd that we might follow his voice?
-
how do we live
out this tradition today?
What I want to happen:
For people to hear God’s invitation to feed God’s sheep, and to be
good shepherds in our world today.
The Sermon
1. Introduction:
Happy Good Shepherd Sunday
-
what’s that
about?
-
talk
4th
Sunday in Easter is always from John 10 1-10, 11-18, - Jesus responding to
accusations because healed someone on Sabbath
states
– I am the gate to the sheep fold
-
I am the good
shepherd
John
10:22-30 – today
-
entirely
different story
2. Good shepherd tradition
shepherd tradition is important
tradition within Judaism
begins with 23rd Psalm –
said/sung today
uses common image rural society
hard and dangerous life as shepherd
not romantic
helped describe
both God’s expectations around
leaders/kings
also offered as an image nature of God
Good
shepherd/ God/ good king cf bad leaders - kings
-
lead sheep to good
pastures and quiet waters
o
provides for
welfare of sheep
-
honours the sheep
o
in meal where
sheep honoured and blessed
-
protect sheep
-
will have
compassion for sheep
-
will enter
wilderness to search diligently for, find, gather and bring back the lost
sheep.
Image from Psalm 23 used and reinterpreted by number biblical authors
to meet needs of their time
eg. – Ezekiel, Jeremiah, Zechariah
as tradition develops it intensifies
Again used by Gospel writers in relation to Jesus
Jesus in Good Shepherd incarnated, made flesh
In Jesus we see God the good shepherd at work.
Mark 6, Matthew 18, and Luke 15.
3. John and the Good Shepherd
In John
The good shepherd knows the sheep by name and calls them.
The sheep know the voice of the good shepherd and follow only that
voice.
-
it is when risen
Jesus calls Mary by name that she knows who he is
-
she knows his
voice
-
he knows her name
John also introduces this idea that Jesus is the good shepherd who
will lay down his life for the sheep, paying the price so that they may be
freed from all that enslaves them.
-
Greek for price
is money paid for debt
o
paid to free a slave
-
price of
liberating people from what enslaves us.
-
breaking power
sin and death in this world
-
that sheep might
have life with the Good shepherd which begins now.
important message Johns community
under intense pressure
-
thrown out
Judaism as heretics
-
deep division
within community over place torah – like today
-
seen atheists by Romans
– don’t believe in Roman gods
-
seen as foolish
and treasonous by Romans
o
no longer saw
Emperor as son god, prince of peace, saviour
o
instead worship
crucified and dead insurgent from Palestine
§ named him son god, prince of peace, saviour
in this passage they are invited to listen
for voice of risen Christ
good shepherd who is bringing home and
will protect all hear his voice and follow
message hope, consolation and warning
asks of his original hearers and us
è what voices compete for our attention
è how do we take time hear and respond voice good shepherd?
4. We are Good Shepherds
Jesus finishes this week’s reading by
saying that “My Father and I are one”
often read some kind of Trinitarian statement
about Jesus being God
but in this case
more about in Jesus we see God the good shepherd at work.
often tempted to stop there
Jesus is good shepherd
but that imagery does not finish here
last week heard Jesus 3 times ask
Peter to feed his lambs/sheep
Peter was to be good shepherd
in Peter people were to see God the
good shepherd at work
This week in Acts hear extraordinary story
of Tabitha or Dorcas
-
wealthy woman
-
known both
Aramaic and Greek speaking communities
-
only women in NT female
for disciple is used –> for her
-
spent her time
caring poor
-
providing clothes
-> really big deal
-
in her we can see
God good shepherd at work.
when John told story of Peter at end
of gospel
invitation for all hear voice risen
Christ
to also be means by which others see
God good shepherd at work
and people did
which is why so much pressure
stood against usual way of behaving
-
violence
-
division
-
impoverishing
-
enriching self
-
living own honour
at expense others
lived values and the way of the Good
Shepherd
how are we living out that tradition today
or are we relying on Jesus being our
ongoing good shepherd
5. Final Questions
è what voices compete for our attention
è how do we take time hear and respond voice good shepherd?
è in what ways do others see God the good shepherd at work in us?
take moment reflect
talk neighbours?
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