Jesus the Door?

This sermon can be listened to here.

Gate Pa –  4^th Sunday in Easter - Year A - 2020

Readings:

Psalm -                         Psalm 23

First Reading -             Acts 2:42-47

Second Reading -       1 Peter 2:19-25

Gospel -                       John 10:1-10

What I want to say:

This week we follow up on the 4^th Sunday in Lent this year, when we also read the 23^rd Psalm, and heard the first part of the story we are finishing today – the healing of the man born blind. That Sunday was our last Sunday in our church. We are unsure when we will able to return. What does God being both our protector and provider mean for us at this time?

What I want to happen:

In a world under threat from climate change and living in the shadow of Covid-19 what does it mean for us for God to be provider and protector? How do we interpret that tradition?

The Sermon

     1.      Introduction:

Today feels a little like that movie groundhog day. The 4^th Sunday of Easter is always Jesus the Good Shepherd Sunday. Always get 23^rd Psalm on this Sunday. But we have already had it this year.

On the last Sunday we were allowed (sort of) to meet in our church, a small group were there to hear both the 23^rd Psalm, and the first part of the story we hear from John’s gospel today - the healing of the man born blind. Which means most of you missed my wonderful sermon on that passage.
This year, Year A in the church calendar, is the only year we have Psalm 23 twice. I guess that makes it a good year. It’s a great psalm. It’s well known, has comforting images, and isn’t too long. And some like Kenneth Bailey suggest it is a very important psalm because it establishes the good shepherd tradition within scripture.

As I have said before, much of the psalm simply describes what a shepherd does

-          Knowing where there was good pasture and still waters for the sheep to eat and drink (those sheep needed still water, not running water. I don’t know about NZ sheep)

-          Keeping the sheep safe from thieves and predators, and making sure they do not get lost

-          Protecting and providing

The image of a shepherd had long been applied to Middle Eastern kings and emperors – good ones both provided for and protected their people, their flock.

But the psalmist takes that a step further and applied that to God

-          God is the one who ultimately provides and protects.

Which sounds easy enough. Until an invading Assyrian army is surrounding Jerusalem. What does it mean then to trust that God will protect and provide? Or you are in exile. Or have returned to the shattered ruins of Jerusalem. What does it mean then? And so, this tradition begun in Psalm 23 has to be reinterpreted, replied in all kinds of new situations. It was not and is not static.

     2.      Jesus the Good Shepherd

Each of the gospels show Jesus in some way reinterpreting this tradition. So it is clear that Jesus sort to place himself within that tradition, or that the disciples saw him in light of that tradition.

Today’s gospel reading is John’s understanding or interpretation of what Jesus was saying about this tradition. And he places his version within the story of the healing of the man born blind – the gospel reading for the last time we were in church. So what we heard this morning isn’t Jesus speaking in generalities, but his comments or teaching on the sign he performed. As I said on that Sunday, each sign (miracle – John calls them signs – they point somewhere else) is followed by a conversation – this time between the man healed and some Pharisees. After this conversation, and after he is expelled Jesus seeks him out, and after he is welcomed into the community of disciples, Jesus offers this teaching

As we listen to John’s understanding of what Jesus taught we need to keep this story in mind

That it began with a man born blind which left him as an outcast, a beggar. Everyday day a struggle to have enough to eat

-          To have somewhere for shelter

-          Invisible and despised

-          A sign of shame for his family.

Then he hears Jesus voice and obeys what he is told to do – he hears the shepherds voice and is healed. His life is transformed. But after a heated conversation with the Pharisees, in which his parents almost disown him he is once again cast out. At that moment the good shepherd once again finds him and once again when he hears Jesus voice he responds. And Jesus acts as the door and welcomes him into the community, offering a place, protection and provision and one of his followers.

That is where we got to 7 weeks ago. And even though this has been made into a new chapter at a later date, Jesus does not stop talking. He uses that very concrete and real series of events to talk about how he lives out the good shepherd tradition. How he is the one welcoming people into his community, offering protection and provision.

     3.      John’s understanding

So how might we understand John’s version of Jesus the Good Shepherd

      a.      Jesus the Good Shepherd comes because God so loved the world. It is God’s love for all creation that shapes all that Jesus the good shepherd does.

      b.      And Jesus came “…so that they (the sheep) could have life—indeed, so that they could live life to the fullest.” John 10:10 CEB.

Abundant life!! Abundant life is when we have all we need. Abundant life is when ALL have all they need. So, what is it we need in this time? How is that provided for you?

Just as importantly what robs us of abundant life? What robs others of abundant life? How might we join the Good Shepherd in offering abundant life to those the worst affected by these events. The pew sheet offers some ways we can respond financially. Others are

      c.       Jesus as the good shepherd welcomes us into this life. This is not an exclusionary thing – where only those who repent and accept Jesus as their saviour can get into heaven. This is about the story of the man born blind. In that story Jesus takes the initiative. The man does not even ask to be healed. Jesus acts on his own volition. Others seek to build fences around God’s life and mercy and to exclude him as unworthy. Jesus seeks him out and welcomes the man in. Jesus acts as the good shepherd.

       d.      Hearing is important in Johns gospel. Hearing and responding to the voice of the Good Shepherd. The man hears Jesus’ voice, the voice of the shepherd, and responds. Just as Lazarus hears the voice of the good shepherd calling his name and responds, coming out of death. Just as Mary hears the voice of the good shepherd calling her name in the garden and responds. And when he responds he is welcomed into a community where he will experience abundance of divine love offered in the very ordinary acts of being in community. Maybe that is one of the most important gifts of this passage – that abundant life is offered in the very ordinary ways of a shepherd.

       e.      From the 23^rd Psalm the claim that God was the good shepherd always overrode anyone else’s claim. When the Babylon was moving towards Judah, the king was told that God would protect and provide by the prophets. But they understood that they as king were to act, and so they tried to form alliances to stand against the Babylonians.  In this case the claim is that Jesus is the good shepherd, not Caesar, nor the Roman authorities or Roman puppets. God is the one who will protect and provide. This is a subversive statement. While God might be at work in the actions of any government, it is also true that the actions of a government do not always  bring protection and provision – as we can see in the world today.

So what then is our role as people who follow the Good Shepherd?

     4.      Response

Reading we heard from Acts today paints a picture of how that very diverse group of people, almost none of whom were from Jerusalem, set about responding to the abundant life offered by Risen Christ, the Good Shepherd. It paints a picture of community living out God’s generosity and compassion, in mutuality and fellowship, gathering for teaching and worship.

In these days it is hard for us to physically gather, we have had to find someother ways of living in this way.

So what are some of these ways we might want to carry on into the future, when we return to some kind of normality. What are the gifts of this time for how we respond to Christ the Good Shepherd?