Fourth Sunday of Easter
Acts 2: 42-47 Psalm 23 1 Peter 2:19-25 John 10:1-10 Dear fellow ministers of the gospel of Jesus Christ, grace and peace to you from the one whose voice we know, who calls us by name. Amen The lectionary gives us a lot of sheep today, sheep and shepherds. It’s an image found all throughout the Bible, the Israelites were people who cared for sheep, Jacob spent many years looking after his father in law’s flock, David was only anointed king after he was called in from the fields where he was watching the sheep, shepherd was a common image used for kings and God. Caring for sheep lay at the foundation of society. Jesus, a good son of Israel continues in the tradition as he teaches his disciples about what kind of messiah he is using the images of the Shepherd and the gate. As the Shepherd Jesus spends time with his sheep knowing each of them by name, they learn the sound of his voice and will follow him because he has earned their trust through their time together, leading them out of the sheepfold, watching over them showing them where there is food and water. As messiah, Jesus comes and spends time with his people, he gets to know them each by name, they follow him because he has earned their trust. As the gate Jesus protects the sheep. A gate is most effective both open and closed depending on the time of day. At night a closed gate is an important part of keeping the sheep safe, a closed gate gathers the sheep together and prevents wild animals from coming in. During the day the gate is opened to allow the sheep out to seek nourishment guided by the shepherd. As messiah Jesus both gathers in his people for their protection as well as sends them out depending on the what is most needed at the time. There are times when we need to be gathered together as Jesus’ flock and there are times when we need to go out, guided by the shepherd into the world. The disciples are confused by Jesus’ teaching but in the end he says it all boils down to this: “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly” We get a glimpse of this with the shepherd and the gate, the protection at night, the guidance to nourishment during the day the right thing for the right time But what does Jesus mean by “abundant life”? While we might be tempted to think about abundance as something quantifiable, a long life, health, or many possessions with Jesus affluence does not equal abundance, over and over Jesus has preached that his followers must give up their possessions, he has spent more time with those who have nothing over those who have everything, stuff is not what Jesus is talking about when he proclaims that he has come to bring abundant life, but rather abundant life is life lived in the presence of God, w ho knows our name whose voice we recognize. Nowhere do we get a better picture of this abundant life than in the images of the beloved Psalm 23. Whether it is in green pastures, beside still waters, the shadow of the valley of death or the presence of enemies, God is present alongside the psalmist who wants for nothing because God is there with the right thing at the right time providing safe places to rest, guidance in unsure times, comfort when things could get scary, blessing in the presence of enemies, through whatever life brings. The Bible never promises that life will be easy, in fact most of its pages bear witness to the difficult times of the people throughout the ages but God is always there with the right thing at the right time. Jesus continues in the tradition of his Father, he never promises that life will be easy, in fact there are times he tells the disciples that there are difficult roads ahead, but he promises to be with them, send them an advocate to guide and comfort during those times, to know their name, so that life will be abundant. Abundant life is what we want for everyone but especially our graduates as they enter a new phase of life so far we have walked alongside them, been there to guide them and cheer them on, care for them when they get sick, now we are opening the gate of the sheepfold and letting them out on their own, trusting that they have learned to distinguish the voice of the shepherd over the voices of others who would lead them astray, knowing that wherever they go God will be with them, guiding, comforting and calling them by name. Abundant life is life lived in the presence of God, with the Lord as our Shepherd we shall not be in want, God knows our name and goes with us on the journey of life, guiding, restoring, comforting, blessing whether we are in green pastures or the valley of the shadow of death, life with God is abundant. Amen
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AboutPastor Emily Johnson preaches weekly at Christ Lutheran. These are manuscripts of her sermons given at Christ Lutheran. Feel free to engage with them in the comments section of the blog. Archives
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