John’s gospel, the psalm reading, and
Peter’s epistle all use the image of the Messiah as a shepherd and us as sheep.
Going with that, what image pops into
your mind? Do you see a picture kind of like some we’ve seen before with Jesus
dressed in white with a lamb on his shoulders and maybe one or two at his feet?
Or maybe you get an image of Jesus sitting on a rock with his disciples all
seated around him listening intently to his every word. Everything is peaceful
and serene.
Knowing what you do about sheep and
shepherds and maybe even thinking back to 1st century Jerusalem do
you think that’s really what shepherds look like? Do you really think
everything is all peaceful and quiet around the shepherd and his flock?
Maybe you do but I don’t. The reason
being is that I’ve had a flock of sheep and lambs. There was seldom peace and
quiet. I certainly didn’t wear white when I was working with lambs and ewes.
Think about a shepherd in Jesus’ time.
Think about how much they had to know and what resources they had available to
them to care for and protect their flocks.
Roddy Hamilton in his Spill the Beans
blog said that Nancy Rockwell suggested that Jesus is more like a cowboy than a
shepherd. Think about what a cowboy does with the herd as he takes them up to
the mountain pastures, tends and cares for them while they’re there, and then
brings them back to the valley for the winter and the spring calving season.
Think about all the skills and knowledge a cowboy needs to do all that.
Doesn’t a shepherd do the same thing?
Even though the sheep are smaller in stature the shepherd still needs to tend,
care for and protect his flock. He is always on the watch for a sick or injured
sheep. He has to pay attention to the weather and the signs in the sky and the
surrounding environment so he knows when storms are coming and he needs to get them
all to shelter. A cowboy does all that too.
Now think about the task Jesus had with
the disciples and with us today. The disciples and his flock today certainly
require a lot more skill to care for and manage than you or I possess. Don’t
you think it’d take more of a cowboy mentality than a kind and gentle shepherd
mentality to tend for and care for a flock like us today?
When I think about the things I’ve done
in my life I’m convinced that Jesus had his hands full at times. It’s a wonder
to me that he never gave up on me. Shoot, it’s a wonder my parents didn’t just
toss in the towel sometimes.
Humanity being what it is needs a god
with good sense, a tough exterior, a love for humanity that can’t be swayed,
and patience beyond anything we can imagine. In other words humanity needs a
god like our God, willing to do whatever it takes to bring us back to Him. Our
God needs to be able to go out on a limb for us; he needs to be able to love
and forgive us when we’ve failed him for the umpteenth time.
We can hardly get our minds around what
it must take for God to put up with our shenanigans day after day, year after
year. If we were in charge we’d have given up on us a long time ago.
Before we get all puffed up and proud
because God has chosen us let’s not forget how many times we’ve tried and
failed to live like Jesus. We’re not any better than those Pharisees Jesus
called ‘thieves and robbers.’
Take a minute to think about how much
we’ve been blessed with the last couple years, our crop yields, our gifts from
members who’ve left some of their estates for us to use. Now think about how
many are struggling in the world to find enough to eat, let alone find some
shelter from the extremes of the environment. What have we done to alleviate
their pain and suffering? How much have we given of our time and gifts to make
sure they have something to eat, warm clothes to wear, and a roof over their
heads?
We’re not very good at being shepherds
for those folks who need a shepherd. So, why does God still call us? Doesn’t it
make you wonder?
I’ve probably passed more panhandlers
than I’ve stopped to help. When I have stopped it’s usually with cash, probably
not what they really need. If you’re like me you don’t want to stop and give
them any of your precious time. Maybe you have and you just don’t want to hear
another hard luck story.
Jesus, did take the time, many times.
Imagine how many stories he listened to. Imagine how many dirty bodies he sat
beside; imagine how many he touched…and healed.
No, we’re not very good at shepherding.
We need God and the forgiveness that comes to us from Jesus. We need the Holy
Spirit to continually remind us, to continually convict us of our sin and
failure to care for those God places before us every day.
We need to get down on our knees and
ask for forgiveness for those times we’ve failed him, let him down, and just
plain ignored his voice in our hearts begging us to give to that guy
hitchhiking down the Interstate 80 or the traveler who stops and needs gas to
get on down the road to wherever it is they’re going.
We need to pray that God forgives us
and then ask for the courage to trust him to take a risk and help someone we
probably wouldn’t have helped last week.
We need a Good Cowboy Shepherd to lead
us, to save us from ourselves and the world. Thanks be to God he loves us
unconditionally and grants us his grace again and again. Amen.
