John 10:11-18
Easter 4 / Year B
It may surprise you
to know, at least according to one website, there are ninety-nine different
titles or names in the bible given to Jesus, each of which describes a
particular aspect of who he is or the work he does. Of this small sample, which one do you most
identify with:
·
Advocate:
Jesus as your lawyer
·
Judge:
enforces laws and metes out punishment.
·
Mediator:
intervenes to settle disputes.
·
Bridegroom:
probably not at the top of your list.
·
Cornerstone:
only if you are a mason by trade.
·
Rock:
similar to cornerstone, stable but unhewn.
·
Doorway
or Gate: a way to pass from one place to another.
·
If
only they had elevators back in Palestine… Jesus takes me higher and higher!
Now, if you put
some thought into it, or if, by some miracle, I preached an illuminating sermon
on any one of these, you might sense at a deeper spiritual connection to how
Jesus is your rock, advocate, or your bridegroom.
If we took those
ninety-nine names and ranked them in order from nearest and dearest to the most
obscure and inaccessible, here is one I expect would be close to the top of
each of our lists – the Good Shepherd.
It matters not none of us has ever met a shepherd or even tended sheep,
we get the imagery and we get the meaning.
It describes how many of us experience Jesus in our lives.
What does it say to
you that, with only the prompting “the Lord is my shepherd”, most gatherings
can join in “I shall not want…”? Beyond the
beauty of the 23rd Psalm, we identify with the notion a Holy Source offers
us rest and peace, assures our vital necessities, and guides us through
troubling times. We sense we are similar
to the sheep young David tends. They are
utterly defenseless and totally dependent upon him. They are subject to danger and must always be
under the watchful eye of a protector as they graze. Rushing water cascading down the valleys from
sudden, heavy rainfalls can sweep them away. Robbers may steal them. Animals of prey – wolves, lions, and bears – pose
a constant, deadly threat.
The shepherding image speaks to an
important aspect of how we experience God’s presence in our midst. It suggests God knows us intimately and cares
for us deeply. It reminds us God watches
over us, directs our movements, and rises to our side in times of danger or
need.
So, to answer the question you all
came here with this morning, yes, I had a nice vacation at the beach. It was restful and quiet and gave me an
opportunity to read about such deep things as the golden age of pirates. Imagine my surprise as I turned page after to
page only to learn I was about two miles away from where Blackbeard’s Queen
Anne’s Revenge ran aground and was abandoned by the hygiene-challenged marauder!
Well, the beginning of my time off
was not without its moments. I set off with
the vague idea I needed to head south on US 17 until I saw a sign directing me
to Morehead City. My final destination
was somewhere around the north end of Atlantic Beach, NC. How difficult could it be to find?
Well, somewhere around Williamston I
lost what might be called “operational awareness” and drifted to the right when
– apparently – I should have drifted to the left. Blissfully unaware I was heading west on Rt.
64 I passed an exit to Greenville. About
10 minutes later I approached greater Tarboro.
Now, I am not a geographical scholar on eastern North Carolina, and
little about this triggered concern. Farther
on I entered the metropolitan outskirts of Rocky Mount, which even I know is on
I95 and not in any way on the way to the beach.
What mile maker am I at, I wondered.
492. It was then I deduced my beach
week was on a road destined to take me to Tennessee.
That is the exact moment the skies
parted, the sun shone down on me, and I had a conversion experience. I got off at the next exit, pulled over, got
out my phone, and, using Google Maps, determined exactly where I was, which was
nowhere near where I wanted to be! Then
and there I gave myself over completely to GPS, which I decided is an acronym
for “God, Please be my Shepherd”!
Well, my new-found techno-shepherd
took me through parts of eastern North Carolina I am confident neither their governor
nor the most dedicated basketball recruiter has ever visited. I kept saying to myself, “the Lord is my
Shepherd, I shall not want.” I told
myself, if I made it to my destination without a hitch I would tell you my
crazy story. I and promised myself
whenever I find myself in real need I will remember this brief episode and
trust in a GPS system which has guided the faithful for centuries.
Never forget the Lord is your shepherd…
when you are lost, when you are in need, when you don’t know what to do or
where to turn, when you are afraid, when you are discouraged, and even when you
are in Rocky Mount when you want to be at the beach.
