Easter 4B - The Good Shepherd

SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2012 | EASTER
FOURTH SUNDAY OF EASTER
YEAR B

             First Reading       Acts 4:1–12

             Psalm       Psalm 23

             Epistle       1 John 3:16–24

             Gospel       John 10:11–18

PSALM
Psalm 23

             1       The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
            2       He makes me lie down in green pastures.
                  He leads me beside still waters.
            3       He restores my soul.
                  He leads me in paths of righteousness
      for his name’s sake.
             4       Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
      I will fear no evil,
                  for you are with me;
      your rod and your staff,
      they comfort me.
             5       You prepare a table before me
      in the presence of my enemies;
                  you anoint my head with oil;
      my cup overflows.
            6       Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
      all the days of my life,
                  and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
      forever.

GOSPEL
John 10:11–18

11 I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. 13 He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. 14 I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep. 16 And I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. 17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

The Good Shepherd

Grace, Mercy and Peace be unto you from God our Father and Savior Jesus Christ, His Son our Lord. AMEN

As a Vicar, I am training to be a pastor, under the supervision of an experienced pastor. While serving in this position I am expected to experience many of the duties of a pastor so that I am prepared to serve a congregation on my own in the future when I am sent out into the world. One of the activities that I have enjoyed quite a bit has been doing visitation to our shut-ins, because it gives me a chance to interact with some of the older members of the congregation in a one on one situation. I enjoy conversing with them, and then before I go I read a bible passage and say a prayer. Before going out and doing my first solo visit though, Pastor Karsten gave me one piece of advice, don’t read psalm 23. This seemed a little strange to me, because Psalm 23 is one of the most well known passages of the entire bible. But his advice makes sense, because, when people hear it, they think of death. They focus upon walking through the valley of the shadow of death, and there is a fear that all men have of death. But Christ came not as the bringer of death, but Life. He is our shepherd and has laid down his life for us.

Our Gospel lesson describes the work of a shepherd committed to his charges. This is not the work of one who is afraid to get a little dirty, afraid of danger, or afraid of work. For sheep are a stubborn and stupid lot, they enjoy going off on their own, and they get trapped by the landscape and hunted by wild animals. They walk through the valley of the shadow of death, often because of their own mistakes and foolish decisions. Without a shepherd, many will die, unable to face the destruction of the world and their own foolishness.

And the sad thing is, we are the sheep. We are the ones that wander away finding ourselves in dangerous situations, facing the wolves of this world. And we cannot face them. Through the temptations of the Devil the world and our sinful selves we are spiritually dead, there is no hope for us to find. And spiritual death leads to an eternal death where this is only pain and hopelessness. That is what fear lies in men, a fear that there is no hope. And there is no hope if there is not a good shepherd to guide us.

Psalm 23 does talk about the valley of the shadow of death, but not in fear, but in hope and confidence, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me.” There is comfort because of the good shepherd. We do not need to fear because Christ came to lay down his life for us, to protect us and rescue us from our sin, from our death, and from the temptations of the devil. No man could force him to do that, yet he did it for the sake of the whole world, that there would not be fear of death, but the sure hope of eternal life. That is what we celebrate this Eastertide, his death came so that we too may have life through the good shepherd.

Pastors and vicars serve here in as shepherds to guide god’s people through the promises that God has given to his people through Jesus Christ our Lord. We do not need to be afraid when that last moment comes, because Christ has already defeated the enemy, and we have life eternal in his name. Through his spirit we can gladly share, Christ is Risen, He is Risen indeed. ALLELUIA. AMEN