Sheepish Christians

My dad grew up in rural Nebraska. One day when he was a kid he got to talking with an old farmer. The farmer shared with Dad this bit of wisdom. He said, “Donald, a dog will look up to you, a cat will look down on you, and a pig will consider you his equal.”

I wonder where sheep fit in that formula? The Bible seems to think that sheep and humans have a lot in common. The relationship between shepherd and sheep is frequently used as a metaphor for the relationship between God and God’s people; not just in the Bible but throughout the history of biblical faith. Think of Psalm 23: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want, he maketh me to lie down in green pastures…” Think of J.S. Bach’s “Sheep May Safely Graze.” In both cases, the relationship between sheep and shepherd is a metaphor for the sense of trust and safety that believers find in God. And then there’s today’s text: John 10:11, where Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” And then, of course, the passage goes on to talk about the shepherd’s devotion to the sheep, and the trust that the sheep place in the shepherd. And it’s really not a lesson in 1st century farming techniques. These words remind us of God’s devotion to us, God’s unconditional love for us, God’s providential care for us, revealed in Jesus the Christ. And these words invite us to trust God’s love completely; to trust God’s care for us fully.

You see, there are a lot of predators out there in the woods, beyond the boundaries of the pasture. There’s the wolf of death and the mountain lion of despair; the bobcat of disease and the bear of poverty and unemployment. And when they threaten to strike, the good shepherd doesn’t turn tail and run. And while he’s high-tailing it out of there he doesn’t shout over his shoulder, “Sorry guys, you’re on your own.” That’s what a nation with privatized health care does. You get sick, without insurance? “Sorry, you’re on your own.” That’s what the once highly praised free market does. You lose your home because banking regulations have been shredded and you got a junk mortgage? “Sorry, you’re on your own.” But that’s not the way that God operates. And that’s not the way that communities and social systems that are structured according to the norms of God’s kingdom operate. The good shepherd looks after his sheep! And the sheep, which is to say the people of God, can trust that, because nothing in all Creation, not even poverty or disease or death, can separate us from the love of God.

If you all want to know how lucky we are to be living in Canada, spend a week trying to navigate the health care system – or, rather, the lack of a system – in the U.S. That’s where I’ve been, trying to get some care in place for my parents. Americans like to see themselves as people of faith, but if you want to see a nation where the social gospel has really taken root – where the social norms of God’s kingdom are reflected in public policy – then you have to come to Canada. President Obama is doing his best to turn that around, and more power to him. You know that old expression about the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence? Right now I’m very grateful for the green grass in the pasture on this side of the 49th parallel.

“I am the good shepherd,” Jesus said, “and I lay down my life for the sheep.” And that’s what shepherds have done over the centuries: put their own safety on the line for the sake of the sheep; often with little or no gain for themselves. Sometimes shepherds have been slaves. Most other times they’ve been poorly paid labourers. Not much in it for themselves. It’s been out of a sense of devotion to the flock that they’ve cared for the sheep.

That’s how God cares for us. Not because God will be richly rewarded for taking care of us, but simply because God loves us so. That’s grace.

That’s how God cares for us, and that’s how we’re called to care of each other. Not because there’s some big reward in it for us, but simply because when someone is in need, God calls us to take care of them. If need be, to lay down our lives for them. Like a bystander who rescues an accident victim from a burning car just before it explodes; risking her own life in order to care for the other.

And we do this for each other. One of the things that defines Knox United Church is the way in which we take care of each other in times of life threatening illness or death. And I have no doubt that a lot of us would even risk our lives for another; because when you see someone in need, the grace of God just kind of takes over and you do whatever needs to be done and it’s only afterwards that you think, “How did I know to do that? I could’ve been killed doing that!” But you don’t think of that at the time; you just do what has to be done, with no thought of reward or risk to yourself. That’s God’s love in action. That’s God’s grace in action. And it works through you. And it works through me. And it works through all of us collectively.

But what about when you’re the one who’s sick? What about when you need help? Sometimes the very people who are so generous with their time and gifts when it comes to helping others are among the most reluctant to receive such help themselves. Seems like it’s easier to give grace than to receive it. Two reasons for this: On the one hand, sometimes we think we’re too good to receive such care. It’s the notion of “I’m so strong and capable, I should be able to take care of myself.” On the other hand, there are times we think we’re not good enough to receive someone else’s kindness. But of course neither of these notions is true. No matter how strong you think you are, no matter how unworthy you think you are: if you need help, then you need help. And you have every right to expect such help to be available, because you are a child of God.

But there are times when we need help. There are times when we need guidance. There are times when we need protection. Sometimes we are the ones who are more in the role of sheep than shepherds. And that’s okay. When you’re sick or injured, it’s okay to say, “I need some help.” It’s been interesting watching my mother over the last 4 months as her health has deteriorated. In January, she wouldn’t receive help from anyone. She was saying, “I don’t want to be a burden on anyone. I shouldn’t be feeling this way. I should be able to do more.” And I’m sure that all of you have heard others say those things. I’m sure that lots of us have said those things ourselves. But you know what? God didn’t create us to be self-sufficient. That whole notion of self-sufficiency and rugged individualism was created by western culture in the 16th and 17th and 18th centuries. That’s not biblical faith. The Bible calls us sheep, for crying out loud. And sheep aren’t real good at taking caring of themselves. I don’t know what kind of sheep you’ve seen lately, but the ones I saw last week at a re-creation of a 19th century farm sure looked like they needed a lot of help to me.

When we can take care of ourselves, when we can take care of others, that’s cause to rejoice. But sometimes we just need to relax into the grace of being cared for. Maybe that’s one of the lessons that my mother has learned in recent weeks. Maybe that’s one of the lessons that my mother is teaching me. Sometimes we just need to relax into the grace of being cared for.

The good news of the Bible is this: you are loved infinitely and unconditionally. It doesn’t matter what you can do, or what you can’t do. God loves you and cares for you even when you can’t do a thing! And when you wander off, or when you get hurt or sick, God’s going to look after you. And God’s servant, the Church, will look after you. You may be like a lamb, who’s stumbled off a rocky ledge, fallen to another ledge some metres below, and maybe broken a leg. God is like a good shepherd, who risks his own safety. He climbs down to that ledge, and gently picks up the lamb, and carries it back to safety.

And Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.” Amen.

Text: John 10:11
Preached by Bruce D. Ervin
3 May 2009