Sermon #6

Worried? Jesus has the Cure!
In our times together this year, meditating upon the Word proclaimed and its response in our lives, we have shared and pondered many realities, continuing to ask God to speak to our hearts and give us the courage and strength to listen. Jack preached a sermon-series on the stain glass windows that surround us, and he has recently preached powerful, succinct sermons about the meaning of Jesus’ actions in the Gospels—spurring us to ask: What is Grace? What is the meaning of the Resurrection; what transformation lies ahead as we answer the call of God in our lives?

In sermons with you this past year, I recall preaching about grace alongside my fear of water. We talked about the dance of the Trinity as well as the magnificent Advent quote in Isaiah, where the lion and lamb lie down together. We have also grappled with Jesus’ peculiar interaction with fig trees.

Preparing today’s sermon, I came across this forceful quotation from Presbyterian author and pastor, Frederick Buechner. Defining the word, “sermon,” Buechner writes:

SERMON

Well, something one cannot deny if one preaches as Buechner describes, daring to look authentically at human experience and how God breaks into our world and shakes things up (or seemingly lacks the ability to do so), one of the most challenging realities in the world today is fear and correspondingly worry…

You don’t have to have a PhD in counseling to know that there is great pain and corresponding worry in the world. We talk about it in small groups and sometimes it wakes up us at night, religious questions, financial questions, existential questions,. We recognize worry as we strive to recruit and build our organizations and town businesses. We sometimes even see our pain and worry when we consider our children’s futures or the future of our church.
Fear and its reciprocal response of being worry meets us early… at the first loss of a pet… or the first sign or taste of injustice….

For me, as for so many, memories of injustice begin soon—too soon. As an example, I recall one of my classmates in kindergarten named Carmencita. Carmencita was the only Latino student in my class and, even at such a young age, I recognized how she often experienced a kind of alienation and loneliness in the context of our little classroom.


In our world of harshness, where we know what it is like to worry, we meet today’s Scripture…. And we dive and are driving into the core of authentic human experience!

And then one might wonder: What does this Scripture say to me? At the surface of the text, simple and true, a profound message appears:
Do not fear. You are not alone. The Father & I are one, and so you need not worry about being snatched away. You are my sheep, and the shepherd knows how to care for his sheep.
My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand.
(FOLLOW ME)

Handel has his famous refrain speaking to this theme:

He Shall Feed His Flock, like a shepherd. And he shall gather the lambs in his arms. In his arms. And carry them in his bosom.



In the wider context of our Gospel, the Gospel of John, we see increasing meaning for our passage:

Consider the Gospel of John itself
John 1—The Word (Jesus) with God.



** God, the Good Shepherd, cares for us. Christ comes to us in divine-human form to represent the shepherd, to become and be the shepherd. We now see the shepherd in the flesh. We experience the reality of divine compassion.

Moving on: Beginning his ministry
“The Jews”—2:13 Beginning of conversation with the Jews

Jewish religious establishment in Jerusalem is being spoken to

What question are “the Jews” asking here? Are you the Messiah?!
Luke 22:67 ‡ 23 (Conversation with Pilate)


** God, the Good Shepherd, cares for us. Christ comes to us in divine-human form to represent the shepherd. to become and be the shepherd. We now see the shepherd in the flesh. We experience the reality of divine compassion.

The Samaritan Woman: 4:25

** God, the Good Shepherd, cares for us. Christ comes to us in divine-human form to represent the shepherd. to become and be the shepherd. We now see the shepherd in the flesh. We experience the reality of divine compassion.

*** OUR VERSE: Theological conclusion to Jesus’ public ministry

OUR PASSAGE:
The Feast of Dedication
This is the Jewish festival of Hanukkah
The liberation of Jerusalem from the reign of the Syrian king, Antiochus Epiphanes

Portico—eastern side—most protected during the winter

Jews have a new question for Jesus. They wonder: How long will you keep us in suspense? Translated in the Greek, many suggest the question likewise suggests: How long will you take away our life/continue to annoy us? What is your intention here?

Then, Jesus gets into the MEAT of a fairly direct, theological conversation. No parables here. He says plainly: I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. (WORKS—sometimes translated as miracles—It refers to everything—from the water‡ wine, Jesus’ work in the temple, Jesus’ encounter with the Samitarian woman—and he says POWERFULLY: My children, my sheep. They know me. And they do not need to worry or go over and over and over again in their heads: Who is this Jesus? Does he have any meaning to me? They know: He and the Father God are ONE.
He and God are united in the work that they do.

God gives life; Jesus gives life.

God judges. Jesus judges. God, the Good Shepherd, cares for us. Christ comes to us in divine-human form to represent the shepherd. Christ is the shepherd. We see the shepherd in the flesh. We experience the reality of divine compassion.)
Jesus continues: 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.
For those of us who need to hear this kind of message more than once… give it time to sink in amongst many of the contrary messages that our culture gives us… let me say it again:

Jesus tells us: 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

Friends, have you been feeling this grace? Have you been experiencing the profound life that God gives? Our world is full of pain, and we have many reasons to feel overwhelmed by it all. But this passage, this Scripture for us today, says: Dare to know that if you are worried… If you are, like so many, worried and worn down by the world’s suffering, God has a special word for you today:
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.

Looking in our passage further, another morsel of encouragement appears:

Shepherd Info!!

Prominent figure-
Sheep- sign of wealth

Shepherd-
1) Symbol for God
Psalms 23
Psalm 80- Hear us, O Shepherd of Israel,
you who lead Joseph like a flock;
you who sit enthroned between the cherubim, shine forth
Isaiah 40:11-- 11 He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young. (handel)
MOVING INTO THE NT:
(2) As a Figure for Jesus
Hebrews 13:20 – Jesus as the Great Shepherd of the Sheep
1 Peter 2:25—Jesus as the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.


shift as example to follow‡

Ephesians 4:11 The world used for pastor is the same word used for shepherd.

1 Peter 5:2-4 – warning to get rich at other’s expense.
2Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve; 3not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. 4And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.

WORRY
In our world of great worry, Jesus, the Chief Shepherd, has suggested that we live a new reality… a powerful reality in a world of great worry and concern: Let us pastor each other, according to the example of our Triune God!

Carmencita Story