Acts 4:32-37

Psalm 23

1 John 3:1-8

JOHN 10:11-16

Fourth Sunday of Easter – May 7, 2006

I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. (John 10:14-15)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The opening statement from today’s gospel, (repeated in verse 14) “I am the good shepherd,” is one of the many of the “I am” statements that Jesus makes throughout the Gospel of John that help define who he is and what he is about.

I am the bread of life (6:35)

I am the light of the world (8:12, 9:5)

I am the gate for the sheep (10:7)

I am resurrection and I am life (11:25)

I am life (14:6)

I am the true vine (15:1)

The last time that I preached (8:30 service only) I said that one of the main themes, if not the main theme, of John’s Gospel is that Jesus gives life. Each of these statements not only helps to define Jesus, but each also shows a way Jesus gives life. Today’s proclamation is no different. It tells us another way that Jesus gives life.

Jesus says that he is the good shepherd because he is willing to give his life for the sheep. Their life is more important to him than his own life. He gives his all for their well-being and life. Nothing will cause him to fail his own. He will be with them, love them and care for them even if it means his death. This is what marks him from the hired hand who runs when danger approaches and abandons the sheep because he does not care for them. It also makes him different than the evil shepherds in the alternative first lesson for today. They exploit the sheep, lead them astray or even kill them for their own benefit.

Today’s Psalm, the 23rd, is loved because of its powerful declaration of God’s faithful caring and leading. What we often do not notice is that the fulcrum or center of the Psalm is the phrase “for you are with me.” In the Hebrew, there are the exact same number of words before and after this phrase.

Likewise when we read today’s gospel lesson, we focus so much on the words at the beginning “I am the good shepherd. I lay down my life for the sheep,” that we fail to note that in the middle of the lesson is this amazing proclamation, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.”

When we think about today’s Psalm or today’s Gospel, we do not generally focus on relationship and intimacy, at least not as mutual relationship and intimacy. If we do think of them in terms of relationships, we think in terms of God’s or of Jesus’ faithful caring. Yet this declaration by Jesus brings us to a totally new point of understanding. Suddenly something totally new is in play. It is no longer just a loving God caring for dumb sheep. The whole purpose of the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep is a loving, open, mutual relationship – “just as the Father knows me and I know the Father.” Later in John’s Gospel, Jesus will make very clear how he and the Father know each other – they are one. Jesus is saying that he and we are to know each other in the same way.

Such knowledge, from our viewpoint, is a two-edged sword. There is probably no greater human longing than to be truly known for who we really are. There is also nothing that can be quite so embarrassing. We tend to spend a lot of energy in not revealing our full selves to others, in part probably because we perceive that it could be dangerous. We also spend a lot of energy in not knowing ourselves fully. Self-knowledge is often scarce. We respond with mixed feelings to the possibility of knowing and being known as Jesus and the Father know each other. The Psalmist in Psalm 139 sings of God’s knowledge of us and says that it is too great and wonderful. There is part of us that desperately wants to be known by God and to know God; part that does not want it and is afraid of it.

Part of the problem is that we see such knowledge and intimacy as being invasive and judgmental. We want to be left alone. We want to do whatever it is that we want to do without anyone or God knowing or in any way trying to stop us. We fear that if we are truly known, we will be rejected and judged. We can see God as the great spy who is out to catch us and interfere in our lives.

Margaret Guenther writing in Christian Century in 1995 says:

To be fully known is not possible in our human relationships, but it is the foundation of relationship with Christ. To be known, fully known, is both painful and profoundly comforting. We accept the humble status of sheep, let our masks and defenses drop away, and allow the shepherd to carry us on his shoulder and occasionally poke us with his staff. Sometimes we are thwarted—the edge of the cliff doesn’t look too dangerous.

... I wasn’t going to wander very far, honest! Be we can listen for the shepherd’s voice and rejoice because he knows each of us in this blundering sheepish flock.

As Margaret infers, God’s relationship with us and knowledge of us is about giving life. It is about healing. It is about holding the mirror up to us in love, calling us to change, calling us to new paths that bring healing and fullness of life.

There are many shepherds out there calling to us, wanting to know us and guide us. What we know is that too often they do not really care about us or the fullness of our lives. What they care about is what they can get from us or how they can control us and use us to get what they want. They do not really want to know us deeply and intimately to bless and care. They certainly do not want us to intimately know them and what they are doing.

Jesus is the good shepherd because he loves us even to the point of giving up his life for us. We can trust him. We can risk being known by him, and he does want us to truly know him.

Jesus is the Good Shepherd, but suddenly we realize that he is not in the business of just taking care of dumb sheep. There is much more going on.

The root meaning of the word sin is to fall short or to miss the mark. It is not just doing bad or wrong things. It goes much deeper than that. We can be very much in sin even when doing “very good and wonderful” things.

The root of obedience is hearing.

Both indicate a relationship with God – of hearing God and walking with God.

This fall when I was on retreat I heard two great sermons that I still remember clearly. The first was on the passage about the calling of Matthew. The heart of the sermon was that Matthew started a conversation with Jesus, and Jesus took it from there. In love, he made Matthew new and gave him life.

This is where the Good Shepherd is calling us – to start a conversation. If we start a conversation with him, he will lead us to fresh waters, to life.

Amen.

The Rev. William Breedlove

St. Barnabas Episcopal Church

Monmouth Junction, NJ