THE GOOD SHEPHERD - May 3, 2009
Psalm 23; John 10:7-15
Psalm 23 continues to be one of the favorite psalms of all time. Psalm means "song," and many of the psalms were used either as hymns or as liturgy in the temple. I think Psalm 23 must have been like "Amazing Grace" is to us. Most people, even if they don't know many other hymns, have either heard or know "Amazing Grace" from being in church to hearing it played on the bagpipes.
Psalm 23 begins with the image of God as shepherd, which has been and remains central to our understanding of God. Jesus was born into a culture of nomads whose livelihood was their herds of goats and sheep. Shepherds were so important that the announcement of Jesus' birth was first proclaimed to them. Luke says that they were out in the fields in the night, keeping watch over the sheep -- so they were good shepherds, doing their job well.
A good shepherd watches over the sheep and takes care of them so they do not want for food or shelter. The table set before them is a broad, green pasture with choice grass where it is safe to grace, and therefore safe to lie down in, and rest.
Sheep will not drink from moving, flowing water, so a good shepherd knows where the still pools of water are, and will lead the sheep to them.
Oil was used to anoint those set apart for a special task or service, so the image is of God, the Good Shepherd, anointing us for a special task.
My cup runneth over, with the blessings of abundance and grace.
I heard a story from Rev. Debra Murray, from when she was a young child and visited her grandmother. Her grandmother loved coffee, and every morning Debra would help her grandmother make the coffee. Then her grandmother would have Debra pour the coffee into her special, very large, cup. The cup had a very large saucer. Debra would begin to pour the coffee, and would stop when the cup was full. But her grandmother would tell Debra, "Pour more coffee, the cup isn't full yet." And Debra would pour a little more, and a little more, and a little more until the coffee overflowed the cup and ran into the saucer. And her grandmother would say, "Now there's a cup of coffee! It's the blessings of the Lord, filled up to overflowing." And she would drink the coffee from the saucer first saying, "These blessings of the Lord sure taste good!" And then she would drink the coffee from the cup, saying, "These blessings of the Lord sure taste good!"
Especially in times where we might be concerned about the economy, our jobs, our families -- it is good to know that the blessings of the Lord overflow -- the blessings of the fruits of the spirit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23) -- these are not dependent on the economy but are blessings of the heart that can be cultivated in any life situation.
If we are tempted to hold on to our worries so that we cannot see our blessings, we can remember that someone once said, "Every evening I turn my troubles over to God -- He's going to be up all night anyway."
Yes, We can always say with the psalmist, "My cup runneth over."
The blessings of goodness and mercy follow us all the days of our lives, just as the sheep would follow the shepherd, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
This is a promise that we often talk about at a funeral, for it is a promise that God is with us now, and for all eternity.
Betty Eadie tells of what we call a "near-death" experience in a book, Embraced by the Light. In the introduction, Melvin Morse, a medical doctor who has studied near death experiences, writes: "Embraced by the Light teaches us that our own individual lives are important and filled with meaning. I am struck again and again that those who have entered into God's light at the end of life return with a simple and beautiful message: 'Love is supreme. . . . Love must govern. . . . We create our own surroundings by the thoughts we think. . . . We are sent here to live life fully, to live it abundantly, to find joy in our own creations, to experience both failure and success, to use free will to expand and magnify our lives.' Betty does not return from clinical death with grandiose claims of establishing a new church or of producing miracle cures for diseases, but rather with a simple message of love. The meaning of the near-death experience is one that we all know is true, but one that we have forgotten." (p. ix*)
Betty summarizes this message at the end of the book: "We are to love one another. . . . We are to be kind, to be tolerant, to give generous service. I know that greater joy will come to us through love than in any other way. I have seen its wonderful, glorious rewards. The details of my experience are important only to the point that they help us to love. All else is an appendage to that. It is simply a matter of following the Savior's message which he most clearly expressed to me: 'Above all else, love one another.'" (p. 147*)
Jesus, the one who protects us, who keeps us from wanting and provides a table before us, who leads us in the ways of righteousness, is the Good Shepherd who restores our souls. Surely, with Jesus, the Good Shepherd, the blessings of goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our lives, and we will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures;
he leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul;
he leadeth me in the paths of righeousness for his name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death;
I will fear no evil;
for thou art with me;
thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies;
Thou anointest my head with oil;
My cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
*Betty J. Eadie. Embraced by the Light, Placerville, CA: Gold Leaf Press. 1992.
Amen
Pastor Fran
