Sermon – 4 Easter, Yr. B, Jn. 10:11-18 4/21/24
Intro singing: Stand by Me (Ben E. King)
When the night has come and the land is dark,
And the moon is the only light we’ll see,
No, I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid
Just as long, as you stand, stand by me…
Over the last few months, if you live in KY, and have watched men’s UK basketball, you probably heard the bible referenced a few times. Game after game, posters in the stands, fans on social media, and T-shirt after T-shirt, using biblical language about our theme today. And if we heard it once – we heard it a thousand times:
“And a Sheppard shall lead them!”
– “a Sheppard – shall lead them.”
Of course, that’s referring to UK guard Reed Sheppard and not the bible. He decided to go pro so we’re losing him, but now there’s a Pope on the scene so things should stay somewhat religious.
Standing up, standing out, standing with, standing by…
Everybody wants somebody – who can stand by them! In bible times that somebody – was a shepherd. Because a shepherd if he was a good shepherd would do anything to protect the sheep. Even lay down his life. The shepherd literally lays down at night at the opening after corralling the sheep into the fold or alcove in the rock, and he is the door. Nothing comes in or out when the shepherd is – the door.
Early Christian art depicted Jesus carrying a lamb around his neck and shoulders. In fact, the term “good shepherd” is found in the OT over 80 times.
In our gospel text today Jesus says that the hired hand runs away and the good shepherd stays. That statement comes from a law that existed at the time that said if one wolf was threatening the flock or the shepherd – the shepherd had to stay and deal with the wolf. However, if there was more than one wolf then the shepherd could vacate the premises and run.
Jesus pointed out that God is not like the hired hand that runs to protect themselves when danger arrives. Conversely, if we as sheep run out and away from the flock and the shepherd – it might not end up well for us.
But as long as we let God be the Good Shepherd for us, we’ll be ok.
A good shepherd also knows each of the sheep by name. The sheep learn to follow the sound of their shepherd’s voice. They listen – following their shepherd during the day and so when night comes and it’s too dark to see, they have learned the shepherd’s call, trusting in his voice.
Did you know that if there were two or three shepherds in the field with their flocks – the sheep would mingle together? However, when a particular shepherd begins calling the names of the sheep in their flock – the sheep follow his voice until they are reunited with the rest of their flock.
Interestingly – if a shepherd calls a sheep’s name from another herd, that sheep won’t budge. They won’t even move. It’s just – talk to the hoof!
The question for us is, “How will we, as people of God, recognize the true shepherd’s voice?”
We can listen to our hearts. We can believe by faith that it is God leading the way. We can discern within community. Others in our church community can know God’s voice well enough to whisper in our ears, “God’s voice is in this. You are called to follow in this way or that way. You are not alone.”
Sometimes it takes a team of faithful people around us to help us clarify next steps. We are stronger together.
Here’s a basketball story for you: When I was on the school team, we made it all the way through the city tournament and were slotted to play in the championship game.
The other team was good, but then they had the best player in the league. #33 was the most outstanding point guard we’d ever seen. He was a great dribbler, ball handler, and shooter. He had it all and it was impressive to watch him play. In fact, he made you wish you had brought a notebook – just to take notes! Yes, he was that good! A star player!
So, we’re in the first half of the championship and everybody had brought their A game. #33 – true to form – had scored most of their points and showed no sign of slowing down.
The score was tied as we went into halftime. We sat on the bench and huddled around our coach who was on one knee in front of us with his clipboard and sharpie.
He said, “I want y’all to keep doing what you’re doing on offense. Pass the ball around the key and take the best open shot.
On defense – move your feet, guard the baseline, and keep hitting those boards for rebounds. But here’s what you can do differently – let #33 drive the lane every time he brings the ball down the floor. Show the open lane and then all together step in and close it fast. Keep your feet planted and your hands straight up. Try to draw a charging foul on this guy until he’s in foul trouble.
Coach said, “I’ve noticed something about this kid, he’s a total ball hog and doesn’t like to pass it off. Eventually he will either foul out or get frustrated and start shooting bad shots. And – Coach – was right!
You know – the bible says something about sheep and goats. When we say someone is a “goat” in sports we mean Greatest of all Time. You might indeed be talented and considered great, but if you’re playing with a team around you, you rarely win without them.
In the case of #33, the best player in the league, he ended up hogging the ball only to finish frustrated. I remember how he yelled at his teammates after the game. He couldn’t see that his teammates were the very ones who could have helped him win that championship trophy. He didn’t utilize the team. Stronger together.
So, who is your team? Who truly has your back? Not just who says they like you, but who encourages you and helps you succeed?
Who is on your faith team? Who has been an inspiration – or mentored you? Who stands by you?
You see when Jesus walked on the earth, he was the Good Shepherd. Then he ascended to heaven and left us with the Holy Spirit, the disciples – not just the twelve, but all of the men and women and teenagers and children who wanted to follow Jesus – became – the Body of Christ in the world.
Jesus also left us with a job to do. Jesus asked us to be the Good Shepherd in our time! The job of the Body of Christ is to be -the Good Shepherd in our context. Everything we are entrusted with as a living breathing church is for this purpose.
Jesus, the GS, invites us to his table. He calls us his.
Do we know his voice and call him our Good Shepherd?
Does he know your voice, my voice, and our voice?
No, I won’t be afraid, no I won’t be afraid
Just as long, as you stand, stand by me.
Amen.