The Good Shepherd
Prayer for Illumination
Eternal God, our guide and guardian,
Enlighten our minds to Your teachings, that we may be servants of Your love.
Transform our church, so that we may be shepherds of Your grace. Amen.
You’ve probably seen the picture of Jesus carrying a sheep on his shoulder. The image of Jesus as our good shepherd is such a familiar one. But, unlike the people who first heard these words spoken by Jesus 2000 years ago in the Middle East, we do not have much familiarity with the image of a shepherd.
And I wonder: is it still of help to us? It is rather old-fashioned, isn’t it? In biblical times, everyone knew a shepherd, and the image of a shepherd must have been a very helpful metaphor. But is that still the case?
And yet, somehow, this image continues to speak to us as people of faith. Psalm 23 is still one of our most beloved psalms in the Bible. Jesus as the Good Shepherd is still one of the most comforting ways of thinking of Him and picturing Him.
As I thought about why this is still the case in our modern and post-agricultural world, it is quite simple: We all long for a shepherd. We need someone to lead us, protect us, and guide us.
Although the imagery seems outdated, we humans in the present day of the 21st century have not outgrown our need for someone to love us fiercely and protect us mightily the way only a truly good shepherd can. We are a lot like sheep. And sheep need shepherds.
Sheep are not as stupid and mindless as we think. Several studies found that sheep can remember the faces of about 50 people or animals for up to 2 years. Sheep must be led often by a sheepdog or a shepherd, so by nature they are followers.
Sheep are extremely communal and social animals. They can establish firm friendships with each other and look after one another. Sheep react negatively to loud noises, yelling, and new visual objects. In the passage we are going to study today, metaphorically, we’re sheep, and Jesus is the good shepherd.
Our text is the continuation of the dispute between Jesus and the religious authorities in John 9. It started with Jesus’ healing of a blind man. The man born blind received not only physical sight but also spiritual sight.
But the healing of the blind man and the whole incident made the Pharisees unhappy. They were angrier because this miracle took place on the Sabbath. After questioning the man who received the sight, the Pharisees threw him out of the synagogue.
Jesus found the man and asked, “Do you believe in the Son of God?” He proclaimed, “Lord, I believe.” Jesus then declared that He had come “so that those who do not see may see, and those who do see may become blind.” (John 9:39)
Having heard what Jesus said, some Pharisees became outrageous. “What? Are you accusing us of being blind?”
Then Jesus began the teaching of the parable of Shepherd. He draws a contrast between two groups: the good shepherd and the hired hand. And He claims to be the Good Shepherd.
What makes Jesus the good shepherd? First, the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. In fact, in this short passage, Jesus mentions 4 times that He lays down His life for the sheep, and compares the good shepherd with the hired hand.
Jesus says in v 12 that the hired hand abandons the sheep and runs away when the wolf attacks. To the hired hand, sheep-tending is just a job. He doesn’t care as much about the sheep. So if any danger approaches, the hired hand will just run for his life, thinking, “Who cares about a few sheep?”
This story reminds us of another story in the book of Ezekiel. The whole chapter of Ezekiel ch 34 is about shepherds and sheep. The prophet Ezekiel warned that God was angry with both religious and political leaders of Judah who took advantage of and abandoned their people.
God said, “You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness, you have ruled them. So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd.”
God then, declared, “I, Myself, will be the shepherd of My sheep, and I will make them lie down. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak.”
About 4 centuries later, Jesus came and claimed that He is the Good Shepherd.
He gave a new sight to the blind man, a new life, and a new faith.
He fed the hungry, healed the sick, bound up the brokenhearted, proclaimed the kingdom of God, and forgave sins.
He went to the cross, laid down His life, and gave Himself up, for the sake of all humankind.
As He promised, He laid down His life for us - for you and me.
By laying down His life willingly, He saved us from the bondage of sin.
By rising from the dead, He gave us a new life here and now, and hope for eternal green pastures.
And He is here with us walking with us day-by-day in our struggles and celebrations.
On June 8, 2016, British newspaper The Telegraph, reported that a great flock of sheep "had to be rounded up by police in the Spanish city of Huesca after their shepherd fell asleep." The article continued: “Police in Huesca around 4:30 am on Tuesday got the unusual alert that a 1300-strong flock of sheep was running around, trying to navigate the streets and causing a huge commotion.
The shepherd was supposed to guide the sheep past the city toward the Pyrenean uplands where his flock could graze during the warm summer months, but he fell asleep.
The police eventually found the shepherd who was still peacefully slumbering. Together the embarrassed shepherd and police officers were able to extract the sheep from the city and return them to their pastures.
The article doesn’t tell us if the sleeping shepherd was the sheep’s shepherd or a hired hand, but our Shepherd does not sleep nor slumber. He picks us up when we fall, mends our broken spirits, supports us when we are limping along, carries us when we have no energy, sings to us to comfort our spirits, and calls each of us by name when we are distracted or lost.
We, like sheep, easily wander away from the flock and follow something that seems more exciting, easier, or better without knowing that it will only lead us to the valley of death. But He doesn’t leave you alone, lost and surrounded by a wolf pack.
Jesus may not take you through a privileged detour around the hardships of life but go through them together, with you. He won’t leave you out there alone.
If you feel lost now, if you think you’re surrounded by mighty mountains, endless deserts, sharp thorn bushes, or growling wild animals, Jesus is here with you to protect you and bring you back home.
Another reason Jesus is the Good Shepherd is that He knows us. He knows our thoughts, our weaknesses, our fears, our struggles, our strengths, and our potential. And Jesus says that we are supposed to know Him, just like a sheep knows its shepherd by recognizing the face, smell, and voice.
Do you know your shepherd? Knowing your Shepherd is the mark of the flock. In other words, if we say that we are Christians, that means we have a personal relationship with Jesus and we are to recognize His presence with us, His fragrance, His touch, and His voice.
There are plenty of competing voices around us, clamoring for our attention - Voices from TVs, computers, phones, tablets, and other voices around us. But there is only one voice that truly matters to our soul. That is the voice of the Shepherd, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Let us recognize our Shepherd’s voice and follow Him.
Where the Shepherd goes, there also go His sheep. They don’t like to be pushed; they prefer to be led. And it is their shepherd who leads them. And isn’t that what Jesus is asking of us? To follow Him?
In many and various ways, He invites us over and over to follow him. He promises to lead and protect us and invites us to trust Him. Trust him and follow him.
We are the ones who have been loved fiercely by the Good Shepherd and cared for all the days of our lives. We have been watched over, provided for, and carried through rough times.
Jesus has stayed with us through the valley of the shadow of death. We are the beloved, those for whom Jesus laid down His life.
And Jesus invites those who have been so loved to shepherd others, to love as we have been loved, not in word and speech, but in truth and action.
We are called to care for those who are vulnerable, those who do stupid things, those who are hurt, those who are stragglers, those who are exhausted, those who wander off so often, and those who need help.
We are called to journey with them, support them, wait for them, and encourage them until we reach our final destination together.
A friend of mine who is new to the area wanted to visit Seattle. So last Sunday after the service, two of us drove to Seattle. It was a nice getaway. On our way home Monday afternoon, my car showed a warning sign that the right passenger side tire’s air was low.
Thankfully, it was when we stopped for a coffee. So, I drove to the nearest gas station to put air in the tire. I was shocked to find a flattened tire - there was a hole and air was coming out fast. Then a truck driver, who had been putting gas in his huge commercial truck, came over to help me fill the tire with air and told me to go to the nearest tire shop.
Off to the tire shop very slowly and carefully. It was a busy place. The wait would have been at least a couple of hours. So I called another small shop nearby and drove there. By the time I got there, the tire was literally flat.
The people in the shop were comforting me because I was distressed, imagining all the worst possibilities. They fixed it right away and then told us to go home safely. They didn’t even charge me anything.
When I first saw the flattened tire, I was, honestly, upset, complaining to God, “Why now? Why here?” But I realized later that without the protection of my Shepherd, I could’ve had a big accident on Highway 5.
Moreover, because the truck driver paused what he was doing to help me, I knew that I had to go to a tire shop immediately. Because of the kind people in the shop, I felt relieved and the tire was fixed quickly and well.
Pause from what you’ve been doing and look around. Does anyone need your helping hands, your listening ears, your generosity? Does anyone need your comforting presence, encouraging words, and solidarity? Does anyone need your spiritual guidance or ceaseless prayers? Offer what you can to the weary, the lonely, the discouraged, the sick, and the lost.
Friends, we face life’s challenges all the time - small and big. But, we continue our journey because our Good Shepherd guides and comforts us. Is Jesus the Good Shepherd to you? Yes?
Then, our Good Shepherd invites us to do the same for others so that we all might dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Let us pray.
Our Good Shepherd, Jesus. Thank You for laying down Your life for each of us. We, like sheep, easily wander away from You and follow our own will, plan, or our own pleasure. Help us follow wherever You lead us, listening to Your voice and staying near You until we are all safely in Your fold to live with You, the Father, and the Holy Spirit. And help us lead our brothers and sisters to the right path. In Jesus’ name. Amen.