Today’s reading is a good example of the way in which we are called to stop and look behind us and before us to know what is of God and what is not; what is generative and what is destructive; what is helpful for us as God’s people and what is hurtful. We are told to consider who is the thief, the hired hand, and even the wolf by looking to Jesus as the Good Shepherd.
I’ll be the first to say that looking around the congregation to point out who the thieves and wolves might be is more than a little problematic, so I am glad that the emphasis here is on Jesus. In the same way that pointing one finger at someone else leaves several fingers pointing back at me, I would say that we can all be, at times, the thief and the wolf. That’s kind of why we are here, on Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of Lent – to focus on Jesus and reorder our lives around his love and mercy.
It might be a little confusing to say in v7 that Jesus is the gate and then call him the good shepherd in v11, unless you know a little about the practices of shepherds in the middle east. I am told this is still true today in some parts, but the shepherd not only finds the green pastures but also finds the alcove to lie down in when the flock has wandered too far in search of food and water. In those spaces, the shepherd guides them into an area in which the sheep may be hemmed in for the night and then lays down in the entrance. The shepherd literally lays down his or her life and becomes the gate.
In the 23rd Psalm we hear how God, the divine shepherd, leads God’s people to the things they need more than the things they may want, and those who first followed Jesus would have known that when they first heard these words.
How, then, might we receive them today amidst the cries of war and the rumors of greater conflict? How might we hear the voice of Jesus amongst all the other voices that call out for attention; that attempt redirection; that seem to demand correction?
V10:5 reminds us that those who follow Jesus listen to his voice. V11 assures us that he has laid down his life for us, and v16 reminds us that there is always so much more to God’s love than we can think or imagine.
We are not alone. Salvation is not up to us alone, and God is active and present in all things. It’s not about us. It’s about the tender mercy of God, as it says in Luke 1:78-79, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
During this season Lent as we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, many of us are counting our steps and recording them at church either as individuals or groups as we walk the path of Jesus as we find it in John’s gospel. I know of at least one member who has used this as a way to mediate on a different verse of the Lord’s Prayer each day. You might also find a verse of scripture to meditate on, or just seek a time of silence from all the voices that push and pull and seek to define you and steel or devour your identity as a child of God.
Whatever you do, I encourage you to remember that there is a God who offers peace and rest during the season of Lent. It is not a time to feel bad. It is a time to recognize how limited we are, and how unlimited the love of God can be.
We are here but for a limited time, and when we say that we are of dust and to dust we shall return it is not a threat. It is a promise. It is a recognition that we come from the generative, creative spirit of God and we return to God through the sacrificial love of Jesus.
During this Season of Lent, and particularly on this day, let us be encouraged that the thieves and the wolves of the past are in the past – even if it seems that they still threaten you today. Likewise, the future is nothing more than unfulfilled expectation, and it will be fulfilled in the tender mercy of God. All that truly matters is this moment. The same will be true of the next one and the next one, but right now all that matters is that we listen to the voice of the one who says, “I will lay my life down for you again and again and again. That’s how much you matter to me.”
As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus this lent, let us become less like a battalion in lock step precion and more like the cells of beating heart. You may know this but a cell from a beating heart can be kept alive in a pitre dish, and it will continue to contract. If you add another to the dish they will beat at different rates unless they are placed side by side. Then something amazing happens. They sync rhythms and beat as one! May it be the same with you and me and Jesus and all the world, and may it begin, again, with us together today. Amen.
I’ll be the first to say that looking around the congregation to point out who the thieves and wolves might be is more than a little problematic, so I am glad that the emphasis here is on Jesus. In the same way that pointing one finger at someone else leaves several fingers pointing back at me, I would say that we can all be, at times, the thief and the wolf. That’s kind of why we are here, on Ash Wednesday, at the beginning of Lent – to focus on Jesus and reorder our lives around his love and mercy.
It might be a little confusing to say in v7 that Jesus is the gate and then call him the good shepherd in v11, unless you know a little about the practices of shepherds in the middle east. I am told this is still true today in some parts, but the shepherd not only finds the green pastures but also finds the alcove to lie down in when the flock has wandered too far in search of food and water. In those spaces, the shepherd guides them into an area in which the sheep may be hemmed in for the night and then lays down in the entrance. The shepherd literally lays down his or her life and becomes the gate.
In the 23rd Psalm we hear how God, the divine shepherd, leads God’s people to the things they need more than the things they may want, and those who first followed Jesus would have known that when they first heard these words.
How, then, might we receive them today amidst the cries of war and the rumors of greater conflict? How might we hear the voice of Jesus amongst all the other voices that call out for attention; that attempt redirection; that seem to demand correction?
V10:5 reminds us that those who follow Jesus listen to his voice. V11 assures us that he has laid down his life for us, and v16 reminds us that there is always so much more to God’s love than we can think or imagine.
We are not alone. Salvation is not up to us alone, and God is active and present in all things. It’s not about us. It’s about the tender mercy of God, as it says in Luke 1:78-79, “By the tender mercy of our God, the dawn from on high will break upon us, to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace.”
During this season Lent as we prepare for the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus at Easter, many of us are counting our steps and recording them at church either as individuals or groups as we walk the path of Jesus as we find it in John’s gospel. I know of at least one member who has used this as a way to mediate on a different verse of the Lord’s Prayer each day. You might also find a verse of scripture to meditate on, or just seek a time of silence from all the voices that push and pull and seek to define you and steel or devour your identity as a child of God.
Whatever you do, I encourage you to remember that there is a God who offers peace and rest during the season of Lent. It is not a time to feel bad. It is a time to recognize how limited we are, and how unlimited the love of God can be.
We are here but for a limited time, and when we say that we are of dust and to dust we shall return it is not a threat. It is a promise. It is a recognition that we come from the generative, creative spirit of God and we return to God through the sacrificial love of Jesus.
During this Season of Lent, and particularly on this day, let us be encouraged that the thieves and the wolves of the past are in the past – even if it seems that they still threaten you today. Likewise, the future is nothing more than unfulfilled expectation, and it will be fulfilled in the tender mercy of God. All that truly matters is this moment. The same will be true of the next one and the next one, but right now all that matters is that we listen to the voice of the one who says, “I will lay my life down for you again and again and again. That’s how much you matter to me.”
As we walk in the footsteps of Jesus this lent, let us become less like a battalion in lock step precion and more like the cells of beating heart. You may know this but a cell from a beating heart can be kept alive in a pitre dish, and it will continue to contract. If you add another to the dish they will beat at different rates unless they are placed side by side. Then something amazing happens. They sync rhythms and beat as one! May it be the same with you and me and Jesus and all the world, and may it begin, again, with us together today. Amen.
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