Christ the King Sunday
November 20, 2016
Jeremiah 23:1-6
(Or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy0OyZHge7Q )
(Or watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iy0OyZHge7Q )
At the
beginning of the book of Revelation, John talks about how Christ made us a
kingdom of priests to serve God. [1]This
verse is where Martin Luther got the idea of the priesthood of all believers,
that we don’t need a priest to intercede for us; we can go directly to God
ourselves. In a sense, we are all priests, we are all servants, and we all
minister to those in need. Ministering and caring for those in need is what
Jeremiah’s talking about in the passage we read from him this morning. God
passes judgment on those shepherds who didn’t act as shepherds, “the rulers who
were supposed to take care of his people,” but instead scattered the flock and
drove them away.[2] We
all know leaders who aren’t good leaders. We all know examples of a person who
should have cared, who was supposed to care, and didn’t. It happens,
unfortunately. And here, God says those shepherds are no longer going to be
shepherds. God’s going to bring back the sheep that have been scattered, and
“place over them shepherds who care for them.” Basically, shepherds who are
going to do the job shepherds are supposed to do, which is to take care of their
flock. Shepherds who care. We have all been given people to love. God has given
all of us people to love and take care of. In a sense, we are all shepherds. We
all have a flock, of some shape and size, whose care is our responsibility. In
a sense, we’re not only a kingdom of priests, we’re also a kingdom of
shepherds.
As
shepherds, we have the perfect role model of how to be a shepherd who cares,
how to be a good shepherd, in the
person of the Good Shepherd, Jesus. In
the Gospel of John, Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays
down his life for the sheep,” and does not run away when trouble comes. “I am
the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me.”[3]
A good shepherd, a shepherd who cares, knows his sheep, and the sheep know him.
The shepherd’s not a stranger and the shepherd doesn’t leave when the going
gets tough. In the Old Testament, the prophet Ezekiel describes the actions of
a good shepherd as one who will gather the flock and feed them with good
pasture and bind up the wounds of any who are injured.[4]
This is what the Good Shepherd does. The shepherd knows his sheep so that he
can always find them wherever they’ve scattered. He gives them good food to
eat. And he takes care of their injuries. He washes the wound and adds neosporin
and a bandage so that it can heal. He takes care of them.
This is all what’s
described in the last hymn we sang, which is based on the 23rd
psalm. “The King of Love, my shepherd is, whose goodness failed never.”[5]
Or, “the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He maketh me lie down in green
pastures, he leadeth me beside still waters. He restoreth my soul.”[6]
The Good Shepherd restores your soul. That’s what good shepherds do. And they
do that without losing their own soul in the process. One of the last times I
was at the Wal-mart by Piney Grove, I overheard a lady in a wheelchair say to
another shopper, “I lost myself while taking care of others.” If you’re not
careful, it happens. Jesus, though, takes the time to take care of himself,
too. He spends time in prayer, he rests. He makes sure he gets enough to eat,
too. He is our model for how to be a shepherd and take care of others.
Now,
the so that, or why, of why God will provide shepherds who care for the sheep is
“so that the sheep will no longer be afraid or dread harm.”[7]
We need shepherds who care for us so that we don’t have to be afraid. When you
have a good ruler in charge, then you’re not worried about what might happen.
You know they’ve got your back. When I went to the District Committee on
Ordained Ministry last week for a mock interview, that was one of the things
the chair told me afterwards. He’s also on the Conference Board of Ordained
Ministry and he said that when I come before them, there’ll be 30 other people
who don’t know me. He’s got my back and does believe that I am ready to be
commissioned this year. I’ve just got to also let those other 30 people know
that I am, too. It was really encouraging to hear him tell me that he would
completely back me. How often do we get told that these days? How often do we
get our fears reassured? When a shepherd cares for the sheep, then the sheep
don’t worry about what might happen. They know their shepherd will provide for
them and will not lead them astray.
Now,
sometimes we’re the sheep, and sometimes we’re the shepherd. Whose back do you
have? Who can you help worry less and be less afraid? What words, what actions,
help let others know that they don’t need to be afraid or dread harm? How have
others helped you? And how can you help others? It is true, unfortunately, that
sometimes others will not accept your help. There’s an older gentleman I often
see walking around Red Lion Road and nearby, and one day when it was raining, I
pulled over and offered him a ride. He didn’t even look at me, just held up his
hand and kept walking, in the rain. You can’t help someone who doesn’t want
help. You can’t share the Gospel with someone who doesn’t want to receive it.
So, you move on, and find someone who is willing to receive your help, someone
who does have the ears to hear that you do not have to be afraid. You do not
have to dread harm.
The
other reason that Jeremiah gives as to why God will provide shepherds who care
for the flock is so that none of them will be missing.[8]
A good shepherd knows how many sheep are under his care, and goes out and looks
for the ones who are missing. Jesus even tells the parable about the shepherd
who has 100 sheep, and one night as they return to their pen, he only counts
99.[9]
The shepherd doesn’t decide oh well, good enough. No, the shepherd leaves the
99 and goes back out and searches for the missing sheep, and doesn’t stop
searching until he finds him. Some of you know that we have to turn in
statistical reports every year, in North Carolina, it was even once a quarter.
There is, of course, grumbling among pastors about this because numbers do not
tell the whole story of a church. Not all ministry is quantifiable by numbers. You
may be able to tell how many people came to an outreach ministry, but it’s a
lot harder to verify how many were impacted by it and just how hearts were
changed. Still, numbers are one measure of church vitality, because, I have
heard it pointed out, counting is how the shepherd knew that one sheep was
missing. If he hadn’t counted to know how many sheep were present, he wouldn’t
have known that one was missing and needed finding. As you look around and see who’s
here and you know who’s not here, give them a call or a visit, or even mail
them a card this week. Let them know you’re thinking of them and that you care
for them.
Sometimes
we’re the sheep, sometimes we’re the shepherd. When it’s your turn to take care
of others, this is the goal, so that none go missing or live in fear or dread
of the future. And sometimes that's what we need others to tell us and check in
with us. You remember the story back in Genesis when Cain is so jealous of his
brother, Abel, that he kills his brother? Then God asks Cain, where’s your
brother? Cain answers the question with another question, “Am I my brother’s
keeper?”[10]
Have y’all ever thought about that question? Or its answer? Because the answer
is yes, we are our brother’s keeper. We are responsible for our brothers and
sisters, just as they are responsible for us. My husband reminded me that the
new Marvel series on Netflix, “Luke Cage,” ends with a reference to this verse.
Luke Cage is the good guy in the show and the bad guy is his half-brother. The
series ends with Luke saying, “I am my brother’s keeper.”
We are responsible
for our brothers and sisters, and they are responsible for us. We are our
brothers’ keepers, and they are ours. Sometimes we’re the sheep, sometimes
we’re the shepherd. We are to take care of each other.
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