Joint Benefice Service, Lydford, 29/4/2012
I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep, and my own know me.... And I lay down my life for the sheep. John 10.14-15
This is a sermon about what it is like to be a sheep. Because that's what we are.
Now, you might bristle a bit at being called sheep. Because sheep aren't generally very well thought of, except by those who know them particularly well. They may look nice and white and fluffy, especially when they are lambs, but they tend to be regarded as daft animals, without much sense; passive creatures, without much initiative; flock animals, lacking independence - and none of these qualities are attractive to us.
The gospels bear out these attitudes; Jesus tells his parables of the lost sheep because he understands that everyone listening to him knows that sheep get lost easily: and so the parable of the Good Shepherd, who calls together his friends and neighbours, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ [Luke 15.6]
When Jesus tells his disciples to go out into the world witnessing to him he calls them sheep, because he knows they understand that sheep are vulnerable:
'See, I am sending you out like sheep into the midst of wolves; so be wise as serpents and innocent as doves.' Matthew 10.16
When Jesus looks at all the people who have come to hear him preach and teach he sees them as sheep, because he knows that sheep need to be led:
When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Matthew 9.36
And in today’s gospel reading Jesus makes clear that he is the missing shepherd in these people’s lives.
Now, not many people really like the sound that a sheep makes. If someone is talking or complaining stupidly, we tell them to stop bleating. But clearly Jesus, who sees himself as our Good Shepherd, listens to the voice of his sheep.
And we don’t have much regard for people who are sheepish - who are embarrassed or ashamed or who lack self-confidence. People like that tend to get forgotten or ignored. But clearly Jesus, who sees himself as our Good Shepherd, keeps a particular look out for ones such as those.
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. John 10.27
Farmers tend to agree that sheep are happy to follow along with the flock most of the time. And to agree that sheep do need a leader.
Flocks have leaders. One present-day shepherd told me that ‘[They had] not been able to figure out exactly how the leader is elected, appointed, or created. Most of the time, the leader will be an older ewe, unless there is a ram in the flock, and then he is almost always the leader.’
Now this suggests that sheep do, after all, have some sense. Sense enough to flock together for safety, sense enough to follow the smartest or maturest or strongest one among them. And when the shepherd takes the ram away from the flock, and suddenly they are leader-less, different sheep react in different ways, to work out which way they are going.
Sometimes it is the boldest that will take the lead, or maybe the hungriest one that just wants to get to the good grass. Sometimes it is a case of ‘If you go, I'll go’. But generally it is one of the older ewes that looks back and summons the rest to follow as she heads out. [1]
The one thing that is clear from all this is that sheep need a leader. And ultimately sheep need a shepherd. And this isn’t a sign of weakness or stupidity. It’s a sign of wisdom and strength.
It's not stupid to want to group together in a big flock. That brings safety and security. It's not stupid to want to be guided by someone. That brings order and stability. What is stupid is getting mixed up in the wrong flock; what is stupid is following the wrong leader. Jesus said:
'Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7.15
Sheep aren't that stupid. They learn quickly which leader to follow. Not the aggressive dog with the growl; not the shrill shouting youths messing about up on the moor. They learn quickly the sound of their shepherd's voice, and it is that which directs their way.
My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. John 10.27
We are the sheep of Christ. We flock together here, the rams and the lambs, the bold ones and the old ones, the timid ones and the careless ones. Our shepherd expects us to do just three things: to flock together, to listen to his voice, and to embrace the new sheep he will bring in from outside the fold.
First, our shepherd expects us to flock together: not do our own thing, not be selective about which of our brothers and sisters we align ourselves with, but to give ourselves to fellowship and the building up of the flock, those cared for by Christ. Sheep are keenly sociable creatures. They need to be together. For their own security and sense of direction they need to keep a watchful eye on each other. So should we. In doing that our witness is strengthened and our faith grows into maturity.
Second, our shepherd expects us to listen out for his voice: to take his word as the ultimate authority in our lives, not the word of financial advisors or politicians or the family’s matriarch or patriarch, not the word of preachers alone, but the word of Jesus. In becoming prayerful listeners, obedient in our response, we become bold to live the life of the Kingdom of God in the face of the kingdoms and empires of the world.
And third, our shepherd expects us to embrace the new sheep he will bring in from outside the fold: Jesus tells us,
I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. John 10.16
When Jesus first spoke this he was preparing his Jewish followers to embrace believers from among the Gentiles. Translated to our situation today it is about us being prepared to receive into our fellowship people who are not like us in their background or their approach to faith and worship; or in our particular team situation, it is about each being willing to see ourselves not as sole parishes but as a body of believers across an area, each prepared to spread our sharing and caring more widely than before.
And what should we expect from our shepherd? Astonishingly, this: that the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. Jesus makes the ultimate sacrifice for the good of his flock.
Jesus’ commitment to our well-being is absolute. Jesus’ desire for our flourishing is total. He lays his life down for us because he can; he takes his life up again because he has power to do so. For Jesus the consequence of his world-changing actions is that they confirm that the Father loves him. For we, his followers, the consequence of his death and resurrection is that, like a well-tended, well-led flock, we need have no fear in life; we need have no fear of death. So let us learn from the timeless wisdom of the sheep. Let us encourage one another with these things.
Notes
A revision of the sermon On being Sheep preached in Liverpool in 2007.
[1] Comments from present-day shepherds from www.woollydesigns.com
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