Sermon for the 3rd Sunday in Easter

Jesus said, “So there will be one flock, one shepherd” (John 10:16).

As we meditate on the words of our Lord today, the images of green pastures and pools of still waters, are sure to bring comfort to the soul, peace to troubled consciences, and a sense of security to frightful hearts.

The rod and the staff of the Good Shepherd comfort the sheep. The rod the shepherd has is to ward off the enemies: the lion, the wild dogs that would harm the sheep. And the staff -- a shepherd’s staff has a crook in it, like you see in the bulletin cover today. That’s to reach out and hook a sheep by the neck or leg, to pull it back in the right direction, to keep her from wondering off or falling into danger. There’s no comfort, peace, or security in just letting the sheep wander off wherever they want to go. The Good Shepherd is gentle and loving, even as he directs and sometimes even disciplines. Comfort, Peace and security comes went the enemies are beaten off, and because so often, a sheep is its own worst enemy. It takes a rod, and it takes a staff to be a good shepherd.

The Epistle reading, 1 Peter 2 talks about the Shepherd and the sheep. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. 25For you were straying like sheep.” As the shepherd must correct his straying sheep with rod and staff, so it is with our Good Shepherd Jesus. His word is his rod and staff to guide us and to redirect us away from our misguided attitudes and sinful desires.

That’s actually what he was doing that day when he said these words, “I am the Good Shepherd”. The audience for this sermon of Jesus included his disciples, but also a bunch of Pharisees and a formerly blind beggar man. Just before this, Jesus gave sight to the blind man and the Pharisees were all upset about the miraculous healing. You see, Jesus had done this work on the Sabbath and that was against their rules. With no mercy at all toward the poor blind guy, they were vehemently arguing and insulting Jesus. It's like they were mad because the Lord was merciful.

These Pharisees think that they themselves are the big deal. They despise others who are not like them, or who don’t meet their exalted Pharisaic expectations.  And Jesus tells them, “I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd.”

Jesus was all about mercy. And with the rod and the staff of his word, he directs his listeners to show mercy, likewise. That means you have to look at others as God sees them. God shows no partiality toward souls, nor should we, his people.

There is another example of this in the book of James, chapter 2:

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” 4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man.”

This is one of those passages that hits the sinful heart like a rod. It has to hit to the heart because we can use outward “proper” behavior to hide the evil, unmerciful thoughts going on inside.

So hear how Jesus talks to the Pharisees when they have these unloving hearts. He says, “I am the Good Shepherd. I know my sheep.”

Is there anyone you despise, that you can’t respect because they are different than what is commonly accepted? Consider this, what if they are sheep of the Lord’s one flock. What if they, like you, know Psalm 23 and pray it? Jesus says, “there will be one flock, one Shepherd.” And he, not you, not me, he is the one who makes the call as to who is in that flock.

This is not to say that all bad behavior is excused. That’s what the world around us has got wrong with the buzz word “tolerance”. They use that word to talk about bad behavior, immoral, perverted behavior that goes against God’s word and creation. The world says tolerance means you cannot critique immorality, you cannot guide children and others away from bad, unhealthy choices and disfunctioning. When really, to be merciful toward your fellow human being means talking about, speaking up for what is good and right and God-pleasing. In mercy we Christians invite others to join us in sorrow for our sins, both sins of outward bad behavior and sins of hidden bad attitudes in the heart.

Then when we and they turn from sin and turn again to follow our Lord we hear his voice. He says “14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.”

In what way is He our Good Shepherd? Two things: First He knows us, and we know him by faith. And second, He lays down his life for the sheep.

He is your Good Shepherd like so. He guides you to Himself and to follow in His ways, and He dies for you. He loves you and me and all sinners. He doesn’t act out of frustration with us for our intolerable behavior and attitude. No, but in mercy he guides us with rod and staff and he forgives us with his holy precious blood and his innocent suffering and death. Amen.