|
First
Reading
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Psalm |
Epistle |
Gospel |
| Acts 2:42–47
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Psalm
23 |
1 Peter
2:19–25
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John 10:1–10
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There is an old Hasidic story that begins, on the third day of creation, having given sap and seed to the plants and trees, God encountered unexpected problems. The tall cedars of Lebanon seemed too tall and acted quite arrogant. So God decided to create iron. The trees understood this threat and began to weep, crying, “Woe to us, for we shall all be felled by the ax.” But God reassured them, “Without the handle, the ax is but an unwieldy lump of iron. Since the handle is made of wood, strive to live in peace without betraying one another. Stay united and the iron will be powerless against you.” As a commentary revealing some of the ancient wisdom of Genesis, it speaks of the strengths of relationships and the dangers of alienation. Within the trees’ own power is the potential danger for being destroyed, yet there is also the hope that they will not betray each other and grow together in peace.
Every ambitious politician knows that if you want people to quickly pull together and unite behind you, starting a war is usually a tempting option. People will cooperate and fall into line far more readily in the face of an outside crisis or attack than if they are asked to unite in an effort promising a future positive outcome, but not seen as an imminent threat. However, with the coalescing of threat comes a disquieting association with a scapegoat. That is why in anxious times of war, truth is often the first casualty.1 A sad commentary on the nature of human nature is that larger groups of people unite in anger, fear, and hate much more easily and fiercely than in peace, compassion, and love.
Yet part of the Good News for people of faith is that there is so much untapped and unimagined potential in uniting together. That is why the message of good news delivered by the angels at Christmas was to all people of goodwill. Archbishop Desmond Tutu once remarked that if only we as the church would carry out into the world the theological fact that we are one family, that every one of us is brother and sister to each other. Even if our brother is a thief or worse, he is always our brother. If we carried out this fact that we are a family, think about how it would transform things on earth. Admittedly Christians will always have a difficult task in showing the world how Christ is present in some horrible situations. It will always be a difficult challenge to witness to God as a redemptive and restoring force in the world. Maybe one of our first steps today is growing together as a family, trying to live in peace without betraying one another.
This Sunday is commonly called Good Shepherd Sunday because many of the traditional lessons focus on God being like a good shepherd. The twenty third psalm reflects the experience of a lone traveler on the desert, seemingly being threatened by marauders. Normally such a loner would be an easy prey. But a passing caravan, takes the loner in, makes him a member of their family, and hence stands up and provides protection.
Shepherding in Palestine was completely different than cattle-raising in the 19th century American West. In ancient Palestine sheep were led, not driven. They were gathered around the shepherd, not corralled. Jesus is described as being the gate for the herd. Note that a gate was a way to safe passage, to nourishing pasture and not a way to lock the flock in or keep it from escaping. Jesus is an opening into a wider, abundant life, not a method to confine one to a corral. That is why we should always be wary of those who claim to exercise Christian leadership, but who want to close doors rather than open them for people, who show more enthusiasm to define enemies and prepare for war rather than search for reconciliation and seek peace.
The good shepherd is one who opens the door to hospitality, who spreads a table before the hungry, and who encourages people to look outward. The good shepherd is never like a cult leader who seeks to limit and control a follower’s horizon. A good shepherd leads to wider pastures and is not a jailer whose primary stock in trade are locks and bars. That is why whether in Texas or here in Ithaca, I fear for those who belong to cult-like groups. They may seem so happy walking together in small groups in distinctive garb, but I fear that they are likely tied together by invisible robes, kept under guard, and driven like cattle to be contained in corrals, not led like sheep into open pastures.
The message to the trees to seek unity and live together in harmony, the message of angels conveying the good news of peace to those of good will, and the example of the good shepherd who spreads a table for the stranger is continued in the resurrection stories. When Mary recognizes Jesus by the empty tomb, Jesus cautions her not try to hold Him there, but to go and tell the others and He would meet her further on. Nor does the risen Jesus advise the disciples to stay together in a secured or secret room. Jesus breaks down locked doors and sends the disciples out to all people. The two disciples who discover Jesus walking with them on the Emmaus road understand that they cannot retain Jesus there. Indeed, that same night the disciples know its time to move on and return to Jerusalem to tell others of their experience. The Easter stories are now sending us on, too, encouraging us to seek the good shepherd who opens gates, who leads to new pastures, who seeks to give us and all people a wonderful abundant life, today and forever.
And I offer this to you in the name of the Living God, Amen.
1 "The first casualty when war comes, is truth," - Maine Senator Hiram Johnson (1917) and “In war, truth is the first casualty.” - Aeschylus (525-456bce.)
