The real Shepherd

 

John 10:1-10

 The Shepherd enters legitimately.  The gatekeeper knows the Shepherd.  There is a bond, a relationship built on trust.  The Shepherd knows the sheep and the sheep know the Shepherd.  They trust the Shepherd enough to follow the Shepherd.  Strangers they do not trust.

 Jesus called Himself first the gate for the sheep.  Whoever enters by Jesus has life.  Those who pose and whose intentions are selfish or destructive are not the gate that leads to life and the things of life.  They bring destruction and not life.

 There are thieves who take instead of give.  They pose as shepherds and servants in order to get what they can at the expense of the sheep.  They teach falsely in order to exploit or manipulate the sheep.  They claim special knowledge or spiritual connection so that they can control the sheep and gain some status over others.  They take everything they can for themselves.  They leave in their wake lives that are deflated, full of despair and destruction. 

 It is important for the sheep to know the Shepherd, to hear the voice of the shepherd and know it when they hear it.  They need to hear the voice of the one who will lead them to life and the things of life.  They need not to listen to the voices that call them to walk away from the shepherd with messages that sound good and pleasing, but do not represent the truth.  What is the voice of the one claiming to represent the shepherd saying?  Is it consistent with the teachings of the Shepherd, the commandments of the Shepherd?  Does the voice call one to actions consistent with the actions of the Shepherd?

 There are a lot of voices out there.  They may sound pleasing or say things that support the foolishness of the sheep, rather than call the sheep to a better, more sustainable way for them.  They may tell the sheep things that justify their foolishness, rather than challenge them to follow the better, more sustainable way for them and those of other flocks.  They may make promises to please the sheep with things that seem too good to be true.  Believe them.  They are too good to be true.

 Jesus, the gate to life, life abundant and life forever for the sheep calls us to the living of Agape Love (committed action on behalf of the stranger, enemy and the most vulnerable).  Jesus, the gate to life for the sheep, calls us to resist the evils of empire – the evils of Greed, lust for Power and desire for Status.  Jesus, the gate to life for the sheep, calls us to resist the hatreds, hubris, complacency and apathy of empire.  We are called to follow the Shepherd, the gate to life for us, to life, life abundant and life forever. 

 The sheep hear His voice, the one who knows the sheep by name, and follow the gatekeeper to life to life.  We are a flock.  We are not individual, but community.  We are together the sheep of the one who leads sheep to life.

 

Because, of course it was!

 

Luke 24:13-35

 “When He was at table with them, He took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them.  Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized Him… He had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.”

 All of the Tanakh, the Law and Prophets Jesus interpreted to them regarding how they related to His life, ministry, death and resurrection.  All of the scriptures He fulfilled in Himself.  But it was in the act of blessing and breaking of bread that opened their eyes and in which they recognized Him.  Blessing and breaking bread, the stuff of life, was an intimate act of sharing.  It was not just about eating.  It was about community, sharing and connection.  Bread, the stuff of life was scarce, and sharing was how many people got through day to day.  The bread was blessed because everyone knew it was a gift from God.  Breaking it meant sharing it. 

 All of the astounding events of which they were speaking did not help them recognize Jesus. 

His fulfillment of Law and Prophets in those astounding events did not help them recognize Jesus.

His admonishment over their being slow of heart did not help them recognize Jesus.

It was in the intimate act of blessing and breaking bread, the sharing between them and God and God with them that jarred their memories, opened their eyes and made the connection for them with Jesus.  That is because at the heart of Jesus’ Good news is connection – the connection between God and humanity and the connection of humanity with humanity.  That connection is built on sharing and intimate love.  Of course, they would recognize Jesus in this act of connection and sharing – that is what Jesus taught, commanded and lived among them.

 Is this not how we who are connected to Jesus should make Him known in the world?  Should we not be making Jesus known in the intimate connection of love which is sharing?  Is it not in sharing sustenance with a hungry world?  Is it not in the sharing of connection in a divided world?  Is it not in the sharing of intimacy in a distancing world?  Empire withholds, divides and distances one from another.  The Kingdom of God shares, connects in community and draws us closer to one another in agaph.

 It is only through the living of these Kingdom values that empire will fall.  It is only in living that love of Jesus that people will be able to endure the oppression, marginalization, exploitation and disenfranchisement of empire in the world.  It is only in resisting empire’s way through the living of Jesus’ Way that we may repair the world from the harm done by empire.  And it all starts with simplicity – the blessing and breaking of bread, acknowledging God and one another, drawing people together and sharing what is most needed – sustenance and intimacy in community. 

 That is what the astounding events all mean, the fulfillment of Law and Prophets, the Good News of Jesus in agaph. It means we are connected with God and one another in love to live.  It means Shalom for all people, here and now, in this part of God’s Kingdom.

I doubt it

 

John 20:19-31

 Thomas gets a bad rap.  He is usually considered a lesser know disciple and apostle. 

 Thomas for all time has been labelled “doubter,” but the other disciples SAW Jesus.  Theirs was not faith, but sight.

 Thomas did not doubt Jesus.  Thomas doubted the witness of the disciples that they saw Jesus.

 When Thomas saw Jesus, he too reacted with awe and submission, proclaiming his faith boldly and powerfully.

 Doubt is an interesting thing.  We can doubt the veracity of a statement made by someone else, doubt the intentions of others, doubt ourselves, doubt God’s activity in the world and doubt anything that goes against the natural order, our own abilities or even the truth.

 What do you doubt?

 Thomas seems to have been the scientist in the group.  The others had seen Jesus’ hands and side.  He claimed he would only believe if he could touch Jesus’ hands and side.  He may have been a man before his time.  In that time and place, people did not believe in a “natural order.”  Everything was done by God.  If the sun rose, it was because of God.  If it rained, it was God’s will.  If something bad happened, God was punishing.  If something great happened, God was rewarding.  Thomas knew his own grief at the death of Jesus.  He knew that people did not just normally get raised from the dead, except Lazarus, of course.  But Jesus, the raiser, was dead.  Thomas knew that the other disciples were grieving, maybe in denial, maybe bargaining so much that they believed that they saw Jesus.  But they did not witness to having TOUCHED Jesus.  It could have been a mirage, a grief induced group hysteria of wishful thinking.  Thomas wanted to KNOW that it was Jesus and that Jesus was truly alive.  Anyone else feel like that sometimes?

 I have doubted my own perceptions at times.  Sometimes it has been warranted.  I have doubted my own abilities at times, my own sanity, my own agency and my own motives.  I have doubted myself.

 I have doubted others.  I have doubted their integrity, their honor, their truthfulness, their motives and intentions and their value to me.  I have doubted others’ ability to love me – to really love me.  Perhaps it was really my ability to be loved that I doubted.  I have doubted others.   

 I have doubted God, and God’s activity in the world or in my life.  I have doubted that God really does anything anymore.  I have NEVER doubted God’s Love and God’s Grace.  I have NEVER doubted the value of God’s Word in my life.  I have doubted that beyond giving the Word and Grace, and that the love of God permeates my being, God doing anything actively in my life.  I have doubted God.

 I can be proven wrong or right.

Others can be proven wrong or right.

With God, we have to take it on FAITH and not Proof.

   God’s Love and Grace, God’s Will and Activity and God’s Presence and Power can be doubted easily.

   We will either take them on Faith or we will doubt God in them.

 Jesus’ other disciples were not tested like Thomas was tested.  They saw Jesus and believed – it was PROOF.

Thomas was tested and doubted their testimony, and perhaps Jesus’ resurrection.

In the end, he believed when he saw, also.

In the end, he was faithful.

In the end, he gave his life for his faith.

 In what or in whom do you believe without any doubt?

In what ways do you claim faith, but seek proof?

If we are people of faith, we will sometimes doubt and fail, fall and sin.

Do you believe in God’s Grace and Love, that they are stronger than your doubt, failures or sin?

 Thomas got a bad rap.  Yes, he refused to believe the Disciples who had seen the Lord alive.

   But in the end, he was faithful to giving his own life in faith.

 In John’s Gospel, Thomas was the one who proclaimed that Jesus would go to Bethany at His own peril, but then beckoned the other disciples to go with him in following Jesus there to die with him.

Thomas was brave and humble enough to ask Jesus, The Way, what was the way to eternal life.

Thomas saw the Lord and utter a simple and profound statement of faith, “My Lord and my God!”

Thomas served the faith and was martyred in India, having had his body carried then to Mesopotamia. 

 All that ain’t so bad for an obscure twin, who gets a bad rap for being a mediocre Apostle and one called “the doubter.”

 

Life or Death

 Matthew 28:1-10

 An Angelic show of power rolled away the stone for the women.  The guards were instantly catatonic with fear, but the women received the message as the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus would meet them in Galilea, but Jesus then appeared to them and greeted them, and they took hold of His feet and worshiped Him.  Again, they were told not to be afraid, but to go and tell the disciples to meet Him in Galilea.

 When those of empire experience REAL POWER, it throws them.  They are afraid.  They believe real power to be physical might through which to impose one’s will over another or others.  They believe that it is the ability to inspire fear in the hearts of others through brutal, ruthless and vicious actions or words.  When they see power that emanates from beyond themselves, they are traumatized, for they believe that they alone are entitled to such power.  When they see that the power which they are witnessing counters all that they are about in the world, they are traumatized, for it calls into question everything they have believed about the world.  So, they must make up stuff to deny the power that they have witnessed, in order still to appear to be the most powerful.  They do the same thing with real wealth and the real and equal value of human beings. 

 Can we handle the power of God active in the world?  When it goes against everything we want for ourselves, can we handle it?  When it goes against everything that we have made ourselves believe about the world, can we handle it?  When it diminishes our false sense of superiority in the world, can we handle it?  We want the power and we want the glory.  But to God belong the power and the glory.  Any power we have is given to us, and we often abuse the little power that we do have in the world, hurting others with it and believing that we are entitled to do so.

 Empire is about division, destruction and death.  It divides people, destroys communities and lives and hastens death for God’s children.  Empire is about abusing power over others and controlling their lives, rather than power over oneself and controlling one’s desires, dark nature and hurtful words and behaviors.  The Kingdom is about shared power, so that all people have the agency needed to build their lives in a sustainable way.  Empire is about keeping the glory for oneself, rather than giving it to God or neighbor.  The Kingdom is about sharing the glory with God and Neighbor.  Empire is self-centered and is built on a false sense of superiority over others so that one believes he/she/they are entitled to all the glory.  The Kingdom of God is about the equal value of all of God’s children and giving glory to God.  Empire is about the insatiable acquisition of more, always more.  The Kingdom of God is about sharing generously and thus finding community wealth and well-being.

 Empire leads to death, ultimately.  The Kingdom of God is about Life, Life Abundant and Life Forever, always.   Following the ways of empire will bring a person to stop believing in the real power of God in life.  Following the Way of Jesus will bring a person to see the real power of living with one another and God, here and now in this part of God’s Kingdom and forever after in heaven.  With God the final Word is always life.