Psalm 23
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
he refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk
through the darkest valley,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely your goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
There are a lot of things to talk about on Father’s Day. As I reflect on my short time of being a father, I often think about the image of God most prevalent in the bible, a Good Shepherd. This Sunday’s lesson is not for fathers though. This lesson is for those who are called to walk alongside God as sheep. To twist the metaphorical imagery, we who are sheep are called to walk alongside others in the way of the Good Shepherd. As sheep who walk alongside the Shepherd, we become like the Shepherd for others to walk alongside. If you’re a father, you have this responsibility to your kids. If you are a mother, you have this responsibility to your kids. If you are a kid, you have this responsibility to your parents and siblings. If you are single, you have this responsibility to your sisters and brothers in the church. Do I need to keep going?
We all have a responsibility to model the Shepherd to one another. The Good Shepherd knows the sheep intimately, caring for their well-being, knowing their struggles, and putting their wellbeing ahead of their own. The Shepherd does not have to fully understand the plight of the sheep in order to care for them. There is a kind of “with-ness” that the Shepherd has with the sheep that they find comfort and peace. Hebrews 2:17 and 4:15 says that Jesus became like us in every way, fully human, and was tempted like us in every way. This does not mean that he understands exactly what you’re doing through as a 21st century American but that he experienced the fullness of being human and can come to a place of empathy and understanding of our struggle. As those who model the Good Shepherd, we take a position of empathy toward one another and create space for “with-ness” so that peace and comfort can be found.
In John 10, Jesus calls himself the Gate for the Sheep, the Good Shepherd. The earliest depictions of Jesus were of a young man carrying a sheep. The image of Christ being a soft, gentle, kind, and pastoral presence is what shaped the early church, how they did life together, and led one another. Take some time to read John 10:1-21 and reflect on who Jesus is for us and who we are called to be for one another as we move from merely being sheep to walking in the way of the Good Shepherd.
A Shepherd is self-sacrificial. Not just sacrificial but selfless in their sacrifice. A Shepherd knows the sheep by name, their tendencies, and their needs. The sheep know the Shepherd’s voice because the Shepherd spends time with them, meeting them where they are, and invests in their lives. This kind of with-ness draws the sheep in, and they want to be close. As those who walk in the way of the Good Shepherd, we must know the voice of Christ in such a way that we respond to sheep with the same kind of love, compassion, and gentle guidance that the Good Shepherd response with. Sheep have a responsibility to follow these Shepherds, but they will only do so if they are known by name. Sheep will draw close to those who know the voice of the Good Shepherd and replicate to for others.
As our church looks to the future, we know that we have a Good Shepherd who leads us and will bring us to green pastures, quiet waters, and be our peace in the darkest of times. What images of the Good Shepherd do you find most comforting? Which ones do you struggle to emulate? What is the Holy Spirit calling you to change in your life to better hear the voice of the Good Shepherd and be that voice for others?