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Click here to listen to May's Sermon. 17mins.
Psalm 23,
John 10:22-30
Last week Moya spoke of God knowing precisely where I am, what I am doing and where I am going. His desire has always been for relationship with each one of us. Today I’d like to develop our understanding of the nature of that relationship.
In today’s reading from John’s gospel, Jesus tells his hearers that the reason they don’t trust what he tells them, is because they are not included among his sheep. He goes on to say “my sheep listen to my voice, I recognize them, they follow me, and I give them eternal life. They will absolutely, never, be destroyed and no one will snatch them from my hands. My Father, who gave them to me, is greater than all and on one can snatch from the Father’s hands. I and the Father are one.”
There are several bible passages where we are described as being like sheep. Sheep without the shepherd are lost; Psalm 23 relates the areas where we as sheep are dependent upon the relationship with the shepherd. Bishop Derek Eaton once shared how amazed he was as he watched sheep follow their own shepherds voice. There were several flocks gathered at a well. They were all mixed up. When the time came to move off to pasture, each shepherd called his sheep and to Derek’s amazement the sheep followed their shepherd. Today I’m going to look a little more closely at Psalm 23. We are very familiar with this Psalm. It would be probably the most common song used at funeral-which I find disappointing-especially as, for so many-the Lord is barely their shepherd.
Psalm 23 primarily speaks of relationship between sheep and shepherd.
One day a very successful businessman came to see Psychiatrist Charles Allen, this businessman was successful but he wasn’t happy. After he had shared the frustration he had with the prescription medicines, Charles took a piece of paper and wrote out a prescription for him-read Ps. 23, 5 times each day for 7 days. It was to be taken upon rising, after every meal and before retiring to sleep at night. It must be taken as directed, not all at once, not memorized. It must be read slowly, carefully, prayerfully & meditatively. He was to think about each phrase, giving his mind time to soak up as much of the meaning as possible. After 7 days, Charles promised that things would be different for him.
Just 118 word, most of us could say it off by heart. Its power is not in memorizing the words but in thinking the thoughts. Perhaps as I share about sheep-each may see themselves.
Because the Lord is my Shepherd, I have everything I need –sheep know by instinct that the shepherd has made provision for today, and knows where he will find provision for tomorrow. All life came from God, That includes our lives. God keeps faith with the birds of the air and the grass of the field. Jesus asks us to think that if God will do so much for a simple bird or a wild flower, how much more will He do for each one of us.
He makes me rest in meadows green- In the middle East, the shepherd starts the sheep grazing about 4 am. The sheep walk steadily as they graze-they are never still. By 10am, the sun is beaming down and the sheep are hot, tired and thirsty. The wise shepherd knows that sheep must not drink when it is hot, neither when its stomach is filled with undigested grass, so he makes the sheep lie down in green pastures, in a cool spot. Sheep won’t eat while lying down, so they chew the cud, its natures way of digestion.
He leads me beside the quiet stream- Sheep are very timid creatures. They are especially afraid of moving water-with good reason-sheep aren’t swimmers because of the coat of wool. Water soaks into the wool and pulls it down. The sheep will not drink from a moving stream-only from still waters-if none are nearby then the shepherd will make a dam. God knows our limitations and he doesn’t condemn us for our weaknesses. He does not force us where we cannot safely and happily go. God never demands of us work that is beyond our strength and abilities.
He restores my soul- Sheep have a definite place in the flock and almost in turn during the day each sheep wanders up to the shepherd who gently rubs its ears and nose and scratches its head and whispers in the ear of the sheep. Thus reassured the sheep returns to its place again.
He leads me in paths of righteousness for his names sake-Sheep have no sense of direction. A dog, cat or horse-if lost-can find its way back home-as if they have a built in compass. Not so with sheep. Sheep have very poor eyes-it cannot see more than 10 or 15 yards ahead. The shepherd leads the sheep, it follows him. He climbs the same hill we climb, we are not alone.
Even when walking through the dark valley of death, I will not be afraid- There is an actual valley of the shadow of death in Palestine-it runs from Jerusalem to the Dead Sea-it is a very narrow and dangerous pathway through the mountain-range. The danger of the sheep fallings down the ravine is very real. It is a forbidding journey that one dreads to take. But the sheep is not afraid. Why? Because the shepherd is there leading it all the way through the valley.
Your Rod & your Staff comfort me-Sheep are a helpless animal. It has weapon with which to fight. It is easy prey. It is easily frightened. The shepherd carries a rod & a staff-the rod is like a club-2 to 3ft long, used for attacking wild animals, the staff –about 8ft long, with a hook at one end-used to lift up & rescue from difficult, inaccessible spots. The shepjerd also carries a slingshot-if a sheep wanders off a bit far from the shepherd, he used the ling to loose a stone aimed to land just in front of the head of the sheep-it frightens the sheep and it turns around.
You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies- Some plants are poisonous to sheep and each spring the shepherd would take the mattock and dig out these plants and burn them. Thus making the pasture safe for the sheep, the pasture becomes-as it were-a table prepared.
You anoint my head with oil- after a day under the hot sun, the odd cut round the nose or head from hidden rocks, the shepherd stands at the entrance to the fold and as each animal comes in he applies soothing & healing oil, thus reducing the chance of infection and enhancing the healing process.
My cup runs over- Also by the door of the fold would be a stone jar full of nice cool water that would generously given to the sheep by the cup brim-full, to drink deeply from the cool water.
The last verse of Ps.23 has not much to do with sheep but rather with a “hope” that is for each of us-Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life and I will dwell in Gods house forever. Were it not for this assurance, many experiences of life would be unbearable. This psalm is a description of an intimate relationship with God and having that intimacy gave David assurance that at the close of life’s day, he would go home.
I’d like to close by reading this story-There is story-I do not know its source-of an old man and a young man on the same platform before a vast audience of people.
A special programme was being presented. As a part of the programme each was to repeat from memory the words of the 23rd psalm. The young man, trained in the best speech technique and drama, gave, in the language of the ancient silver-tongued orator, the words of the Psalm.
‘The Lord is my shepherd…..’when he had finished, the audience clapped their hands and cheered, asking him for an encore so that they might hear again his wonderful voice.
Then the old gentleman, leaning heavily on his cane, stepped to the front of the same platform, and in feeble, shaking voice, repeated the same words-‘The Lord is my shepherd…..’
But when he was seated no sound came from the listeners. Folks seemed to pray. In the silence the young man stood to make the following statement: “ Friends,’ he said, “ I wish to make an explanation. You asked me to come back and repeat the Psalm, but you remained silent when my friend here was seated. The difference? I shall tell you. I know the Psalm, but he knows the Shepherd!”
“For the Lamb at the centre of the throne will be their shepherd, He will lead them to springs of living water and God will wipe away every tea from their eyes.”
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