Reflection: "God the Faithful Shepherd"Happy Mother’s Day to all of you who are mothers.
Even if you’re not one, we’ve all had one, and on this day, we give thanks to God for everything they’ve done for us. In Psalm 23, we read that “the Lord is my shepherd” and this conjures up some great feelings of safety and security. In the Gospel of John, Jesus tells those assembled in front of him that only his sheep can hear his voice. And in Revelation, we’re told that “the lamb will be at the centre of the throne and will be their shepherd.” So, we can see that shepherds are very important people in the Kingdom of God – a bit like mothers are! But if you’ve ever been on a sheep station then you’ll probably agree that sheep are not very clever creatures! You’ll notice that they all tend to follow each other, often in single file and for no apparent reason. As citizens of the twenty first century, we don’t take kindly to being likened to sheep. Granted, in earlier generations, Australia is said to have economically ridden on the sheep’s back, but that’s about where our respect for these animals ends. The wool cheque’s welcome - but not the preacher who makes a comparison between us and woolly imbeciles. Therefore, I won’t be the one making the comparison; I’ll leave it up to you. But actually, if you’ve ever had a pet lamb, or petted them at the Royal Easter Show, you’ll know how easy it is to become quite attached to them; and I’m sure that’s how it was for the shepherds in the time of Jesus. They lived with their flock, day in and day out, knew them individually and would even risk their lives to save them. Therefore, it was a natural thing for Jesus to relate us to a flock of sheep, which he had gathered together, and to this flock, looking small and vulnerable among the powerful “wolves and bears” of the Roman Empire, Jesus made this promise when he said: “I give them [that is, my sheep] eternal life, and they shall never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” What does this concept “eternal life” mean to you? Sadly, some people get the idea that all it means is living forever, staying just as we are. But let me say, if that’s all it means, I’m out of here. I don’t want to feel trapped in the limitations of this earthly life - life as I now have it - forever. The God of Jesus offers us something infinitely better. Eternal life to him means the fullest possible life, life of the limitless new age, that which humanity has dreamed of. An awesome life, unlimited life; unbounded in every way, without walls and barriers - nothing to stop us. It has new horizons, new depths, new heights, new joys and love beyond anything we thought possible. I feel like I get close to defining it when I say: “Wow!” - eternal life is a “wow” life, with an exclamation mark! Not life with a comma, or a tired old semi-colon; not life with a question mark, or life within parentheses. Certainly not life with a full stop. The timeless dimension, immortality, is just one of the many facets of eternal life. To be liberated from this time and space, is merely one of the wonders of its amazing abundance. Of course, this is important and I’m not trying to minimise this part of it. For example, when I see a child wither and die from say, leukaemia, I find profound comfort and encouragement that their life-force, their soul, isn’t terminated along with their physical body. Even so, they have an opportunity to still be and grow and love, because eternal life includes an unlimited future. Please don’t limit your vision of eternal life to this one element, as it’s only one of the kaleidoscope of opportunities. Eternal life is gloriously expansive, opportunity beyond measure, a level of bliss and growth that no number of earthly words could possibly describe. A chance to be with the Lord forever and who could want for anything more than that? The next important thing I want to try and express to you is that this “wow life” is a life that begins right now. Following the death and resurrection of Jesus, we read that the disciples had already commenced eternal life. Trusting in Jesus and his God is the way to begin that new life now. As Paul says: “If anyone is in Christ, there is new creation, old things have passed away, all things have become new.” Caught as we are in the limitations of the here and now, eternal life is only a foretaste - but it is also the real thing. Our bodies and minds limit us, the social and political structures of the world limit us. But in Christ Jesus, we begin to explore the unlimited dimension - that for which we were created and redeemed. We begin to experience the awesomeness of: “Wow!” When I look back upon my own little life, scratchy and patchy though it still is; when I remember how my faith grew and my experiences altered from the moment I decide to follow Jesus, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude. It didn’t happen all at once, as the growth can be incremental. Often, I’ve been impatient – sometimes, I’ve lost the plot, but through the greatness of God, it is happening! So, I hope I’ve convinced you that eternal life is with us right now. It’s as if, with Christ at our side, we’re surfing the wave of eternity - right here in our current time. All around us are the many limitations of time; but on that wave, with Christ beside us, we’re riding along on the crest of the unlimited; the wave of eternal life. And the most significant joy of eternal life is love. It’s no surprise that John’s Gospel, which is the one that favours the words “eternal life”, is also the one that most forcefully speaks of the importance of love. Any man or woman who thinks they are surfing the wave of eternal life, but who are not caught up in a greater love – both divine and human – are just fooling themselves. Love is the only valid test - love of God, love of each other and love of ourselves. Love is a far more important ingredient of eternal life than is the fact of surviving death - for without love, just surviving death would be pointless. Christ assures us that none of his flock will perish. John 10:27 and 28 remind us that: “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand.” Here, once again, we encounter that strong word: “perish”. Flowers wilt and perish, fruits perish, blue Ulysses butterflies perish, leaping red kangaroos perish, our personalities can be corrupted and perish, our bodies will perish, but not the soul-being of those to whom Christ has already transferred eternal life - the flock of Christ won’t perish. What matters to us, especially in times of crisis, is not our grasp on the Lord, but his grasp on us. It’s by his grace that we’ll make it, not by our own skill or cleverness. When we think we can go it alone, then we’re surely in trouble. But with Christ, we can make it through, knowing that his is the stronger grasp. That’s a part of the “Wow!” I’ve been talking about. Are you ready to give up trying to do it all by yourself and to surrender to the love of the shepherd? God is faithful and will never let us down or abandon us. So, if you haven’t already done so, give yourself over to him and join the eternal flock. Open yourself to him in prayer and surrender to his eternal, wow, life. I know that you’ll find it to be the best decision you’ll ever make. Take a moment now, in prayer, to talk to God and ask him to be your life force, now and into the future. Pastor Rick
1 Comment
Lena Beryl Blok
6/5/2022 07:09:39 pm
Thank you Rick. I always like to think of Jesus as being my shepherd. 23rd Psalm is my favourite. I remember learning it in 5th class and our teacher made us put expression into the words as we said them. Happy memories.
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