"Living Abundantly"
5-11-14 (Easter 4A)
Acts 2:42-47; John 10:1-10
Living Abundantly
Today in the Gospel we do something a little strange - we’ve been exploring the day of resurrection itself for several weeks, looking at the disciples’ encounters with the risen Christ. But this chapter in John comes much earlier - we’re jumping backwards in the story to hear more of Jesus’ teachings for a moment. Suddenly, instead of the amazed face of the disciples bursting into the locked room and declaring “He is risen,” we’re back near the pool of Siloam, looking at the amazed and puzzled face of the man who was born blind, but who is now miraculously able to see for first time in his life. The spiritually blind pharisees are still dubious of the whole scene, but Jesus takes the moment to impart some further wisdom.
So Jesus launches into his teaching, using yet again this familiar imagery of sheep and shepherds that we have heard him use before. And somehow, the pharisees and the crowds still don’t understand him. He even tries to put it several different ways so that maybe, just maybe they’ll understand one of them. The lectionary actually cuts this story off in the middle in this week’s reading: Jesus comes back to the shepherd imagery and spells it out clearly - he says “I am the good shepherd” and speaks of how he will gather his own flock… and after he lays out this profound analogy of his own mission and ministry on earth, the crowds are still stuck on the blind man. They still question his authority and whether his healing of the blind man gives him space to speak in the first place.
We don’t know what the disciples thought of the whole situation - they’re oddly silent through the whole story. But as we join them in Acts, as we witness the earliest days of the church as it grows and develops, it seems that somewhere along the line, after all of Jesus’ teachings, after his many appearances to them: they’ve finally got it. These disciples aren’t hiding in a room somewhere trying to figure out what to do next - they’re out teaching, selling their possessions, giving to people in need, performing wonders, breaking bread together, and praying together. They’re out in public, worshiping and praying together in the temple. And people are, pardon the pun… flocking to join in this new movement. Something has sparked a fire in these disciples and changed them (stay tuned for a few more weeks and you’ll hear more about it) - and now they’re making waves.
As I looked at these two passages, I found it strange at first that they should be paired together - they’re very different from each other: one is full of people who don’t get it, while the other is full of people who do. One has Jesus using metaphors that are somewhat mixed, talking about himself as both a shepherd and as a gate but not really leaving an entirely clear understanding of what he’s trying to get at, while the other is simply the church in action, living out the good news and bringing people to Christ through their surprising example.
But as I dwelled on these texts, as I wrestled with them and thought about why they’d be paired, I started to realize that there’s some method to be found in what we might have otherwise dismissed as madness. Listen again to how Jesus describes the sheep and the relationship that they have only with their shepherd: they hear his voice and know him. He calls them by name and leads them out. He goes ahead of them and they follow him because they know his voice.
Suddenly, there’s something that makes more sense as we approach this passage now from Acts - this is Christ’s flock at work. These last few weeks, we’ve seen this metaphor being lived out in the events of the Gospel. Jesus has quite literally gone out ahead of his sheep - he has died and been resurrected, going on before us all and showing us what our own resurrection will be like. He has appeared personally to the disciples - to Mary, to Thomas, to the men on the road to Emmaus - and he has called them by name. And as he has called them, they have themselves been led out. And they have followed - they’ve followed with joy, even.
But there’s something else that we’re seeing, as well - something that is incredible and that should fill us with just as much excitement. As we look at the work of the church in this passage from Acts, we see a transformation that has occurred, particularly among the apostles. In their own process of having been called out, of being sheep led out by their shepherd, Jesus has transformed the disciples into shepherds themselves. These disciples, through Christ’s guidance and in the power of the Holy Spirit, have been led out and are now calling out to others to join them. And despite the fact that they sell their possessions and give them to those in need, despite the fact that they constantly share what little they do have amongst themselves… wee see them living abundantly. They have “glad” hearts and experience “goodwill” from the people around them. They are truly happy in their praise and living - and that joy is contagious as more and more people come to join them in this holy and devoted life.
And so as we gather here this morning, we gather as a people who live much as the early disciples did - as members of the church, as equal parts together of the body of Christ, we live a dual life, being the sheep of God’s great flock, but also being called to be shepherds to one another and to the rest of the world. We are called, each of us - by name - and led out through Jesus Christ into the world, knowing that Christ has gone before us and leads us ever onward. And as we follow, we know that we are being led out into a world full of thieves and bandits who would rather come in by other ways. We’re surrounded by all those many voices - voices that tell us we’re too old, or too young. Voices that tell us that we don’t matter anymore, that we’re holding too tightly to outdated ideals and religious dogma. Voices that call us in hundreds and thousands of other directions, telling us to chase a life of abundance rather than an abundance of life. Voices that press us to focus inwardly, to keep our doors shut to others, to worry about our own flock, the sheep we already have - to place ourselves in the position of gatekeepers rather than shepherds and sheep.
And still, in the midst of all those voices, we hear the steady, still small voice of our shepherd, calling us still: “Come, follow me, for I offer you life - and life abundantly.” So our question becomes today: which voice do we choose to hear and follow? Where is that voice leading us, and what is it leading us to do? Can we have faith enough to follow, knowing that our shepherd also knows us, and not only knows us, but loves us? That he willingly gives his own life for us, so that we might share in that abundant life together? May we always hear our shepherd and follow him - and may we always experience that abundant life in Jesus Christ. To God be the Glory. Amen.
Acts 2:42-47; John 10:1-10
Living Abundantly
Today in the Gospel we do something a little strange - we’ve been exploring the day of resurrection itself for several weeks, looking at the disciples’ encounters with the risen Christ. But this chapter in John comes much earlier - we’re jumping backwards in the story to hear more of Jesus’ teachings for a moment. Suddenly, instead of the amazed face of the disciples bursting into the locked room and declaring “He is risen,” we’re back near the pool of Siloam, looking at the amazed and puzzled face of the man who was born blind, but who is now miraculously able to see for first time in his life. The spiritually blind pharisees are still dubious of the whole scene, but Jesus takes the moment to impart some further wisdom.
So Jesus launches into his teaching, using yet again this familiar imagery of sheep and shepherds that we have heard him use before. And somehow, the pharisees and the crowds still don’t understand him. He even tries to put it several different ways so that maybe, just maybe they’ll understand one of them. The lectionary actually cuts this story off in the middle in this week’s reading: Jesus comes back to the shepherd imagery and spells it out clearly - he says “I am the good shepherd” and speaks of how he will gather his own flock… and after he lays out this profound analogy of his own mission and ministry on earth, the crowds are still stuck on the blind man. They still question his authority and whether his healing of the blind man gives him space to speak in the first place.
We don’t know what the disciples thought of the whole situation - they’re oddly silent through the whole story. But as we join them in Acts, as we witness the earliest days of the church as it grows and develops, it seems that somewhere along the line, after all of Jesus’ teachings, after his many appearances to them: they’ve finally got it. These disciples aren’t hiding in a room somewhere trying to figure out what to do next - they’re out teaching, selling their possessions, giving to people in need, performing wonders, breaking bread together, and praying together. They’re out in public, worshiping and praying together in the temple. And people are, pardon the pun… flocking to join in this new movement. Something has sparked a fire in these disciples and changed them (stay tuned for a few more weeks and you’ll hear more about it) - and now they’re making waves.
As I looked at these two passages, I found it strange at first that they should be paired together - they’re very different from each other: one is full of people who don’t get it, while the other is full of people who do. One has Jesus using metaphors that are somewhat mixed, talking about himself as both a shepherd and as a gate but not really leaving an entirely clear understanding of what he’s trying to get at, while the other is simply the church in action, living out the good news and bringing people to Christ through their surprising example.
But as I dwelled on these texts, as I wrestled with them and thought about why they’d be paired, I started to realize that there’s some method to be found in what we might have otherwise dismissed as madness. Listen again to how Jesus describes the sheep and the relationship that they have only with their shepherd: they hear his voice and know him. He calls them by name and leads them out. He goes ahead of them and they follow him because they know his voice.
Suddenly, there’s something that makes more sense as we approach this passage now from Acts - this is Christ’s flock at work. These last few weeks, we’ve seen this metaphor being lived out in the events of the Gospel. Jesus has quite literally gone out ahead of his sheep - he has died and been resurrected, going on before us all and showing us what our own resurrection will be like. He has appeared personally to the disciples - to Mary, to Thomas, to the men on the road to Emmaus - and he has called them by name. And as he has called them, they have themselves been led out. And they have followed - they’ve followed with joy, even.
But there’s something else that we’re seeing, as well - something that is incredible and that should fill us with just as much excitement. As we look at the work of the church in this passage from Acts, we see a transformation that has occurred, particularly among the apostles. In their own process of having been called out, of being sheep led out by their shepherd, Jesus has transformed the disciples into shepherds themselves. These disciples, through Christ’s guidance and in the power of the Holy Spirit, have been led out and are now calling out to others to join them. And despite the fact that they sell their possessions and give them to those in need, despite the fact that they constantly share what little they do have amongst themselves… wee see them living abundantly. They have “glad” hearts and experience “goodwill” from the people around them. They are truly happy in their praise and living - and that joy is contagious as more and more people come to join them in this holy and devoted life.
And so as we gather here this morning, we gather as a people who live much as the early disciples did - as members of the church, as equal parts together of the body of Christ, we live a dual life, being the sheep of God’s great flock, but also being called to be shepherds to one another and to the rest of the world. We are called, each of us - by name - and led out through Jesus Christ into the world, knowing that Christ has gone before us and leads us ever onward. And as we follow, we know that we are being led out into a world full of thieves and bandits who would rather come in by other ways. We’re surrounded by all those many voices - voices that tell us we’re too old, or too young. Voices that tell us that we don’t matter anymore, that we’re holding too tightly to outdated ideals and religious dogma. Voices that call us in hundreds and thousands of other directions, telling us to chase a life of abundance rather than an abundance of life. Voices that press us to focus inwardly, to keep our doors shut to others, to worry about our own flock, the sheep we already have - to place ourselves in the position of gatekeepers rather than shepherds and sheep.
And still, in the midst of all those voices, we hear the steady, still small voice of our shepherd, calling us still: “Come, follow me, for I offer you life - and life abundantly.” So our question becomes today: which voice do we choose to hear and follow? Where is that voice leading us, and what is it leading us to do? Can we have faith enough to follow, knowing that our shepherd also knows us, and not only knows us, but loves us? That he willingly gives his own life for us, so that we might share in that abundant life together? May we always hear our shepherd and follow him - and may we always experience that abundant life in Jesus Christ. To God be the Glory. Amen.
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