John 10:11-18; I John 3:16-18; April 21, 2024; Fourth Sunday of Easter
Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me. And the good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. But, the hired hand, who is not the shepherd, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep.” — John 10:11, 14, 12-13
Hired hands.
Who are the hired hands?
Are you a hired hand?
Am I?
It would seem from our reading today, in consideration of the conversation and chapter which precedes it, that Jesus is drawing a line directly from the hired hands to the Pharisees. But, perhaps more appropriately, he is also comparing them to any religious authority who is in it for the wrong reasons. Who only appears to be shepherding a flock, so long as they personally benefit from it.
Is that you; or someone you know? Or maybe even, is that me?
Are you here in church today for the wrong reasons? For your own personal benefit? For the rewards of prosperity and salvation?
And am I here only because of the power and the pay, and the influence in this pulpit to have a say over you?
Why are we here?
To worship God, and in so doing, to love and serve others?
Or are we only here to love and benefit ourselves and to clap our hands on our backs?
For when times of trouble come, for you or for me, for our church and for our nation, will we turn and leave everyone else to fend for themselves? Or will we be willing to sacrifice our comfort, our sleep even, so to protect and nurture others, the next generation, the innocent, and our children?
Are we the hired hands who can see the wolf coming and yet who will ultimately run away? Or will we stay? And fight with love?
Now, Jesus of course is the opposite of the wolf and the hired hand, for he is the true shepherd. The good shepherd. And as the ultimate first responder, Jesus rushes towards to the cries of his sheep, towards the fire and into the flood, in order to rescue those who are lost and in trouble.
Instead of running away, and letting the cup pass before him, Jesus willfully takes it in and sacrifices it all, putting everyone else’s needs before his own, laying down his life so that we, as his own, might live.
And he does this because he is good. The good shepherd.
But are we good? Are we his good sheep?
Or, are we like the hired hands and the babes of wolves?
And what does it mean to be good anyway?
Does it mean talking nicely? Does it mean just smiling warmly? Does it mean simply donating our money? Or does it perhaps mean something else? Something more?
John, in his gospel, and in the adjoining epistles under the same assignment, say that being good is loving God by loving others, in both truth and in action. In action and in service, and not just in lip-service alone.
And more, that in order for love to be both pure and true, it should harbor a spirit of willful self-sacrifice. Not a coerced sacrifice, nor one hoping to be recognized and rewarded in the end. But an authentic, altruistic, laying down of one’s comforts, one’s desires, for the benefit of others; losing sleep so that others might dream more comfortably.
It’s in that sort of self-sacrificial love, John suggests, that we get nearest to Christ, who laid it all down for us, such that we begin to bear his likeness and become his children, children of light, and children of God.
Do we want to be children of God today, my friends?
Shall we care then for others and the rest of Christ’s sheep?
Will we say to our neighbors as Christians today, “I’ll always be here for you because I love you…. even if you can’t see me, I’ll be here for you.”
Or, will we instead turn and run away and only serve and love ourselves?
Again, I say…
Are we the hired hands?
Or are we his sheep?
—–
Now, I’ll admit it. One of my favorite shows right now is “Bluey”
…how about that for a transition?
And yeah, I mean Bluey, the animated Disney cartoon of that blue dog and her family.
And yes, I too was suspicious when our friend Elizabeth recommended it to me, and more so when my wife began watching it religiously on her own, and then with my son. But, I admit it, it’s just really, really good.
The way they show how much the parent dogs love their kids. It puts a lump in your throat.
Their tireless “yes’” to every want requested, to every need demanded. And just the way it artfully depicts what love looks like, when a parent willfully sacrifices their own wants and desires for the sake and joy of others. It’s all so beautiful.
But there’s this one wonderful episode in particular called “Sleepytime” – and oh yes, it is amazing, and well worth its near perfect rating on IMDB.
It features Bluey and her sister dog, Bingo, who both can’t quite lay down and put themselves to sleep. They toss and they turn, as their parents, Bandit and Chilli, do everything they can to help comfort them.
It sounds simple, yes, but trust me, the episode is something more, something amazing, and I’d recommend it to anyone, snob like me or otherwise. For it is beautifully written and beautifully choregraphed. And it’s adapted to one of the most beautiful pieces of music ever composed: Gustav Holst’s “Jupiter,” which consequently is the same tune used for our final hymn today (because yes, we really do plan these services out such that everything has meaning)
So really, you must go home and watch “Sleepytime” today, okay? It is on YouTube as well as Disney, so there can be no excuse! It’s free.
There’s this one part in particular where in Bingo’s dream she approaches the warmth of the sun and the very next image is a mirrored likeness of her mother’s hug and warm embrace… it’s so beautiful that I defy even the hardest of hearts here not to cry… but there’s this other moment that just gets me even worse than that. And it’s when Chilli, the mommy dog, whispers in her daughter Bingo’s ear, “Remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, because I love you.”
“Remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, because I love you.”
And shoot, that just makes this hard heart up here cry, not only because of how true it is as a parent, as a loved one, but also, as a minister who is worshipping here in church among you.
For in just the same way, though not a cartoon, Jesus promises this for all of us, even those who are not part of his fold, who don’t even know him. Such that when we can’t easily see or find God in these dark days of sleepless war-torn nights, we can yet hear Christ in our ear saying, “my children, remember, I’ll always be here for you, even if you can’t see me, even if you don’t know me, because my spirit is with you always, and I love you.”
“and I love you…”
And so, my friends, he says, “I command you, those of you who know me, to love others also.”
Can you do that?
Can we?
Why are we in church today?
Are we here for the right reasons or the wrong ones?
Are we here for our own benefit, for our own reward? Are we the wolves and the hired hands who won’t show care and compassion for others, especially in times of disagreement and trouble?
Or perhaps, just maybe, are we here today to be his sheep, to follow him in his love, and to be his lights in this weary world?
Laying down our comforts and excess for the sake and joy of others, whom he also calls his own?
Amen.
