Sunday 20 November - Shepherds and Kings (Rev Richard Apperley)

Stories and metaphors about shepherds crop up all the way through the Bible - and in the Jeremiah reading we’ve just heard we’ve got quite a few references.

So… when you think of shepherds what comes to mind? (OPEN QUESTION)

In Israel’s traditions ‘the shepherd’ was a metaphor for a King (which is quite a brave thing, given the lowly status of shepherds!), and then slightly later was also applied to God - even spoken about by God himself.

These shepherd references crop up all the way from Genesis to Revelation - and here in Jeremiah we have God describing himself as the chief shepherd, who has appointed shepherds under him - and these shepherds have failed in their duty of care. So God will step in and gather his sheep - his people - back together - and start the system again.

Jesus, who in all likelihood never shepherded an actual physical sheep, takes on these metaphors for himself. For example in John 10:11 we have beautiful passage

John 10:11 NRSV

“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

Just as God appointed shepherds to care for his flock in Jeremiah, Jesus does the same after his resurrection.

John 21:15 NRSV

When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my lambs.”

Later in Simon Peter’s life he writes (well, possibly writes…. It’s a slightly contentious issue) - he writes in a letter that we now call 1 Peter:

1 Peter 5:2 NET 2nd ed.

Give a shepherd’s care to God’s flock among you, exercising oversight not merely as a duty but willingly under God’s direction, not for shameful profit but eagerly.

So the tradition of appointed shepherds continues - with a clarity of how the shepherds should act and treat the people they care for.

Bouncing back to the Jeremiah reading: the leaders that God had appointed had failed, so the new plan for restoration begins.

Jeremiah 23:5–6 NRSV

The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. And this is the name by which he will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”

There is so much in these two verses! There is a metaphor of a shoot sprouting out of a pruned stump - which is also an ancient metaphor to announce a new king.

Do you remember what the new king was to be called?

Yahweh Tsidqenu [tsid-KAY-nu] - the Lord is our righteousness.

We even have a mini role description for this new king. He will:

deal wisely

execute justice righteousness

see that Judah is saved and Israel will live in safety

In essence the new king will embody God’s own promise, covenant faithfulness, justice and loyalty.

Enter King Jesus

Right at the start of Jesus’ earthly ministry, just after he had been baptised, tempted by the enemy in the wilderness, and heard that John had been arrested he announced:

Matthew 4:17 NRSV

From that time Jesus began to proclaim, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

And then just a few verses later, after he had called the first of his disciples he:

Matthew 4:23 NRSV

Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and curing every disease and every sickness among the people.

Jesus spoke and taught about the kingdom of God more than any other subject. It’s a bit hard to see, but this image shows the 50 top subjects that Jesus is recorded as speaking about.

The long red outer circle represents the Kingdom of God - the next circle in is about God as Father, orange is Faith, and green is money.

12 of the parables alone describe what the Kingdom of God is like.

The kingdom of God is like….. (list a few)

In the prayer that Jesus taught us, what we call the Lord’s Prayer, he tells us we should be praying for the kingdom to come on earth as it is in heaven.

It’s pretty clear that our identity as citizens of God’s Kingdom is paramount.

So let’s look at the example our King, King Jesus, gave us.

Would you please stand for the Gospel reading.

The Holy Gospel according to Luke, chapter 23, beginning at verse 33.

Luke 23:33–43 NLT

When they came to a place called The Skull,* they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left. Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”* And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice.* The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

This is the Gospel of Christ

Praise to Christ, the Word.

Please be seated.

Here is the King Jesus who embodies the justice, the loyalty, the salvation of God: praying for those who nail him to the cross, mocked as a false king, taunted as though he were a mere sham, an impostor. Here he is, fulfilling God’s promise to bring in his kingdom of justice and mercy, rescuing those who turn to him and his kingdom only when all other hope is exhausted.

Jesus’ last words to another human being before his death and resurrection were words of forgiveness - completely aligned with the ministry of his short life. Jesus had spent his life teaching about the kingdom of God, preaching liberation to the captives, and healing those who were sick and lame. Jesus’ miracles and teachings had so confounded the status quo of the elders, priests, and politicians that he was deemed a threat to their religion and their way of life. Jesus had challenged the unjust treatment of women, preached the need for patience with children, and accused the Pharisees and Sadducees of lacking good faith. His ministry had been controversial, powerful, and world altering, to the point that those whom he threatened condemned him to death by crucifixion.

Jesus spent his entire ministry teaching and preaching about the kingdom of God. One of Jesus’ last forgiving acts on earth was to proclaim that a repentant sinner would be with him that day in heaven. Thanks be to God.