Good shepherd (23.4.2023)

A machine assisted translation from Icelandic

Readings

A reading from the psalms

Psalm 23 ESV

A Psalm of David. 1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. 3 He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. 4 Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

L: This is the Holy Word.

C: Thanks be to God

L: A second reading from the first letter of Peter

1 Peter 5:1–4 ESV

1 So I exhort the elders among you, as a fellow elder and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, as well as a partaker in the glory that is going to be revealed: 2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock. 4 And when the chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.

L: This is the Holy Word

C: Glory be to you o Lord, for you have the words of eternal life. To whom else shall we go?

Gospel

P: The gospel is written by the hand of the evangelist John

C: God be praised for his joyful message

John 21:15–19 ESV

15 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.” He said to him, “Feed my lambs.” 16 He said to him a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” He said to him, “Yes, Lord; you know that I love you.” He said to him, “Tend my sheep.” 17 He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep. 18 Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” 19 (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

P: This is the Holy Gospel

C: Thanks be to you o Christ

Sermon

I

The land of Israel is a peculiar country in many respects, including in its geography. This tiny country, which is the size of the western corner of Iceland, has a long sea coast, high mountains and mountain villages. There is fertile farmland, especially around the Sea of Galilee and along the plain of Jezreel. In Dan in the north there are great springs of water that flow together to become the Jordan River. It flows south along the whole country, not into the sea, but down to the lowest dry land on earth. At the mouth of the Dead Sea, the city of Jericho stands about 400 meters below sea level. The Dead Sea itself is the terminus of the water, and is so salty that large crystals form on its shores. On foot, the city of Jerusalem is only a day's journey from Jericho, yet it stands 800 meters above sea level. Just south of it, we find the town of Bethlehem. Before these areas were built up, there once lived a young man named David, the son of Jesse.

David looked after his father's flock, and took the sheep up the hills and down into the valleys, to find something to eat. It was not always easy, because it is often dry in these parts. The grass sprouts after the rains, but when the drought comes it withers and dies. Roots are deep in many places, and can withstand long droughts. They live quietly in the ground and wait for the next rain. I myself have come to these places and seen this strange phenomenon with my own eyes.

But it was obviously not a given that David always had enough time to wait for rain. The sheep needed both water and grass to survive. So he had to drive the herd to where the food was. But such a journey could be dangerous. He had to travel over rocks and through torrents and through dark valleys. There he could meet various dangers, including wild animals that wanted to get to the herd. Wolves, bears and lions were among the animals he had to fight.

When David later volunteers to fight the giant Goliath, he tells the king this:

1 Samuel 17:34–36 ESV

34 But David said to Saul, “Your servant used to keep sheep for his father. And when there came a lion, or a bear, and took a lamb from the flock, 35 I went after him and struck him and delivered it out of his mouth. And if he arose against me, I caught him by his beard and struck him and killed him. 36 Your servant has struck down both lions and bears, and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be like one of them, for he has defied the armies of the living God.”

Now notice how David ends his speech to king Saul:

1 Samuel 17:37 ESV

37 And David said, “The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine.” And Saul said to David, “Go, and the Lord be with you!”

II

The shepherd David had plenty of time to meditate about all this while tending his sheep. He fully undstood that he enjoyed the protection of the Lord in all these dangers. Coming out alive from a fight with such an animal was by no means a given, but David had done it repeatedly. The only explanation for that was that the Lord was with him.

David also saw that his work as shepherd of the sheep was like a shadow of the work of the Lord before him. The sheep were safe because David was their shepherd. Likewise, David was safe because the Lord is his shepherd. Just as David searched for water and food, the Lord is the Shepherd who leads him on the right path, even through dark valleys, and even to green fields and flowing waters. Yes, the Lord is the one who protects him from all evil, and provides him with everything he needs.

Psalm 23 thus expresses complete trust in the Lord.

Yes, if the Lord is my shepherd, I will fear no evil, for he is with me.

David also said that he had searched for the lost sheep that had been taken by the predators. He had even ripped them out of the predator's groin.

Likewise, Jesus tells, in the 15th chapter of the Gospel of Luke, the parable of the shepherd who loses one sheep from the flock, and then sets off to look for him, and does not give up until he is found.

Those who have the Lord Jesus as their shepherd, have a good shepherd who is willing to put such burdens on themselves. He is looking for the lost sheep to save him. He plucks the sheep even from the gin of the enemy, even from the gin of death itself.

III

As a rule, the sheep are together under the supervision of the shepherd, and wait together in the sheepfold during the night. The shepherd leads them to flowing waters and gives them food on green pastures. And here it becomes clear that the Lord Jesus has called more shepherds to help him with this work.

In the Gospel we listened to such a call. Three times Jesus calls the apostle Peter to confess that he loves him. Three times he responds by saying: "tend thou my lambs," "be a shepherd of my sheep," and "tend thou my sheep."

In the second reading, we also heard how this actually applies to the congregation. Peter admonishes the elders, i.e. the priests of the congregation, to be shepherds of the flock.

1 Peter 5:2–3 ESV

2 shepherd the flock of God that is among you, exercising oversight, not under compulsion, but willingly, as God would have you; not for shameful gain, but eagerly; 3 not domineering over those in your charge, but being examples to the flock.

The little shepherds are to teach the sheep to hear the voice of the good shepherd, the supreme shepherd. They themselves are sheep in the flock, and need to follow him to be able to teach others.

The apostle Peter first had to confess: "Lord, you know everything. You know I love you," and then he was called: "Tend to my sheep."

The shepherds are to give the sheep the food they themselves need and are nourished by. in the church it is of course not green grass, but it is the word of God. As Jesus himself said:

Matthew 4:4 ESV

4 But he answered, “It is written, “ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”

Closing words

The role of the little shepherds, the assistant shepherds, is to direct the sheep to the good shepherd. To the real shepherd, who leads us through the dark valley of death and to the green grounds of eternity and to the fountain that is the water of life.

If the shepherds do not want to know the good shepherd, or have created a false image of him. If they do not teach the flock to obey his voice, then they are false shepherds, leading the flock helplessly into all dangers. The flock must not follow such shepherds.

It is Jesus Christ himself who is the real good shepherd. Who watches over the flock, yes, who watches over you who believe in him. There are no dangers from which he is not ready to rescue you. Even from death itself he will save you. He has been there himself on the third day, just to save you from there.

Glory be to God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, it is and will be for ever and ever. Amen.

Let's confess our faith together.