Grace and Peace to you, from the good shepherd, our brother, and Lord, Jesus Christ, now and forever, Amen.
Today is the fourth Sunday of Lent. Historically, it is known as Laetare Sunday. Laetare is Latin for “to rejoice.” The fourth Sunday of Lent was meant to be a time to remember the joy of our faith, amid the somber penitential season of Lent. In many ways it was designed to help the youth and those with waning or new faith to have a short break in this difficult season.
This year, a break from the difficulties that we are all experiencing seems even more important and valuable. In the past week, I have spent a great deal of time on Facebook, YouTube, and other social or entertainment websites than normal. I have loved how many people are using these platforms to share pictures and memes, and messages of joy and hope amid all the news and false information that is also populating the pages of the internet. Be it images of quokkas, this odd little marsupial from Australia that always seems to have a smile, pictures and stories of parents, children, or pets experiencing this time of forced togetherness in fun and creative ways, or building community and family in amazing, digital ways.
This week, I want to lift-up our Psalm, Psalm 23 during the sermon. For most of us, when we hear the familiar words, we are transported to times of immense grief. This hymn or prayer of confidence in God’s love and provision is most often recited and printed in connections with funerals.
The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.
He makes me lie down in green pastures;
he leads me beside still waters;
he restores my soul. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk through the darkest valley,
I fear no evil;
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff—
they comfort me.
You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord
my whole life long.
The first three verses, sets the tone when God is compared to a shepherd. A shepherd provides for and protects their sheep. A shepherd must be vigilant, unwatched sheep are likely to nibble themselves lost. A bite of grass here, walk a bit, another nibble of grass there, and next thing you know the sheep have walked behind a rock, fallen down an embankment, or been eaten by wolves. But God the shepherd, is ever watchful. We do not want when we are with our shepherd, God is our provider that doesn’t just meets the basic needs of God’s sheep but gives abundantly. Grass is good, any water source is good for a sheep, but our shepherd takes use to rest in great verdant pastures, and leads us beside still, clean water. But our shepherd isn’t just content with making sure that we are physically taken care of, but more importantly God is interested in our spiritual and emotional well-being too.
This is the shepherd I want in charge of my life. This is the leader I want to follow.
Then the psalm brings us to an interlude. It is important for us to remember that even with the abundant gifts that God gives us, we will still need to travel through the darkest valleys. Sometimes there will be difficulties, there will be doubt, fear, illness or even death. But these are not times for the sheep or us to be afraid. Because God is with us. Each of us collectively and separately. This reminds me of the season of Advent, another penitential time in the life of the church. We talk about Emmanuel, God with us. And into our doubts, our fears, and our sorrows, God promises to be a God who is with us. Jesus Christ came to the world, became a human, experienced joys and sorrows, to be with us. Jesus even gave his life, died on a cross, so that we could be reconciled with God, to know God, to know God’s love and care in our lives. Because God is with us, Emmanuel, we can fear no evil. Christ and the Holy Spirit protect and guide us. We can be comforted by the presence and promises of God to not abandon us when times are difficult, but to be with us.
If we didn’t understand the first 3 verses, we get another image of God. God is no longer a shepherd, but a host. God sets a table for us even among our enemies. Again, God is providing for our needs even when things are difficult. But again it isn’t just the basic needs, God pours oil over our heads, anoints and chooses us, our cup overflows. God provides for us and all of creation abundantly. Our joy, our love overflows because of God choosing us, God calling us, and providing for us, even in the dark nights and dark forests of our lives.
The next verse is incredible to me. We tend to translate it as “surely goodness and mercy will follow me all of my days.” but in the Hebrew that verb to follow is far too passive. It isn’t just that God is walking quietly behind us, instead it is pursuit. Goodness and mercy will chase after me all the days of my life. We have many things that we talk about as a chase or a pursuit, but what strikes me most is the idea of love, or romance. God is chasing after us, like a lover. For God so loved the world, that God sent God’s only son, so that whosoever believes will not perish but might have eternal life.
So, I will end reminding you, that even though we walk in dark valleys today, God is with us, Christ and the Spirit of God dwell with you. Continuing to provide, to comfort, to protect, and to love you.
Our Lord God, We have no idea where we are going. We do not see the road ahead of us. We cannot know for certain where it will end. nor do we really know ourselves, and the fact that we think we are following your will does not mean that we are actually doing so. But we believe that the desire to please you does in fact please you. And we hope we have that desire in all that we are doing. We hope that we will never do anything apart from that desire.
And we know that if we do this you will lead us by the right road,
though we may know nothing about it. Therefore will we trust you always though we may seem to be lost and in the shadow of death. We will not fear, for you are ever with us, and you will never leave us to face our perils alone.
Amen.