Good Shepherd Sunday Easter 2

 Our Fears and the Resurrection

I was in Panama with the unit , Wolfhounds ( light infantry), and we were there for Norriega killing some Americans, etc...You may remember it in 1989 when the first Bush said that was a no no.  I was there for about 60 days and Soldiers kept asking me , " When do we go home Chaplain?"  I think the Commander and I talked about this, and he said we are here as long as the Army says to be there basically ( We had already missed Christmas 1989). This is when I thought of the verse from Hebrews 12:5 “ ..he has said, I will never leave you, nor forsake you. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

What is making you fearful? What are you and I afraid of? It is certainly difficult to do certain things that we do not want to do. One of those things is flying. That being said, I know some of you have told me that you like to fly. Good for you! I am not one of those people. There seem to be a lot of things that could go wrong on an airplane. Even getting into the thing is difficult enough with going through an intrusive security process and then waiting again in a passenger area. In Germany they built such an area without bathrooms so to go to that you had to give them your passport and re-enter. Putting our lives in the hands of others is difficult. I imagine that some of have felt very alone in our lives in certain times. There are some things we have to go through by ourselves and they produce a certain feeling of loneliness as we go through them. We may even feel that God has abandoned us and really has nothing to do with what we are going through.

In Psalm 23, David wrote the words, “ The LORD is my shepherd” when he was being chased by his own son, Abasalom, who had an army, so it was a wartime experience. It was David recalling through the Holy Spirit’s inspiration that God indeed was keeping him in His hands. David had been a shepherd and he knew that in the hands of a good shepherd the sheep were safe from harm . The Psalm of the Good Shepherd is often read at funerals and this is a time when we need to know that our loved ones are still safe in the hands of God. He has led us just like a Shepherd in the days we enjoy in the green pastures and the still waters. Today’s Gospel lesson tells us that Jesus is the Good Shepherd of His people. He stooped to our level and even gave His life for us ,” the good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.” 10:11

I imagine that many of us are wondering what Easter and the resurrection of Jesus has to do with our current lives. Or is that just for our comfort for death? Acts 4 told us that because of the resurrection of Jesus from the dead the lame man was healed. “ Be it known unto you all…that by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before you whole.” 4:10 Does the resurrection of Jesus mean anything for today? If Jesus is alive then we can have a relationship with Him and that relationship is something we can lean on now in our little things and big things, and for the life to come. He is our Saviour, our Friend, our Companion and our Guide.

Morning Prayer Reading for Wed talks about fear as well from the Book of Exodus: "  Exodus 14:5-14, 19-21, 24-28, 30, "

And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea, beside Pihahiroth, before Baalzephon. And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord. And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness. And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. And the angel of God, which went before the camp of Israel, removed and went behind them; and the pillar of the cloud went from before their face, and stood behind them: And it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel; and it was a cloud and darkness to them, but it gave light by night to these: so that the one came not near the other all the night. And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the Lord looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the Lord fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the Lord said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen. And Moses stretched forth his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to his strength when the morning appeared; and the Egyptians fled against it; and the Lord overthrew the Egyptians in the midst of the sea. And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them. Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore."

 We have to hold on to that in our situations that overwhelm us. We have to hold on to the fact that God really does have a plan for us and the random events and even our fears are all there in His hands.

Mother Teresa

Do not think that love, in order to be genuine, has to be extraordinary. What we need is to love without getting tired. How does a lamp burn? Through the continuous input of small drops of oil. If the drops of oil run out, the light of the lamp will cease, and the bridegroom will say, “I do not know you” (Matt. 25:12). What are these drops of oil in our lamps? They are the small things of daily life: faithfulness, small words of kindness, a thought for others, our way of being silent, of looking, of speaking, and of acting. These are the true drops of love that keep your religious life burning like a living flame.

Mother Teresa says peace and war start within one’s own home.

So we can really yield ourselves into those hands that will never let us go. He has said, “ I will never leave you or forsake you.” So why are we so fearful and troubled ? We may say there are some things that even God would not understand. But I think He does. He said that “ we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.” Hebrews 4:14. The Lord is my Shepherd. Jesus said, “ I am the good Shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” John 10:14

And God is working all things for my good and His glory. Romans 8:28 despite how they look to me. Despite how abandoned I may feel and how lonely I may feel we can know that Jesus went there before us. On the cross He said, “ My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?” Matthew 27:46 My fears are really loneliness for God. ( Ogilivie) We can claim His promise that He will never leave me or forsake me. What is keeping us from giving ourselves into His hands? 

As our host in Psalm 23, we read, “ Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou annointest my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”