Just Another Sheep

John 10:22-38 and Psalm 23

The good shepherd JESUS MAFA

A substitute was called to fill in for a kindergarten teacher one day. 

After identifying the most unruly student, a boy named Tommy, this substitute teacher went right to work. 

The Substitute pulled him to the side and asked if he would like to be the “special helper” that day. 

Tommy was advised that as the special helper for the day, he would keep watch over the class when the substitute stepped out, keeping classmates orderly and safe, and he would function as the line leader for the day. 

Tommy followed up the instructions by demanding to know “What’s in it for me?”

“Well” Responded the Substitute “you would be in charge whenever I am out, you would be helping me, and you know what else? NOBODY messes with the line leader!”

It worked.

Tommy behaved marvelously once he’d been given the task 

and it provided a role that gave, at least, the illusion of authority. 

As the class left the art room later that afternoon, the substitute had to take one of the children who had eaten some glue to the school nurse. 

Tommy was instructed to guide the class back down the hall, past the school office, to their regular classroom and wait until the substitute got back. 

Tommy did as he was told, taking his line leader position quite seriously. 

But as he walked past the office, the principle saw Tommy leading them down the hallway. 

The principle, quite familiar with Tommy for all the wrong reasons and noticing the lack of any adult supervision, ran out of the office yelling for Tommy to stop. 

But he did not stop, he continued on following his orders from the substitute to a T.

As the principle ran to the front of the line demanding Tommy stop leading the class astray, the class began to hesitate. 

Tommy spun around and demanded they continue to follow him as the principle grabbed him by the shoulder exclaiming “You stop right now! What do you think you’re doing!?”

Tommy responded by thrusting his finger into the Principle’s face and informing him “Hey! Nobody messes with the line leader!”

Hope for the future Dwight Baird

In John’s gospel for today, Jesus is also being stopped in the hallway. 

The religious authorities have noticed Jesus’ discipleship growing and they have become worried. 

There have been numerous charismatic figures that have claimed religious authority over the years. 

These charismatic religious figures had caused uprisings, wars, and acts of treason against Rome that had caused the full force of Rome to be brought down on the community. 

Many of the religious authorities had worked out a deal with their Roman rulers, basically, go along to get along. 

It had worked out well for most of them, they were able to continue to practice their religion as they had before and they were even recognized as leaders in the community. 

So, it is understandable that many of these religious elite would prefer to not have anymore of these uprisings. 

Rooting out these uprisings meant rooting out these charismatic figures, putting them back in their place, and keeping the attention of the community set on those whose authority really mattered; 

the religious elite. 

But the authority of these religious elite cannot come from Rome  

-the very force that is oppressing the community-

So, they must claim themselves to be divinely ordained, pointing to themselves as the Shepherd that leads the flock, a claim that is rather contrary to the 23rd Psalm. 

The role of the shepherd was more of a metaphorical role than a desirable vocation. 

It was a miserable job, more similar to the lifestyle of a rancher or a cowboy, than that of the shepherds we envision from Christmas pageants and claymation cartoons. 

It was difficult labor, with few benefits. 

Oftentimes Shepherds were not even caring for their own flocks, they would take care of sheep that belonged to their community or family, rather than caring for their own personal investments. 

and they were held accountable for each and every one of those sheep. 

But in the Ancient near east, a shepherd served as a good metaphor for a king. 

Prior to the psalm, the imagery had been used by many other cultures throughout the region to describe the magisterial role of their human kings and rulers. 

For the Israelites, it was a common practice to take the grand titles given to lofty rulers and superimpose them on God. 

It was an attempt to correct the idea that human rule could be unflawed 

Rulers in the Ancient near east were often seen as not only governing authorities but human gods

Taking the title of shepherd and placing it on God made a clear statement to all that there was no human rule that could match that of the divine. 

So when Jesus is confronted in the portico by these religious elite and accused of blasphemy, his response is not only justified but damning evidence of their own blasphemy. 

Because their entire practice is not pointing to God, it points to themselves. 

Not only are shepherds good metaphors for rulers, but flocks are good metaphors for us as people. 

Flock animals can easily stray if not cared for properly. 

The problem is that most flock animals do not have the means to protect themselves. 

Anyone can observe that whether it be sheep, cattle, birds, or other herd or flock animals, if one of them becomes startled, the rest will follow the first animal that flees the group. 

It is a natural response, programmed for their own safety, strength in numbers. 

Native Americans used this response it to drive bison herds off cliffs when hunting. 

It is a gruesome example of how flocks and herds can be led astray, even to their own demise. 

So, just imagine sheep that name themselves as the shepherds. 

This is exactly what Jesus is pointing out to those accusing him of blasphemy. 

Because while the religious elite are pointing to their own authority, Jesus -the One given the true authority- uses it to point to the Father. 

In 1947, the iconic baseball player, Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier.

After having played baseball for the Kansas City Monarchs in the Negro Leagues and the Montreal Royals in the Minor Leagues, Robinson was signed with the Brooklyn Dodgers. 

Robinson’s admirable career would have been iconic regardless of the color of his skin but it was his role in breaking the color barrier that is usually associated with his career

…..and I find this sad in a way. 

You see, Jackie Robinson was a great ballplayer, but he said very little about breaking the color barrier. 

He wanted to play baseball, and while he resented the insults, the ridicule, the threats, and the actual physical violence that was inflicted on him, he did very little to respond. 

He didn’t respond because he ended up making a similar argument to the one Jesus makes in our gospel today by the very way he played the game.

Robinson’s debut in the Major Leagues was condemned by many as just a marketing ploy, a distraction from baseball. 

This icon did very little to stand out in any way, unless you count the way he played baseball. 

In his first year he led the league in sacrifice hits and stolen bases, had 175 hits -125 of which were scoring runs-, and drove his teammates to scoring runs 48 times!

He led the Dodgers to the World Series in 47, 49, 52, 53, and finally winning the whole thing in 55. 

Sisters and brothers, Jackie Robinson was just a sheep. 

Yeah, a black sheep that conformed to the flock for the benefit of the flock. 

And while other sheep led others astray they became distracted and distracted others from the game, making a spectacle of themselves and a mockery of the game through their hateful actions and rhetoric.  

But Robinson and his famed bronx bombers conformed together no matter what valleys or enemies they faced or what evils were threatened against them. 

Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese,
and Preacher Roe 

And it wasn’t because they were focused on Robinson, it is because Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Gil Hodges, Duke Snider, Carl Furillo, Roy Campanella, Don Newcombe, Carl Erskine, and Preacher Roe were one flock following a call to the same prize. 

In the film 42, Pee Wee Reese is portrayed in one scene joking with Jackie Robinson;  “maybe tomorrow we will all wear the number 42, that way they won’t be able to tell us apart”

The authorities that confront Jesus as a blasphemer in the portico fail to recognize that they are the ones leading other sheep astray, gathering whole flocks of stray sheep into the valleys and enemies awaiting, alone. 

Because they have named themselves as the authority, they have told the people that they will be the shepherd in a world where we are all ill equipped for that roll, and the greatest danger are these overambitious sheep. 

Psalm 23 doesn’t assure that the shepherd will eliminate those evils, it only assures that the shepherd will remain with us as we flock together and journey through these narrow passes we travel. 

It is the idol we make of ourselves and our own selfish wanting that leads us astray. 

Just like a sheep that is looking for that greener pasture and wanders from the safety of the flock. 

It isn’t that individuality is a bad thing, because it is not, it should be cherished. 

But just like the shepherd knows every scar, blemish, and abnormality of each sheep in the flock, 

So too does our Shepherd, it is how we are identified and accounted for as we walk through the valleys we travel. 

Because we are sealed with the shepherds brand at that font and we are called to the meal where we are fed. 

And we are called to conform to the shepherd that will lead us home. 

But in a world where individuality is so prized, I find it ironic. 

We claim to demand an acceptance of one another’s uniqueness and individuality

Yet we consistently find ourselves asking why other’s do not join our own flocks?

Leading other sheep to our political parties, our shared hatred of a particular group, our demand to think, act, or live the way we deem ideal. 

How many of our flocks distract us from what it truly means to be in relationship with God and one another in the true flock that God calls us to?

How many of the sheep who claim to be shepherds are drawing attention onto themselves rather than what is best for the flock? 

In a few weeks, this will be the very question I will ask of you. 

Because as this internship comes to a close, I hope that I have not led you astray. 

I hope that the ministry I have shared with you in this place will continue to be of value to you, not because it was mine but because it was ours, because it was something we created together as a flock. 

I pray that years from now you will still see the cross I pointed to rather than the finger that was pointing to it. 

And most of all, I hope and pray that the ministry we have shared over this past year was Christ centered and not Nate centered

Because sisters and brothers, no ministry should ever mistake a sheep for a shepherd 

And God help me, sometimes faith is just trying to recognize where the true flock really is.

Amen