Sermon for the 2 nd Sunday after Easter, April 26, 2009
“ When he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray. ”
St. Peter, in his first Epistle, encourages his fellow Christians through their suffering—telling them to expect it and endure it, even to rejoice for it. That's not a 21 st century sermon. Americans don't want to suffer, don't want to even feel stress. Give us a pill. Give us some money. Give us diversion. Give us comedy. Pain is the enemy. We run from it. But it's going to get you anyway. It's time to come to terms with it. Suffering is part of the deal.
Peter didn't want to suffer. He thought he was brave, but when he saw his Master undergo violence, false accusation, and execution, Peter lied, swore and ran away. After Jesus' resurrection, when Peter's failed fishing expedition obeyed the stranger on the shore and brought in 153 fish, the Lord confronted him. “Simon, do you love me more than they do?” The word Jesus used was Agape , the godly, selfless, powerful love Jesus Himself has for us. Peter answered, probably with his head lowered, “Lord, you know that you are dear to me,” and he used Fileo , the Greek for a brother's close friendship. “Feed my lambs,” Jesus commanded him. A second time Jesus asked, “Do you love (agape) me?” Again Peter gave the brother's answer. “Shepherd my sheep.” Finally Jesus questions even Peter's response: “Simon, am I dear to you?” Peter broke down. He had been found out. He had denied Jesus, three times, and three times his love was questioned . “You know everything! And you know you are dear to me.” “Then feed my beloved sheep.”
Peter talks of sheep in the Epistle today. He did become their shepherd, and he learned that sheep are wayward, fearful, and dumb. We call this Shepherd Sunday for the lessons we read, Jesus telling how He is the Good Shepherd who knows the sheep. What He knows about us might make us wonder why He bothered with us at all. But if you're going to be a shepherd, it's good to know something about sheep.
I know nothing about sheep— real sheep, I mean. They're four footed, wooly and tasty when cooked. A bunch of them are called a flock. And they tend to stray. But my sheep are people and they are two footed, not very wooly, I will never know how they taste. But they do tend to stray, and are wayward, fearful and… challenged . How do I know that? I'm one too.
A shepherd leads his flock into green pastures, places that are safe and they can feed. It's what sheep do best. But they don't know what's good or bad for them. Their main anxiety is getting enough grass for survival. Most sheep are very good at turning grass into more sheep, and their anxiety is unfounded. Still, they look over the next hill and the grass sure looks greener there. It has to be tastier. Off they go.
Christ's flock is made of sheep in various states of waywardness. It just won't do to create a theology that makes us out to be perfect once we're Christians . Some theologians have taught that in being saved, accepting Christ, we're such new creatures that sin becomes foreign to us and we live for God in all we do. That plays well to sheep who want to hear such drivel, but we under-shepherds know our flock better than that. A great portion of the New Testament speaks to Christians with exhortations to live in the light, turn away from your former paganism, and remember that the sins you've been forgiven can get you lost in the wilderness again. Jesus traveled His country, preaching, healing and moved by His compassion for people, “ because they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as sheep having no shepherd.” Matt 9:36 He sent His apostles to them, saying: “Go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Matt 10:6
What were the sins of the 1 st century Jews? Adultery would be there, thieving, assault, also pride and envy, evil desires, gluttony and drunkenness. Some were lazy. Some avaricious. All believed their religion got them to heaven. As bad as that, and Jesus wept over them. What would He think of our flock today?
Is there sin in Christ's own flock today? Peter spoke of suffering gladly. We aren't ready to even stop pursuing constant pleasure. Our plaguing thoughts and desires are so easily set by the piper of this world, we are used to being in the heat of desire for our lowest urges almost without stopping. We may resist for a while, but—well, listen to hotel managers. They all say that 55% of pay-per-view television use in hotel rooms is for so-called adult movies. It accounts for 70% of their in-room income. But when a convention of Christians books the hotel, they also know that the porn purchases hit the highest point. That's a snapshot of the flock that is apparent to the world.
Now, I'm going to speak of the elephant in the living room. And this describes America, but also those who may think they are above all this—the Christians. Hollywood releases 11,000 “adult” movies each year, a number that is 20 times greater than the mainstream movie products. 38% of adults think there is nothing wrong with porno use. In several studies, anywhere from 50 to 70% of Christians admit to struggling over porn. At a Promise Keepers rally, half the men admitted using it the previous week. And not only men, but 17% of all women struggle with it. The 2006 sex and porn industry did $13.3 billion in revenues: a number larger than that racked up by the NFL, the NBA and Major League Baseball combined . This deviant sexual component of our lives is rotting the fabric of our marriages, homes, and workplaces. Yet, how often do we hear of it? Almost half of churchgoers want to hear preaching about this and related issues. Most pastors don't want to say more than they do. It's hard to admit that we're losing this battle, but if we did, would anyone hear us? Our attention seems to be elsewhere.
Adultery and divorce are related problems with some of the flock. Over half of married couples experience instances of adultery during their lives together. Divorce may be the result, and indeed self-described born again Christians are statistically just as likely to divorce as their non-Christian friends. In varying percentages, 48% of non-Christians have divorces as opposed to 41% of Christians, with frequent church attendees suffering from a 32% divorce rate, Catholics the lowest rate of all. How are we doing, church? Do we want the world to look at our numbers and join us for the safety we offer them?
What else did Jesus' countrymen suffer from? Theft was one. A recent study showed that 85 percent of Roman Catholic dioceses had discovered embezzlement of church money over the last five years—11 percent more than $500,000. That's stealing from the church . I've personally known several Episcopal and Anglican churches where the church treasurers walked off with some $30,000 or more. Drunkenness, overeating, laziness—we find ample evidence that these are in the camp, too.
And of the big seven— pride, envy, anger, covetousness, gluttony, lust and sloth —we've only touched on four. Let's not go on. My point is made. The sheep follow their noses toward what looks like an object of need. A need that is unmet causes stress. God forbid we should have any stress, so off we go. Or if we have a conscience and forbid ourselves the desire, we wait until we have a hotel room to ourselves. What's up with the flock?
St. Paul wasn't afraid to speak of it, and hopefully to dispel the power of it. A modern translation helps here: “Live your life as your spiritual nature directs you. Then you will never follow through on what your corrupt nature wants [which] is contrary to what your spiritual nature wants. Now, the effects of the corrupt nature are obvious: illicit sex, perversion, promiscuity, idolatry, drug use, hatred, rivalry, jealousy, angry outbursts, selfish ambition, conflict, factions, envy, drunkenness, wild partying, and similar things. People who do these kinds of things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the spiritual nature produces love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their corrupt nature along with its passions and desires.” Gal 5:16-26 Okay, Paul. Our spiritual nature—how is that to happen?
We are only able to employ such a spiritual nature when we have one. Our old spirits were dead when we were in the world. Dead is dead, and there was no help there for any of us. Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again…of water and of the Spirit, from above.” St. John said that to those who receive Christ, He gives the power to become sons of God, born to God by the power of God. We're going to lose the battle for our eyes, our minds, our hearts, our homes and families, our children, our country, and our world if we cannot say that we have let ourselves be born anew in the Spirit of God and have crucified the old man of sin that ruled us all our lives. You can't go both ways on the same street. You can't have that greener hillside and stay where you are on this one. The stress you feel is natural, as we are tested in the new life, but we must understand that this is temptation. This leads to trouble. We feel guilty when we've done wrong, but only if we're truly convicted and contrite. Otherwise we merely feel shame, because we see ourselves for a moment, but shame lets the sheep back out of the gate, eventually.
Jesus, the Great Shepherd, knows His sheep. He laid His wonderful, perfect life down for us, knowing just who we were. He loved us right as we were, and was willing to do all He could for our restoration. But we only sing “Just as I am, without one plea” when we come in from the world to His kingdom. We don't stay just as I am for eternity, God forbid . Jesus didn't die to keep us just the sinful way we've been. It's time for the church to have an upgrade, the sheep to be shorn, perhaps. But the devil wants to make us into lamb chops. Christ only wants us to come and stay in His safe pasture, where we drink from still waters and feast in the presence of our enemy. The valley of the shadow of death lies all around us, entices us, paints its lips red and buys up all the advertising space. Little lambs, don't go. Your Good and Holy Shepherd is here, and He asks you to stay with Him and never stray again.
PFH+