Sermon---May 7, 2006---Easter 4 B

Our Shepherding Lord

Psalm 23

It's a real challenge for me to preach on the 23rd Psalm. Why? It is so familiar to me (and I'm sure to most of us) that those beautiful words can lose their impact on us. We can recite the words easily without thinking too deeply about them. Of course, we have to acknowledge that Psalm 23 can affect us very deeply, especially at times of great need in our lives.

We hear this psalm read often at funerals because the words are so comforting to us. Psalm 23 can also minister to us when we are depressed and overwhelmed. The timeless power of this psalm has proved itself over and over again by giving us confidence in the midst of life's challenges and adversity.

How does the 23rd Psalm speak to us today? We live in a world very unlike the serene pastoral environment of the shepherd. While we are flooded with material wealth, there is a gnawing hunger for meaning. Our goal oriented society has created a guilt complex about rest which can give us the opportunity through reflection to seek meaning in our lives. In fact we work hard at resting because we see leisure as a means to accomplish our goal of being more healthy so we can be more effective at work. Laying down in green pastures to rest and reflect is foreign to our daily experience. We start worrying about mowing the grass and creating a landscaping plan.

Do we ignore the hunger for restoring our souls? The first part of Psalm 23 is a meditation designed to bring us into the peace of God and soul restoration. We have an opportunity this coming weekend to experience God's word as meditation. Are we going to pass it up because we think we are too busy? Have we bought the idea that time spent in meditation is merely inactivity and a WASTE of time?

As individuals and as a parish, we are seeking God's guidance so that we can walk in the path of His righteousness. My brothers and sisters, it is God's fervent desire that we walk in the path of His righteousness, but it requires us to acknowledge God as our Shepherd. We His sheep need to pay attention to where the Shepherd is leading us. We need to keep our eyes focused on Jesus. Instead, we make the mistake of becoming obsessed with searching for greener pastures on our own without seeking the guidance of God our Shepherd.

How do we become tuned to our Shepherd God's guidance?

The second part of Psalm 23 shifts from a meditation to a prayer which focuses on the presence of God. We indeed "walk through the valley of the shadow of death." Death is an experience that each one of us must face. We can either face death in lonely fear or with the assurance affirmed in this psalm that God is with us. If we believe that God is with us, then it follows that we seek His guidance through the dark valley of the shadow of death.

How does God guide us? The 23rd Psalm says, "Thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me." The rod has a two fold function for shepherds. One is to defend the sheep from those who would prey on them. The other function of the rod is to provide guidance and discipline for the sheep. Our Shepherd God is prepared to do both things with us. When God uses the rod on us, the intent is to guide us in the right path through correcting our wrong inclinations. The biblical view of discipline is focused more on training rather than punishment.

Along with the rod, the Shepherd God also assists us with His staff. The shepherd's staff with its hook-like end is designed to provide help to the sheep when they are in distress. The staff is a symbol of God's rescuing grace when we get stuck in places we shouldn't be. Many of us have experienced being lifted out of difficulties simply by the grace of God.

In the last two verses, Psalm 23 suddenly shifts images from God the Good Shepherd to God the Good Host.

David, the traditional composer of this psalm, prays not only to God His Protector, but also to God His Provider. He speaks of the table being prepared in the presence of his enemies. This is a vivid picture of God's banquet table envisioned both by Isaiah (25:6-9) in the Old Testament and Jesus in the New Testament. God's people from all nations will feast in the Kingdom of God sharing table fellowship. The Eucharist which we share every week foretells that great moment at the end of time. The faithfulness of God's people will be vindicated while those opposing God's ways will be shut out. Jesus speaks of this same picture in the Parables of the Wedding Feasts found in the 22nd and 25th chapters of Matthew.

As guests at this feast, our heads are anointed with oil---a symbol of blessing and total healing. David prays in faith that he will receive this blessing. We are reminded of the sacrament of anointing available for our own healing. The cup overflowing points to God's generous provision for our needs. Psalm 23 reminds us that our prayers to God are affirmations of faith that God provides healing for our bodies, souls, and spirits. He also meets our legitimate material needs. No wonder we find great comfort in offering this psalm.

Finally Psalm 23 celebrates God's continuous presence with us throughout time and eternity. David sings,

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever." (Psalm 23:6)

Goodness is the fulfillment and perfection of God's will. Regardless of what is going on today, God's will ultimately prevails. His promises recorded in scripture will become reality. Why? Because God is a God of mercy. God's mercy goes far beyond forgiveness. It is an outpouring of His love motivated by His faithful covenant with us. God's part of the covenant has already been offered as a down payment through the shedding of Jesus' blood on the cross. The cross put the covenant of God's mercy into effect for all the days of our earthly life as well as our eternal life in heaven.

David had a yearning to "dwell in the house of the Lord forever." For him, it meant dwelling in the sacred tent for which he would be glad to give up his earthly palace. For Solomon and the people following him, it meant remaining in the magnificent temple he had constructed. For us Christians, dwelling in the house of the Lord means having access to God's presence through Jesus the Holy Spirit.

The 23rd Psalm is far more than a song of comfort. It is nothing less than a roadmap to God Himself. It begins as God the Good Shepherd guides us from the frantic din of this world into the quietness of Sabbath rest where our souls are restored to vitality and life. The Good Shepherd then teaches us the ways of righteousness so that when we walk through the valley of the shadow of death where the future can seem so dark, we will not be fearful, but confident in God's direction, discipline, and protection.

God, as the Good Host, leads us to share the community of table fellowship where we experience in a tangible way the goodness and mercy of God.

Psalm 23 will never go out of date. As we keep our eyes on Jesus, it will guide and comfort us no matter what situation we face. We shall always have our shepherding Lord.

The Rev. Charles M. Bennett