Fourth Sunday of Easter 25th April (Anzac Day)
Acts 4: 5-12 The next day their rulers, elders, and scribes assembled in Jerusalem, with Annas the high priest, Caiaphas, John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high-priestly family.
When they had made the prisoners stand in their midst, they inquired, ‘By what power or by what name did you do this?’
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, ‘Rulers of the people and elders, if we are questioned today because of a good deed done to someone who was sick and are asked how this man has been healed, let it be known to all of you, and to all the people of Israel, that this man is standing before you in good health by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead.
This Jesus is
“the stone that was rejected by you, the builders;
it has become the cornerstone.”
There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among mortals by which we must be saved.’
Psalm 23 The Lord is my shepherd: therefore can I lack nothing.
He will make me lie down in green pastures: and lead me beside still waters.
He will refresh my soul:
and guide me in right pathways for his name’s sake.
Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil:
for you are with me, your rod and your staff comfort me.
You spread a table before me n the face of those who trouble me:
you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup shall be full.
Surely your goodness and loving-kindness will follow me all the days of my life:
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
1 John 3: 16-24 We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another. How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action. And by this we will know that we are from the truth and will reassure our hearts before him whenever our hearts condemn us; for God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything. Beloved, if our hearts do not condemn us, we have boldness before God; and we receive from him whatever we ask, because we obey his commandments and do what pleases him. And this is his commandment, that we should believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he has commanded us. All who obey his commandments abide in him, and he abides in them. And by this we know that he abides in us, by the Spirit that he has given us.
John 10: 11–18 ‘I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away—and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father.’
Reflection:
Today as we know is Anzac Day and suitably today in the Anglican church today, according to the lectionary it is also Good Shepherd Sunday, which means the readings before us include that beautiful and well-known Psalm 23, a fabulous portion of 1 John chapter 3, also, the reading from John’s Gospel, which is part of the ‘Good Shepherd Discourse’ found in John 10. John’s ‘Good Shepherd Discourse’ is quite a long address. It follows, and is actually an extension of, the healing of the man born blind in John 9. In light of the failure and spiritual blindness of religious authorities who condemn the healing of a man sightless from birth, Jesus offers himself as a counter example, picking up a theme that runs throughout the Old Testament of God’s good shepherds contrasted with leaders who dodge their responsibility and fail to care for God’s people. Before us, this year, we have the middle portion of this reading, John chapter 10 vs11-18.
While there are so many ways, I could preach this week- I’m expecting many of you will watch or attend an Anzac service whereby year after year we remember the sacrificial service of the Anzacs and dreadful waste of life of all who have given of themselves for the sake of peace and freedom. Today is often a solemn day of remembrance and tribute. And while the diversity of the readings today allow us a great diversity that we could focus on, yet they are theologically linked. The one willing to lay down his life, the sacrifice of the good shepherd as he continues to protect and lead his sheep in the ways of peace and goodness. In the midst of this is Jesus who has become the cornerstone. In ancient times the cornerstone was very carefully chosen- it needed to be perfect for the task of holding the building square, of keeping things in line and strong – the perfect foundation.
As we ponder these thoughts and the sacrifice of so many in service for others, I suggest that we also see this sacrificial love in our present day particularly as medical staff and others care for the needs of the sick and dying especially in countries overseas.
Added to this the role of the pastors and ministers (Lay and ordained) has never been more important. You see we live in a time when good shepherds, Pastors seem terribly scarce. We know that the churches struggle to get Priests and lay ministers, we know that many people say they are time poor and don’t have time for bible study or prayer. We know that the teaching and ministry of the church is becoming more and more challenged as people turn to other sources (Sometimes not so wholesome) for peace and comfort. We know (or I hope we do) that Jesus’ promises are so desperately needed while unfortunately at the same time may be received with some scepticism by people worn out by pandemic, injustice, and anxiety. For many of us in Australia, the reality of what this pandemic has been like for our brothers and sisters overseas perhaps seems hardly tangible. Nonetheless nearly every day I meet people who tell me that anxiety in Australian society is rising. Even yesterday as I raced into the supermarket on my way home, I met an old friend whose husband is a GP- she told me that 70% of their patients now are coming for mental health issues such as unease and depression. For many of us, as we live in our cosy homes, we don’t see the incredible need of the homeless, the underprivileged and the many needs in communities abroad and also in our own neighbourhoods.
If you were to read the previous 10 verses of John’s Gospel, you may notice that Jesus contrasted the shepherd with thieves and bandits, in the verse we have (11-18) the contrast is between the good shepherd and the hired hand. Although, hired hands, aren’t out to destroy the sheep, they aren’t committed enough to risk their lives for the flock. They are in it for the cash, for the reward, rather than out of genuine care. They have a legitimate and important job to do, but do it for their own often with little regard to those entrusted to their care.
I think there are a lot of hired hands today; that is, both people and organisations with legitimate and significant roles who seem to have little to no regard for those they are called to serve. In fact, they can be detrimental to the well-being of those they are there for. As I ponder all of this, I am struck by the thought of how some facets of society can mislead people, the wolf in sheep’s clothing as it were. For example, we live in a marketing-saturated world intent on creating in us a sense of lack, telling us that we need this or our life will be so much happier if we have that- this advertising is purely for the good of the company that wants to increase sales and revenue and this drives senseless consumption. Certainly, advertising/marketing has a positive role to play in a functioning economy. Marketing can be used to share information – health information, wise ways to conserve the world’s resources and so on. Unfortunately, in the Western World however, it seems more about creating a sense of need and inadequacy. This then drives us to try to fill these unreal needs through consumer-consumption and retail therapy.
Added to this is the concern and recent widespread surge and power, of social media. Although many people use this as a means of staying connected with others and certainly in times of isolation it can be incredibly important and beneficial. (Remember last year when churches in NSW were shut, many churches relied on various forms of social media to help our people stay connected with each other, their church, and their faith.) But, at the end of the day, the dominant value in social media corporations is not selfless, but monetary, and their profits are tied completely to the time we spend on their sites, which has bred sophisticated content systems designed to identify your inclinations and amplify them. Google something to find out more about a certain product and often you will then receive multiple ads in line with this topic. And sadly it’s all designed to lead you to think that you need something…. hmmmm!
According to David Lose, ‘there seems a common emphasis on self above all others and the false narratives of scarcity, insecurity, and fear they perpetuate. The messaging is consistent: you do not have enough, you are not enough, you should be troubled, image is everything, you are what you own, etc. Beneath all of these messages is a single and consistent demand: justify yourself! Your worth, your person, your very existence.’
When I look at increasing rates of anxiety, depression, and hopelessness –I wonder what we can do. How can we fight this ‘war’ that we find ourselves in. (If you are feeling this please reach out and talk to myself or another person that you trust.) Be mindful that Jesus offers himself as the good shepherd. And the proof of his loyalty and trustworthiness is simply this: he is willing to lay down his life on behalf of the sheep. In fact, as Jesus says it, sacrificial love is his purpose, and his lasting example for his followers.
Today, Anzac Day, a day when we remember the sadness and atrocities of war and the sacrificial giving of our service men and women, we remember all who give of themselves to serve those who are bound by injustice, persecution and sadistic leadership. Today we also remember the hope and goodness that God offers, and his empowering love and strength as he leads us through the valleys of uncertainty in life.
We are still in the Easter season, a time when we remember the triumph of sacrificial love embodied by God the Son and confirmed by God the Father in the resurrection. It’s so easy to overlook that Easter isn’t a past-tense, once-and-done reality but rather that God by his Holy Spirit continues to be at work, drawing us into lives oriented to, saturated by, and sustained through the same sacrificial love. Perhaps the challenge and call for us this week, is to enter into the community of the Good Shepherd, to receive Jesus’ promise of presence and protection and to allow ourselves and others to respond to and be empowered by his call. We are sent out to offer a different message from that of the world. We are also invited to receive a distinct and life-giving identity: you are enough – totally enough! You have more than enough for yourself and plenty to share. You are beloved of God. You need not fear, for the Good Shepherd who laid down his life and took it back up again is with you and for you… forever. Amen.