Easter 4 B

Jesus says in our gospel today that he is the good shepherd. Who came to bring all of his sheep together to make sure that they were part of one flock where they are cared for and protected and watched over.

So in honor of Good Shepherd Sunday, the name we give this day in the church year, I'm going to tell you a story about a week in the life of the good shepherd.

Once there was a shepherd. He was always a pretty good shepherd but it was clear the more that people watched him and the more that his sheep followed him that he was more than just an ordinary shepherd. He was a good shepherd. A very good shepherd. Maybe even the best shepherd. He had thousands of sheep and everyone was always amazed that he seemed to know each one by name.

He would follow along behind his sheep, like a shepherd does, calling out to one here, another there, sending out the helpers and the herding dogs to make sure that all the sheep stayed safe and with the flock. And that is where he spent most of his time, back behind the flock, leading them, nudging them, encouraging them with his voice. Whistling a little tune when things were goings well. Generally just loving his flock and his life out on the hillsides with them. Or at least that was his idea of where and how he ought to spend most of his time but he walked behind the flock for another reason too. From back there, always up a little higher than the flock on the hills, he could see them all very well. And he knew the moment one slipped away.

Which happened pretty often, but remember we are just talking about one week here today.

On the first day of our week he was back there singing a little song that calmed the sheep and kept them happy as they trotted along. And as he sang along "Have No Fear Little Flock"...he frowned, the words turned to a hum...and he looked like he was counting, scanning the flock faster and faster, over and over again.

JoAnna Sheep had wandered off. She wasn't with the others anymore. And so he called to the helpers and he called to the herding dogs and let them know it was time to lead the sheep to rest. There were green pastures nearby, a good place to wait while the lost sheep was found and so off he went.

Now JoAnna sheep wasn't a bad sheep, but she was rather reckless sometimes and she never did anything halfway. He easily found the path that she left behind, all trampled down as she had followed some wild boars off into the trees. He followed and he noticed as the path got less and less clear, some turned up dirt here, a sharp turn there. He worried for JoAnna and what she had gotten herself into and he walked faster.

He saw some torn wool in the path, perhaps she had gotten caught for a while in some snares or worse she had been hurt. He saw the marks of some kind of scuffle and now the good shepherd was running to find His lost sheep, Joanna, and then he saw her, crumpled on the path. All alone, so exhausted that she couldn't get up, broken and sore, confused and ashamed. And she looked up at him with pleading eyes, eyes filled with regret owing him an explanation, an apology, but he shushed her, shhh, quiet, rest now. And he gathered her up and together they made their way back to the flock, as he sang (singing)"Have no Fear, Little Flock...".

And they all started walking again, Joanna got stronger and stronger and before anyone knew it she was lost in the flock, frolicking with all the other sheep. And everyday when the shepherd counted his beloved he gladly counted reckless Joanna among them.

So they continued on for a time without incident. Picking up stray, wandering sheep here and there along the way, singing and humming together when all of a sudden the good shepherd stopped. He didn't even have to count this time, he knew who was gone. It was George Sheep.

George was getting on in years and had been lagging behind for a while but he was never just gone. The shepherd called to the helpers and the herding dogs and let them know that they should make the sheep to lie down for a while, there were nice still waters nearby and it was a good place to wait as he went back for their lost companion.

This time he didn't have to search, he knew just where to find George, right in the path that they had all walked on. In his mind's eye he could see George, stumbling, losing his balance, gasping for air but falling to the ground anyway, not able to muster the strength to get back up. George was very sick, who knew what was wrong, it didn't matter really, he knew the end was near and he might have just given up. George thought he wanted to give up but then night started to fall and the wind was cold and the wolves were howling and he longed for the warmth of the flock and the sound of the shepherd's voice singing. He was laying there alone, shivering in the cold when the good shepherd came rushing back to him. His eyes filled with relief that he wouldn't have to spend his last hours by himself, he tried to stand to show his gratitude and joy, but he couldn't quite manage. No matter, the shepherd scooped him up and held him gently over his shoulders as they walked back to the flock. The sun was high over the hills when they got there and the lambs were playing in the still waters and the young sheep were ready to go, but the shepherd stopped beside a tree and set George Sheep down and sat beside him and sang gently as George closed his eyes.

Then, with a tears streaming down his face the shepherd got up to lead the flock on. He called to everyone and they started off again. Missing George but celebrating that they had been able to share the warmth of their wool with him during his last hours. And so they were clipping along at a good pace now, all together, all safe. The Good Shepherd singing behind them as they went when all of a sudden the flock stopped. On its own. In great fear. Everyone knew at once who was gone and it wasn't just one or two sheep it was many of them, mostly the young, eager ones. They had gone off all together and the shepherd was pretty sure he knew where they had gone.

Earlier they had passed another flock and the two flocks, though really just the same, had looked at each other with suspicion, lack of trust, outright hostility. The Shepherd and the hired hands had done their best to push the flocks along to prevent any trouble, even to point out how similar they were but to no avail as it seemed a band of sheep from each flock had slipped away to meet on some hillside. It was with great unease that the good shepherd called to the hired hands and the herding dogs and and bid them follow the path that they were on, even though the valley was getting dark, they would find safety and he would meet them there. 

And with terror at what he would find the Good Shepherd went, found a high peak to stand on and looked down at the valleys below. He quickly spotted his sheep and some poor other misled sheep as well, they might have started out baaing at each other and kicking up dirt but they were having an out and out battle now. Wool being torn, hooves being broken, lives being shattered. Who knows what started the battle, they were all stuck in it now and so the shepherd walked down toward the sheep he walked right into the middle of the fighting.

He took the blows that his own herd would have delivered to the others and he took blows that would have hit his own and he stood peacefully in the middle until all were calm and and the fighting stopped and then one by one he went up to the sheep those from his own flock and those from elsewhere and he healed them where he could. He tended their wounds, he changed their hearts, he showed the stronger ones how to care for those who were too weak or injured and together they all walked back to the flock. New sheep from the other flock and original ones and they gathered around, followed by goodness and filled with mercy.

They joined the other sheep and started out on the journey again. The good shepherd walking behind singing..."Have Good Cheer little flock"...and as they were just about to the top of a great, tall hill the shepherd stopped and he scanned the flock, his singing died off as he counted his sheep over and over again. Someone was missing...But this is where we have to stop for today because we've only made it to Tuesday night and I think you get the point. The Good Shepherd never slumbers nor sleeps but is always in search of his lost and misled sheep, always seeking to bring them back, to make them whole, to calm their fears and fill their hearts with peace. And we each take turns being the hired hands who are entrusted with the care of the flock and being sheep who wander but are always found by the Good Shepherd and this is Good News, Thanks be to God. Amen.