Story of Living Hope: Psalm 24; John 10:22-30
[SLIDE 1] I am strongly admonished not to mention my mother or tell family stories from the pulpit. However, I’m presently 5 hours safely away, and it’s Mothers’ Day. I also advised I could talk about my stepmother in the sermon, and that really didn’t go over well either. So let me give you a few good lessons I’ve learned from my mother: I have learned how to make the best meatloaf and mashed potatoes; I learned how to find a new recipe online and use very pan and pot in the kitchen to make it; I learned to be kind and gentle with people; I learned dignity and holding your head up high even when you are walking into somewhere you don’t want to be; I learned about faith and the importance of church even when it’s easier not to go. But most of all I learned to appreciate that there will always be a bit of Appalachian in me, and to be proud of who I am and whose I am.
[SLIDE 2] It may come as a surprise, but I’m not a fan of separating Mothers’ Day and Fathers’ Day. I understand the historic reasoning, but so many people have struggles with their own parents and being or wanting to be parents that it makes things hard. Too many people, who may not be direct parents, have loved, nurtured, and effectively reared children and adults when they needed a mothering kind of are in their lives. At some point, we have all be a bit like sheep and needed a guiding voice, a shepherd to guide us through the turbulent times. And, conversely, we will all, at some point in life, be called upon to be the shepherd to someone who is in need.
[SLIDE 3] When Jesus is confronted in our Gospel lesson for today, we hear him make a very clear identification of his followers in verses 27 through 29: “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.”
[SLIDE 4] Jesus first calls on them to not forget who they are. And he calls them sheep. Now, sheep do not have the best reputations in the animal kingdom. They have a tendency to flock together for better or worse and to focus on grazing over all else. They’re not dumb, exactly, but they tend to often do less than intelligent things, especially when they have no guidance. Sheep will follow whomever or whatever is at the front leading them. If that sheep runs off a cliff, it’s likely many will follow. They constantly need a shepherd to guide them into the right pastures and keep them safe from troubles and predators.
[SLIDE 5] Jesus refers to his followers as sheep, not because it’s a subtle dig at human intelligence, but because often we need some guidance and protection in our own lives lest we fall into temptation’s bad pathways. But we must also remember this is a metaphor for behavior. We’re not actual sheep. We have a very high degree of ability to use intellect and reason. Not everybody does that I’ve learned, but we have the ability. The comparison is made because we need to realize that listening to the wisdom and guidance of our God and following Jesus is the right and righteous pathway for our lives.
Let me give you an example. I know who I am, and what I am capable of. But I also know I have to call my mother for 100 things a day. How do I know when these leftovers spoil. What temperature do I cook cornbread on? Did my response to this sound appropriate? Stay on the phone it’s dark and the GPS is taking me a new way home. Did I say the right thing in that sermon? Though I’m not helpless, I know I still need help. It’s like the man who cried to Jesus, “Lord I do believe, but help my unbelief.” Never forget who you are. We are all humans, and we need some guidance and wisdom in this life, whether from a trusted parental figure or from God. Life without help is brutal.
[SLIDE 6] But also, we must never forget whose we are. Jesus doesn’t say “these sheep,” or “the sheep.” Instead, he says my sheep. We belong to Jesus, the loving Redeemer, and nothing can snatch us away from that, not even our own foolishness at times. There’s a real sense of security in knowing this. The Psalm for today gives us a comforting reminder, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it. The world and all its people belong to [God].”
As followers of Christ, we belong to God, and nothing in this earth that challenges us, stresses us, or pushes our sanity and peace can take that away from us. We belong to God, period. A friend of mine recently was talking about his growing up experiences as a poorer kid in the Midwest. He said that his single mother didn’t give him everything he wanted. Clothes were second hand. Toys were the best they could do at the time. Food wasn’t from the gourmet restaurant. But he added that while she didn’t give him everything in life he wanted, she gave him all the love he needed. And that was more than enough.
In many ways that is how God is with us. We don’t always get every single miracle or blessing that we want in life. God isn’t the doting grandparent who caters to every single whimsy and indulgence. God is the parent who gives boundaries, structure, and equips us with the things we need in the difficulties of life. My mother was much the same. I was surely loved and taken care of. But I also got grounded, lectured, and my sassy teen mouth was curtailed REAL quick. But I also understood through love and nurture who I was and whose I was.
[SLIDE 7] Understanding these two things together: who we are in this life, and to whom we belong as children, will give us a living hope. We often get very caught up in the church talking about eternal hope or everlasting hope. But here on earth we also need a little bit of living hope from time to time. It’s this assurance and guidance that gets us through life’s struggles. We come to church for this. We may also get nice music, some good singing, the blessedness of Communion, and a half-decent sermon, but the biggest draw to come to church is the need to find God and have some of this living hope.
A close friend of mine is a staunch atheist. She knows my beliefs and that I will share God’s love and grace with everyone. And we are very close friends. She calls me her son’s uncle, and a part of the family. She grew up in a country where the church was, at best, abusive, and that has left her in a space of no belief. We were talking a few weeks ago about a mutual friend getting sick and facing death. She asked me if how I was so calm about it all.
I told her that my faith teaches me that death isn’t something to be afraid of and hope is the lasting word of life. After a pause, she said, “Yeah, I guess if I believed in God and an afterlife, all of this would be a lot easier. I’m just not there yet.” No matter who we are or where we are on this life’s journey, we all need some kind of living hope. As a child, we turn to our parents or mothers when we struggle. In our aged years, we may turn to children or friends, but in all seasons of life, we find that living hope in our faith in God.
[SLIDE 8] This Mothers’ Day, never forget who you are and who you belong to. All of us have a mother, aunt, church mom, or some woman in our lives who has nurtured, loved us, and reminded us to look to God’s living hope in this life. We may be a bit like sheep at times and need some guidance. But we also belong to God, for Jesus calls us his sheep. The question for us is how will we be and show that living hope of God to others? All around us are opportunities to heal, love, and nurture people who are in need of that mothering presence. May we be that living hope in this world through Christ, the loving shepherd who guides us.
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