First Reading: Acts 20:17-35
17Now from Miletus {Paul} sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18And when they came to him, he said to them: “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 22And now, behold, I am going to Jerusalem, constrained by the Spirit, not knowing what will happen to me there, 23except that the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city that imprisonment and afflictions await me. 24But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God. 25And now, behold, I know that none of you among whom I have gone about proclaiming the kingdom will see my face again. 26Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, 27for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. 28Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. 29I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; 30and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. 31Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. 32And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 33I coveted no one’s silver or gold or apparel. 34You yourselves know that these hands ministered to my necessities and to those who were with me. 35In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
Psalm 23
1The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not be in want. 2He makes me lie down in green pastures and leads me beside still waters. 3He revives my soul and guides me along right pathways for his name’s sake. 4Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. 5You spread a table before me in the presence of those who trouble me; you have anointed my head with oil, and my cup is running over. 6Surely your goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Second Reading: Revelation 7:9-17
9After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 11And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, 12saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” 13Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” 14I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. 17For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.”
Gospel: John 10:22-30
22At that time the Feast of Dedication took place at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the colonnade of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Christ, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered them, “I told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name bear witness about me, 26but you do not believe because you are not among my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30I and the Father are one.”
Take Heart, God Knows Us
Numbers. Our lives are filled with numbers. Everything from figuring out a tip at a restaurant, to balancing our checkbooks, to managing our budgets, our lives are constantly inundated with numbers. Even at the convocation a week ago, I had to report voting and attendance statistics as well as announce significant anniversaries for both congregations and pastors. Daily, our lives are filled with numbers, everything from the cost of gasoline to the value menu at our favorite fast-food restaurant. And then there are those occasions of greater impact.
Each year we file our income taxes. Pages upon pages of numbers; earned income numbers, expense numbers, investment numbers, interest earned, as well as capital gain numbers. Just to file my Federal and State income taxes, it takes some 20 pages filled with numbers. Then when all those numbers are finally compiled, my return is sent off to the Internal Revenue Service with our Social Security number on it. Then the IRS takes all those numbers, converts them into the 1s and 0s of machine code with their computer system, along with the numbers of thousands and thousands of other people, and verifies your return. To the IRS, we’re simply a number.
Think about it, the government knows us by our tax number. The state knows us by our driver’s license number. The bank knows us by our account number. The VA knows me by my service number, and when we retire, we’ll be remembered by our Social Security number. In fact, sometimes I wonder if anybody knows us at all without a number! That’s why this morning’s Psalm and Gospel readings are so significant. Our readings assure us that we’re more than a number, they tells us that God knows us personally.
Today is Mother’s Day and Mother’s Day marks the beginning of the Crisis Pregnancy Centers of Gaston County’s Baby Bottle campaign. From now until Father’s Day, we’re asking you to place your change, cash, or checks into those baby bottles to help the CPC in their ministry to help women who are facing decisions surrounding pregnancy. Their Mission, along with Lutherans for Life, is to support and share the importance of life: to share the message that all life, from conception to last breath, is precious. Society may reduce us to nothing but a number, but God, as I mentioned a moment ago, knows us personally, intimately: God knows us by name.
God has known us from the time of our very conception in our mother’s womb. He knows us by name, the name we announced in Baptism. More than that, He knows us better than we know ourselves. And that’s important to remember. And more than knowing us, He leads us, protects us, and provides for us. While the image of sheep and shepherd aren’t as familiar as say a cowboy and a cattle drive might be, the words of the Psalm and Gospel lesson this morning hearken for us a truth that our human hearts long to hear. King David put it more clearly when he wrote, “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.” And in our reading from St. John’s gospel, Jesus says to us, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me, and I give them eternal life.” God is not only the author of this life, but also the One who gives us eternal life. And if God puts importance on every life, who are we to assign a value to life?
A new kind of plane was on its first flight. It was full of reporters and journalists. Shortly after takeoff, the captain’s voice was heard over the speakers. “Ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted to be your pilot for this plane’s historic first flight. I can tell you the flight is going well. Nevertheless, I must tell you about a minor inconvenience that has occurred. The passengers on the right side can, if they look out your window, see that the closest engine is slightly vibrating. That shouldn’t worry you, because this plane is equipped with four engines and we’re flying along smoothly at an acceptable altitude.
Since I have you looking out the right side, you might as well look at the other engine on that side. You may have noticed that it’s glowing, or more precisely one could say, it’s burning. But don’t worry, this plane is designed to fly with just two engines, and we’re maintaining an acceptable altitude and speed. As a matter of full disclosure, as long as you’re looking out the plane, those of you on the left side shouldn’t worry if you look out your side of the plane and notice that one engine, that’s supposed to be there, is missing. It fell off about ten minutes ago. Let me tell you, we’re amazed that the plane is doing so well without it.
However, I will call your attention to something a little more serious. Along the center aisle all the way down the plane a crack has appeared. Some of you are, I suppose, able to look through the crack and may even notice the waves of the Atlantic Ocean below. In fact, those of you with very good eyesight may be able to see a small lifeboat that was thrown from the plane. Well, ladies and gentlemen, you’ll be happy to know that your captain is keeping an eye on the progress of the plane from that lifeboat below. But be assured, the co-pilot has more than 10 hours of simulator experience flying this plane and he’ll be in control all the way to your destination.”
Not to make light of a tragic situation like a plane crash, but that little story about the plane and its pilot seemed so descriptive of our lives and the world today, that I couldn’t help but tell it. Sometimes we find ourselves in situations very similar to that plane flight. Everything around us seems to be falling apart and the person in charge appears to be as remote as the captain in the raft on the ocean far below. However, even in the bleakest of times, the good news this morning is that we are known by God and loved by God. More importantly, because God knows us and loves us, God will not abandon us. Despite the senseless violence that seems so much a part of our world today, the innocent suffering and death that occur, our failures and our encounters with suffering, God wants us to know that He cares about us. God wants us to know that, from the very first time the cells begin to divide in the womb, to the final breath we draw in this life, He loves us with an everlasting love and calls us by name.
That’s precisely the promise that God made with us from the beginning of time and that Jesus makes with us today. “I know my own and my own know me.” We are more than just a number. In the midst of an uncertain world, faced with unknown dangers and threatened by unpredictable events of evil and violence around us, we are known by God and loved by God. As Jesus assured the disciples, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows” (Luke 12:7). God is indeed greater than anything that can threaten us in this life.
The death and resurrection of Jesus assure us of that, and the words of Jesus remind us of that once again today. And we need this reminder daily since there are all kinds of things that can threaten us in this life. Accidents happen. Disasters come our way. Sickness and disease often invade our lives. No one knows when or where the next tragedy will strike. Danger and death are part of our lives. But the good news for us this morning is that whatever happens to us isn’t nearly as important as what happens in us. God is greater than any danger. That’s why these words of Jesus mean so much to us when he says, “I am the Good Shepherd. My sheep hear my voice and I know them and they follow me and I give them eternal life.”
20th century theologian and preacher Harry Emerson Fosdick told of a teenage girl stricken with polio. As he visited with her, she told him about a conversation she’d had with one of her friends, who told her, “Affliction does so color life.” To which this courageous young girl agreed, but said that she would choose which color. At her young age, she had already discovered one of life’s great secrets: It’s not what happens to you that matters as much as what happens in you. Our faith in God doesn’t so much shield us from danger and death as it gives us the power to overcome it.
Christian devotional writer Corrie ten Boom nearly died during World War II in a Nazi prison camp. In one of her writings, she recounts a conversation that she had. One day another prisoner asked her why God would let them suffer so much if God truly were a loving and caring God. Corrie replied, “There are many things I do not understand and cannot explain to you, but if you knew the Lord the way I know Him, you wouldn’t ask why. You’d be satisfied to know that God is good, and that God loves us.” Corrie knew that God was greater than the evil that surrounded them in that concentration camp, and because God is greater, somehow God would see them through.
One of my favorite stories in the New Testament is the time when Jesus and the disciples were caught in a fishing boat on the Sea of Galilee when a storm came up. You recall how the disciples reacted when the waves and wind threatened their boat? The boat was rocking, and it was taking on water. It was beginning to sink and would soon dump them all into the sea. Through all this Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat. Finally, the disciples awaken Jesus and ask Him a harsh question. Master, do you not care that we are about to perish?” (Mark 4:35-41).
You and I have been with those disciples. We have seen the storm clouds rise and we’ve felt the howling wind and had the waves beating down upon us. It may be the death of a loved one. It may be a battle with disease or a time of national crisis. It could be a broken relationship or a time when your child didn’t come home on time and worries overcame you. We’ve all been there, and we’ve all shared the disciples’ question, “Master, don’t you care?”
And that’s why our Gospel reading this morning is so comforting for us. Our Good Shepherd Himself reminds us that He does indeed care. “I know my own and my own know me.” And the fact that our Master cares is key when dealing with life’s storms. Life can be tough at times. Disease, danger, and death are all part of life. But God is greater, and God’s love is infinitely more secure. St. John, is his 1st epistle, said it best, “You, dear children, are from God…because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).
Jesus answered the Jews who surrounded Him in the Temple, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them and they follow me.” Hearing is believing and believing is following. Hearing the voice of Jesus means trusting that God is greater. It means listening to Jesus and following Him. Missionary Herb Schaefer tells about a thirteen-year-old Chinese girl who continued to worship God secretly in their home with her family during the Cultural Revolution in China, a time when religion was forbidden and worship was banned by the Chinese rulers.
One evening the Red Guards burst into their small home and threatened them for worshiping Jesus. A small altar with a crude cross stood in one corner of the room. Determined to put a stop to their worship and command complete allegiance to the Communist state, the Red Guard lieutenant demanded they spit on the cross. They refused. The lieutenant became indignant and shouted at them that unless they spat on the cross they would be killed.
Finally, the elder in the group came forward, spat on the cross and left. One by one they followed, doing the same disgusting thing until only the thirteen-year-old remained. She refused to do what the others had done. “I cannot and I will not,” she replied. Then she told the lieutenant the depth of her faith and said that she was willing to die for it. Remarkably the Lieutenant seemed pleased. “This is the kind of devotion we want for the new China: people who will commit themselves so totally that they are willing to die for what they believe.” But he wanted that devotion directed toward Chairman Mao. “We will change you,” he promised and left. She was spared, but she never saw the rest of her family again. However, the story doesn’t end there.
Shortly thereafter, that little girl fled to Hong Kong and was taken in by a family. Later she entered the Lutheran seminary there and today she is a pastor of the Hong Kong Lutheran Church, serving the needs of countless souls. She prays for the day when she will be allowed to return to her village and minister to her people and perhaps even to that Red Guard lieutenant who spared her but murdered her family.
She was able to endure, to overcome that tragedy in her life, because she knew the Good Shepherd. She knew that God is greater than the one in this world. And because God is greater, our faith in God can give us strength to endure and overcome as well. We may not be able to still the storms of life that rage around us, but with a Good Shepherd to lead us, His voice to heed and follow, we can calm the storms within us. It isn’t what happens to us that matters as much as what happens in us. That’s why Jesus says to us today, “I know my own and my own know me. My sheep hear my voice and follow me.” In the midst of the storms of life, take the time to listen to the gentle voice of Jesus saying, “Peace. Be still.” God is indeed greater.
Amen.