Sermon for Sunday May 8, 2022 - Friends and Enemies

PSALM: Psalm 23

 1The Lord| is my shepherd;

  I shall not | be in want.

 2The Lord makes me lie down | in green pastures

  and leads me be- | side still waters.

 3You restore my | soul, O Lord,

  and guide me along right pathways | for your 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 prepare a table before me in the presence | of my enemies;

  you anoint my head with oil, and my cup is | running over.

 6Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days | of my life,

  and I will dwell in the house of the | Lord forever. 

GOSPEL: John 10:22-30

The holy gospel according to John.

Glory to you, O Lord.

Jesus responds to questions about his identity with the remarkable claim that he and the Father are one. Those who understand this are his sheep; they hear his voice, follow, and will never be snatched from his hand.

22At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, 23and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 24So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 25Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 26but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 27My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 28I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 29What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 30The Father and I are one.”

The gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, O Christ.

I sat down at the table,

looked around the pub for my friend, 

let’s call him Jason.

Jason arrived about ten minutes late.

He sat down, said “What’s up?” 

We did what guys do,

shoot the breeze, 

and ordered a pint and some food.

It was a typical evening out,

talking about things that matter and things that don’t.

I listened as he talked about Jesus, 

about the church, 

and all that’s wrong with it.

I left the table that evening feeling guilt, 

inadequacy 

and confusion.

Jason has this way about him,

to talk more than to listen,

to ask favours that I’m not comfortable with,

to tell jokes that are hurtful,

to make their values greater than your own,

to use comments that put down rather than build up,

to exclude rather than include.

I left that table feeling guilt;

that maybe I am not a good friend,

and I left with confusion - 

Why does he want to be my friend?

Do I want to be his?

It’s a far different feeling than I had on a similar night,

at a similar pub,

at a similar table,

with a friend that we can call Michael.

Michael arrived late, and apologized.

We talked about things that matter 

and things that don’t,

We talked about Jesus, 

and the church,

and he even shared an experience 

of God’s love and acceptance 

and call with me.

When I left that table, 

unlike the table with Jason, 

I left actually wanting to meet again. 

I felt heard, 

I felt valued and appreciated. 

Michael has a different way about him;

to listen and then to talk,

To tell jokes that don’t come at the expense of

a person’s gender or race,

to use words that include rather than exclude.

I recognize Michael’s voice in a much different way 

than I recognize Jason’s voice.  

One friend’s voice brightens my day,

the other voice drains my soul.

One friend pressures and guilts for a seat at my table

the other simply invites

Sheep recognize the voice of their shepherd.

Sheep trust the shepherd,

who brings them to green pastures

who leads them beside still waters

who protects and provides.

The shepherd knows the sheep,

the sheep know the shepherd.

You and I are like sheep

yet our lives are much more complicated.

Jesus, the Good Shepherd, is speaking to us,

but there are competing voices out there.

It takes some discernment 

to know what is God’s voice,

and what is not.

God speaks to us through God’s Word,

sometimes that’s from the bible,

sometimes that’s from a friend at a pub table.

It can be difficult to recognize our Lord’s voice,

with other competing voices out there.

At the festival of Dedication,

what we know as Hanukah, 

Jesus is asked by the Jews; 

“If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.”

Generally, in John’s gospel, 

“The Jews” refers to those who 

do not believe that Jesus is the Son of God. 

“I have told you, and you do not believe.”

Jesus says.

Despite stories circulating about;

the man born blind receiving sight,

the 5000 plus fed,

the official’s son healed, 

many did not recognize that Jesus of Nazareth

is the Messiah, the Son of God.

After the resurrection of Jesus, 

Mary Magdalene saw Jesus at the empty tomb,

but she did not recognize him,

until Jesus called her by name.

Th risen Lord Jesus stood among the disciples,

and, in their joy, 

they were disbelieving.

Thomas, the twin, was not in the room 

when Jesus appeared to the 12, 

and he did not believe until Jesus said 

“Put your finger here, and see my hands. 

Do not doubt but believe” 

At the Sea of Tiberias, 

the disciples did not recognize it was Jesus on the beach 

until Jesus told them to cast their nets 

on the other side of the boat. 

On the road to Emmaus, 

Jesus walked with two of them,

and they did not recognize the risen Lord 

until Jesus broke bread, 

blessed it, 

and gave it to them. 

Even the witnesses of the resurrection,

Even Jesus’ closest friends did not recognize the risen Lord,

or were disbelieving of Jesus’ voice.

Today, we followers of Jesus

still have difficulty recognizing our risen Lord,

seeing the face of Jesus in our neighbour in need,

discerning the voice of the Good Shepherd

amidst competing voices.

How do you recognize the voice of Jesus?

How do you discern the voice of Jesus

with so many competing voices out there?

Some voices claim to be godly,

but aren’t.

Sometimes it is those who consider themselves Christians

whose words corrupt God’s Word. 

Like the tempter with Jesus in the wilderness,

just because something sounds scriptural,

just because something is quoted from the bible,

does not make it the voice of God.

To know what is God,

and what is not,

We look to Jesus - the Word of God made flesh.

We look to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection.

To know what is God and what is not,

I suggest we can also look to the most famous Psalm 23;

The Lord restores our soul,

and guides along right pathways.

The Lord is with us in dark valleys,

in the shadow of death,

comforting us.

With the Lord,

Goodness and mercy follow us.

That’s God’s purpose and God’s desire 

in relationship with us: 

God doesn’t give like the world gives,

enemies pursue and surround,

With the Lord,

Goodness and mercy follow us.

But goodness and mercy don’t just follow us, 

they don’t just tag along for the ride. 

The word “follow” in Hebrew is better translated as 

“pursuing with the intention of overtaking.” 

That is, when your enemies are pursuing you, 

God is ever more pursuing you. 

God’s goodness and mercy don’t just follow you, 

God desires goodness and mercy to overtake you.

God’s goodness is so strong,

even though enemies surround,

even though competing voices want our attention,

God prepares a table for us.

How do we recognize the voice of Jesus,

the Good Shepherd?

How do we discern what is God and what is not?

Think about the competing voices;

think about what enemies might say.

Enemies say you’re not going to make it. 

Enemies say you’re not good enough. 

Enemies say you’re a failure. 

Enemies say you’re stuck. 

Enemies say you aren’t loved. 

Enemies say you don’t matter. 

Enemies say you don’t have enough. 

Enemies say you lack.

Enemies try to snatch you out of God’s hand.

When we hear enemies, 

some believe that’s Satan or demons. 

Some believe that’s the evil 

within ourselves and all people. 

However it is that you imagine evil, 

however you understand enemies, 

evil is real, 

enemies follow us around.

Enemies try to take a seat at your table.

Enemies use coercion,

Enemies belittle you,  

and inflict guilt, and shame. 

Yet you, O Lord, “You prepare a table before me 

in the presence of my enemies.

and my cup is running over!” 

Be it the evil in human hearts,

or the forces of evil in the world,

or the Tempter, the Liar, the Accuser

Evil - enemies - can be like a wolf in sheep’s clothing,

they might look like a friend,

they can sound attractive, 

nice, 

harmless,

and then they attack.

Sometimes we are that enemy for others,

or even that enemy to ourselves.

When you hear those enemies talking to you, 

When the death spiral of negativity consumes you,

when enemies try and take a seat at your table,

When all you see is dark valleys,

remember:

You are loved, 

You are forgiven. 

You are gifted by God’s Spirit. 

By God’s grace You are enough. 

By God’s grace, 

God is right here in the middle with you.

God prepares a table for you

in the presence of your enemies,

in the presence of evil

and your cup is overflowing.

God wont take you out of your conflicts.

God doesn’t cause us to skip over dark valleys. 

Any promise otherwise is a lie,

and not the voice of God.

You will face enemies,

you will face evil,

But God is right there in the middle with you;

your table is set in the presence of your enemies,

and your cup is overflowing.

If our lives are a pub table,

some seats are filled with friends,

others filled with enemies,

and some we can’t tell which is which.

The sheep know the voice of the Shepherd,

so we listen for that voice,

for God’s voice,

and what does that voice sound like?

The Good Shepherd says “Love your enemies,

and pray for those who persecute you.”

The Good Shepherd is with you in that dark valley.

The Good Shepherd says

Souls restored - not shamed.

Right pathways guided,

not guilted into taking corrupted paths.

Comfort in dark valleys,

not coercion.

The Good Shepherd does not call you with

accusations and half-truths,

demanding a seat at your table;

enemies do that.

The Good Shepherd follows you,

overtakes you,

with goodness and mercy.

At the Lord’s Table,

the Good Shepherd prepares a place - for you,

for people like Michael,

and for people like Jason.

God doesn’t exclude those who exclude,

God doesn’t coerce those who coerce;

God invites us all to take a seat at the Lord’s Table

that goodness and mercy might overtake us all.

You’re going to face people like Michael

and people like Jason,

and God is right here in the middle with you.

Listen for Jesus’ voice. 

With Jesus’ words come eternal life;

abundant, eternal life now 

and abundant, eternal in the life to come.

May you listen for the voice of the Good Shepherd,

amidst competing voices,

and discern what is God and what is not.

May you, surrounded by enemies,

be overtaken by God’s mercy and goodness.

May you follow Jesus, the Good Shepherd,

and trust that none will snatch you out of God’s hand.

Thanks be to God. Amen.