Claimed, gathered and sent

  This is the sermon I preached on Sumday, April 21 at St. Timothy Lutheran Church . The text was J ohn 10:11-18 . I like sheep. They’re so cute and warm and fuzzy. And in the Holy Land, they come in different colors! A bird's-eye view of a flock will reveal blue, red, or another hue on the sheep's back. This way they can be identified.  Today’s reading from the gospels says that Jesus is the good shepherd. The I AM Jesus is using is emphatic and could be translated as, “I, I am” (Rob Myallis, lectionarygreek.blogspot.com). Throughout John’s gospel, Jesus identifies himself as many things: 6:35 I am the bread of life 8:12 I am the light of the world 8:58 I am that I am  10:7 I am the door for the sheep (10:9 I am the door) 10:11 I am the good shepherd; lays down life; know voice 11:25 I am the resurrection and life 14:6 I am the way, truth and life 15:1 I am the true vine (15:5 vine) (Rob Myallis).  In each instance, he uses “I, I am,” for emphasis.  It’s intere...

This Sunday was Good Shepherd Sunday. The gospel was John 10:11-18 . Below is the sermon that I preached at St. Timothy's and St. Mark's. In the 1980s, my family and I lived in the Holy Land, in Bethlehem. We had the opportunity to observe many shepherds herding their sheep. Some gently and carefully led their sheep. Others drove the sheep, angrily hitting them with a rod. The good shepherds stood out. Throughout scripture, the image of a shepherd is a positive one. God, kings, Moses and other leaders are described as shepherds in their care of the people. A few minutes ago, we heard this imagery in the 23rd Psalm. In today’s gospel, we see the tender relationship of Jesus and his sheep. The shepherd initiates contact with the sheep. They don’t have to go off in search of a shepherd. He comes to them. Often, the sheep of more than one shepherd would be enclosed in the same pen. But in the morning, when it is time for the sheep to be s...