Let’s set the table for this Good Shepherd Sunday.To do that we need some backgroundmaterial for our lessons today.This reading that I am about to do is from the prophet Ezekiel.Listen to it with the ear of a sixth century BCE Jew living in exile in Babylon.They have just heard Ezekiel expounding on ·how the shepherds of the people - the leaders of the nation of Israel – in their greed and ineptness got them into this exile, ·how the unfaithfulness of God’s people -the Israelites- had kept them from hearing clearly the warnings of the God’s messengers – the former prophets – ·and now they how they have reason for encouragement and hope if they will only return to God whose voice they know and who promises to restore them to wholeness and prosperity. 1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 Mortal, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel: prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: Thus says the Lord God: Ah, you shepherds of Israel who have been feeding yourselves! Should not shepherds feed the sheep? 4 You have not strengthened the weak, you have not healed the sick, you have not bound up the injured, you have not brought back the strayed, you have not sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled them. 5 So they were scattered, because there was no shepherd; and scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. … 9 therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord: … I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, … I myself will search for my sheep, and will seek them out. …14 I will feed them with good pasture, …; there they shall lie down in good grazing land, and they shall feed on rich pasture on the mountains of Israel. 15 I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord God. 16 I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, but the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them with justice. …. 23 I will set up over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he shall feed them: he shall feed them and be their shepherd.. …30 They shall know that I, the Lord their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are my people, says the Lord God. 31 You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture and I am your God, says the Lord God. – excerpted from Ezekiel 34 It always amazes me how well Jesus knew his scripture!He just picked right up on that image.I think it is important that – just as we listened to Ezekiel with 6th C ears – that we listen to this passage from John with 1st century ears.John is writing to a community in persecution.It is a community that has largely withdrawn from the mainstream of society.Like those prophets of early Israel, John finds fault with the religious leadership who have failed to care for the people and failed to hear the Good News as John’s community understands it. He cautions those, who from fear for their own security, have failed to listen to the voice of God that speaks with the familiarity of scripture and the promise of safety.But also like the prophets John seeks to reassure his community of God’s faithfulness and God’s power to protect and to restore them. In order to help us hear this metaphor with 1st century ears it is helpful to look more closely at three of the images offered. 1.First is that of the shepherd – in particular the “good” shepherd.A shepherd would not have been an image that garnered high esteem.Shepherds were dirty, smelly, working class folk.They spent a lot of time alone and they led dangerous lives.The Hebrew word that is here translated “good” is kalos.It is perhaps better translated ordered, competent, or model.That is Jesus is saying that I am the “model” shepherd.The one that those who have been given the responsible of authority should use Jesus as a model on how to be faithful leaders.Jesus describes his mission as being enmeshed with God’s purpose for the world.He adds in the closing verses of this scripture that not only is he willing to give his life for those in his care, but he will do it of his own free will. 2.In contrast to the image of “model” shepherd is the image of the hired hand.There is no faithfulness here.In fact he runs from danger leaving those in his care to suffer the consequences of having followed a corrupt impersonator.The hired hand only took the job in the first place for the money and so when the going gets tough he runs to protect himself. 3.And then there is the image of sheep.I, like you most likely, do not like thinking of ourselves as sheep, because the most common connotation of sheep usually is mindless and dumb – “sheep led to the slaughter” kind of image.But that is not the sheep image here.Barbara Brown Taylor likes to remind us that it was the western cattlemen who started that rumor about sheep being dumb.They said that unlike cattle the sheep did not respond to the shouts, ropes, whips, and prods that were used to herd cattle across the prairie and therefore they they were “dumb sheep”.Instead sheep respond to the shepherd who has gained their trust by feeding them when they are hungry, protecting them when they are in danger, and going out to find them when they are lost.Herding sheep requires that they be led - not sent.So perhaps sheep are not as dumb as I thought, Our Easter message here is that Jesus has returned to us and will not abandon us even when we wander off in search of the false voices of greed, envy, selfishness, fear, or hatred.He will continue to return, to be faithful, continue to go out and seek us and carry us back to the place of safety.We wander off, we listen to the myriad of false voices that vie for our attention, but it is the one we know, the one who calls us by name, who knows us intimately, the one that speaks to us in the still small voice of our heart – this is the voice that calls us home to the place of surety and promise.The relationship that Jesus describes here is one that is dependent on Jesus’ action, God’s action – not ours.It is Jesus who seeks us out and walks with us through the dark night and carries us back to the fertile pasture.And Jesus tells us that there are other sheep who also know His voice and who he will gather in as well.The Good Shepherd is not only concerned with the individual sheep but also with gathering of all the sheep into the sheepfold.In our 1st century ears Jesus is telling us that it is not just the faithful Jews that are welcome, but it is also the Gentiles, the sinners, the tax collectors, the blind, the lepers, women, and more.The gate to the fold is flung wide open and Jesus will gather all who know His voice. So what is the take-home message for our 21st century ears on this Good Shepherd Sunday.I think it is twofold.First there is the clear message of comfort that comes from knowing that Jesus walks with us through the difficulties in our lives, that He carries us when we are unable to support ourselves, and that he will not abandon us no matter how many times we wander off into the thicket.This is all Good News indeed.But there is more because in this metaphor we are both sheep and we as the church are called to be shepherds. And so the second take-home message is this. Jesus is the “model” of what a shepherd is to be.The church is called to seek out, to care for, and to protect those who our society rejects.John envisioned a church that was diverse in composition, but united in its love of Jesus - one that is gathered at God’s table, welcoming all who need to be fed, healed, comforted, restored. Can we envision a church where all who seek God or seek to be found by God are welcomed?What is it that our community might find to fear in flinging our doors wide?Who might be on the other side of the door with whom we would feel uncomfortable sharing such intimacy.Could it be the grizzled old man, the rambunctious toddler, the “I’m always right” woman, or the pierced and tattooed teenager?What habit or approach in us might stifle rather than promote connectedness to each other or to God?And perhaps most importantly how can we provide a place where all can belong.These are all good questions with which the vestry and the revitalization committee have been struggling for several months now.But they are questions for each of us to answer. The good news for us is that no matter what -we will walk with the Good Shepherd, who is faithful to us, every step of the way.Amen