Does anybody know what today is?
Today is “Good Shepherd Sunday”. Get it? Three of the four readings of Scripture today talk about sheep. A few minutes ago, we read the 23rd psalm, “the Lord is my shepherd. Then, we heard a passage from Revelation, where Jesus is represented by a lamp. And just now, we heard the Gospel lesson, where Jesus himself calls us all a bunch of sheep.
Now a lot of us don’t like being compared to sheep. After all, sheep are stupid. They don’t seem to have much individuality or initiative. They always follow each other all the time. We’re modern, sophisticated people of the world. We think for ourselves. We decide what’s best for us. We don’t follow the herd. Right?
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. The 23rd psalm is one of the best known pieces of literature in the world. It’s right on up there with “in the beginning...let there be light!”, or “to be or not to be”, or “happy birthday to you”, or “roses are red, violets are blue.” According to Google, there are more than 712,000 pages on the internet that reference it. And it has been recited at practically every funeral in the English speaking world since 1662 – in the King James version, of course. One reason for this is that the themes are so comforting and reassuring. After all, where else can you say the words maketh, leadeth and runneth and not feel a little silly?
One of the problems we have when we listen to ancient scripture as modern Christians is that we don’t always understand the context of the passage we’re listening to. We live in a different world than the people who wrote the Bible and our experiences are completely different. Take shepherds for instance. At one time, shepherding was a very common profession. Sheep were vital to the economy and lots of lots of people were shepherds. Today, maybe not so much.
Still, the idea that people tend to follow the crowd isn’t foreign to us. We can just look at the way fashions change to see that it’s true. One day, a movie star wears a particular brand of sunglasses. And the next day, everybody has to have the same kind. Or one day, some senator shouts out an insult during a session of congress. And a few weeks later everybody is shouting insults the same way. There was a time when you would never hear bad words on television. But now it seems to be the “in” thing to do.
We may not like to admit it, but people behave a lot like sheep. Culture tends to form us and shape us. We feel pressure to keep up with the flock, to play follow-the-leader in politics and society. We are social creatures, who really are happier when we stay within the bounds of our social norms. The question is not, “Are we leaders or followers?” We are all followers. The question is, “Who or what do we follow?” How do we find our bearings in our lives? On what is our belief system based? What is the yardstick by which we know when our lives are on track, and when we’re about to follow the herd off the cliff?
As I was preparing this sermon, I looked at several different translations of the 23rd Psalm. Most of them were very similar. Maybe they updated the language a little – getting rid of the runneth – but they mostly kept to the original interpretation of the King James version. But I found one that comes from the Jewish Publication Society that made me rethink this psalm. It goes like this:
The LORD is my shepherd; I lack nothing.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me to water in places of repose; He renews my life; He guides me in right paths as befits His name.
Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness I fear no harm, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my drink is abundant.
Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD for many long years.
The Lord is my shepherd; I lack nothing – I am made whole, I am complete, by the Lord God within me.
He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me to water in places of repose – God is like life-giving water to someone who’s dying of thirst. God makes me lie down to rest.
He renews my life; He guides me in right paths as befits His name. – God’s forgiveness continually makes me new. God guides me in the pathways of justice and mercy.
Though I walk through a valley of deepest darkness I fear no harm, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. Although my life will surely have its ups and downs, I will not be afraid because I know that God will always be with me. God will protect me.
You spread a table for me in full view of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my drink is abundant. – Through God, I will live a full, rich, rewarding and abundant life.
Only goodness and steadfast love shall pursue me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for many long years. – God will show me goodness and unfailing love for as long as I live. And for as long as I live, I will belong to God.
Thanks be to God.
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