The Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 6 & 7, 2006
Homily by Rev Timothy A Leitzke
This gospel
always reminds me of the advice my mother gave me when I began seminary. She
said, “Don’t get up in the pulpit on Good Shepherd Sunday and call the
congregation a bunch of mindless sheep.” I guess she figured we need reminding
even of the most obvious things. This week while I was anticipating reading
this Gospel I began redecorating my office and while we were debating colors
and fabrics I was asked, “Now how about the desk?” It took me a minute to
realize what was being asked. My tiny little desk and my tiny little computer
table had been configured one way since the outset of my ministry here ten
months ago. Somehow, despite the insignificant size of the desk and table, I
had forgotten that they could be moved. We swung the desk out to form an ‘L’
and it was wonderful. I was a new man, with a new office and a new outlook.
Sometimes we need reminding even of the most obvious things.
We need reminding because sometimes the
most obvious things aren’t obvious and we overlook the most basic things. Every
year on the Fourth Sunday of Easter we get the reminder from
I need that reminder because I
forget. No matter how well I know the gospel I forget it. Martin Luther writes
in his Large Catechism: “Let me tell
you this. Even though you know the Word perfectly and have already mastered
everything, you are daily under the dominion of the devil, and he does not rest
day or night in seeking to take you unawares and to kindle in your heart
unbelief and wicked thoughts….” Sin is such an infuriating thing; it never
quits. So we forget the Gospel. We need reminding from scripture and prayer and
from our contact with our brothers and sisters in Christ. Why do we go to
worship? We need the constant reminder of God’s love. When we take God’s love
as a given we forget that it is given. The words of Jesus the Good Shepherd are
always a pertinent reminder of God’s unfailing love and the joy that we have in
Christ.
Friends of Christ, what shall we do
with this joy? How shall we live knowing that Christ is our shepherd? The
Second Reading today was from 1 John and in Weekday Spirituality on Wednesday
we talked about why 1 John was written. It was, probably, written to emphasize that what happens in our world
matters. It is easy to read the Gospel of John and forget about one’s troubles,
it is soothing to escape from this world, and it is tempting to ignore our real
life. 1 John reminds us of the importance of what Christ did in this world: “In this we have known
The Love, that he laid down his soul for us”, and in the same breath 1 John
answers our question “what shall we do”, “and we ought to lay down our souls for the brothers [and sisters].” The
writer even says that if one ignores another in need the love of God does not
remain! That’s probably going too far; the point is clear: our actions in the
world matter a great deal. When we rearranged my office it was lovely. I felt
so much more relaxed at my desk. If I had not sat down and worked at it I would
have wasted that gift. In a way the gift would not have remained with me.
Christ’s life, death, and resurrection mean something for us in this world, and
the Holy Spirit calls us to follow Christ’s lead in loving and redeeming this
world and our human brothers and sisters.
Two months ago members of this
congregation set five visions for ministry at Holy Trinity: 1To
evangelize Sunday School parents; 2to better incorporate new members
into our faith life together; 3to foster better communication
internally and externally; 4to identify and manage our spiritual
gifts; and 5to coordinate among those who need help and those who
want to help. Friends of Christ these visions are the product of God’s amazing
grace, of God’s unbelievable love revealed to us in Christ who laid down his
soul for us. These visions are our way of laying down our souls for others. We
perceive our brothers and sisters in Christ who are in need and we want to get
the word to our brothers and sisters in Christ who can help. Everyone has
something to offer and we want to figure out what those gifts are for each of
us. We’re all in this together and we want to communicate so we can be on the
same page. We’re regularly blessed with people who wish to become part of our
fellowship in Christ. We are trying, intentionally and actively, to welcome
them so that they are not “them”, but “us”. We have a flourishing Sunday School
and we want the children and their parents to join us in worship—whatever the
worship time—because we think that we’re onto something here with Christ. In
Gathering, in hearing God’s Word, in eating God’s Meal, and in being Sent back
into the world we are shaped by God’s grace and we want others to experience
it.
Friends of Christ let us not love
merely in words but in deeds and in truth. Doing God’s work has the bonus that
we know that we are doing God’s work. By reminding others of the joy we have in
Christ we help remind ourselves. Being Christian can burn you out. Baptism is
not a ticket to a trouble-free life. We need reminding of the Gospel, and we
are called to remind others of the Gospel by how we live in this world. God
loves us for free. When we respond by loving others we remind ourselves of that
love, and no matter what Sin does to us to make us fear and doubt and hurt we
know that God is greater than we are and knows all and chases away Sin. The
peace and calm that God offers in the Good Shepherd draw us here. The love of
God in the Good Shepherd sends us into the world to share the good news with
others. We live it and hear it and taste it and smell it and touch it again and
again because we need reminding. When we take God’s love as a given we forget
that it is given. Sometimes we need reminding even of the most obvious things.
We need to hear that “in this we have known God’s love: that Christ laid down
his soul for us, and we ought to lay down our souls for others.” Amen