One of the things that any public speaker wants to avoid is mixing metaphors. Yet today’s scriptures seem, at first glance, to be using illustrations that are incongruous: a shepherd, and a king.
A shepherd: an honest but lowly profession, of hard living and dangerous work. It was often overlooked, thankless, yet important for the well-being of the sheep and of the community as a whole.
A king: very different from our modern relationship with the monarchy, for centuries kings were this high and privileged position of leadership, protection, and care - that came with substantial perks: good clothing, food, accommodation, etc.
So the scriptures give us very different examples of what life can be like; yet: God reveals the servant leadership.
The passage from Ezekiel gives us a powerful promise, of God’s presence, care, and concern.
We are the sheep in the kingdom of God! We will not be left alone, we will not be ignored or forgotten in the realm of God.
Even when we’ve scattered.
Wait: why have we scattered?
Well, because we got afraid. Spooked sheep will flee – self-protection is a strong trait in an animal with minimal defensive skills. So when something comes along that makes us uneasy, we scatter.
It’s helpful when we are reminded that fear – whatever has caused us to run – is dispelled by faith. Just as light overcomes darkness, faith will help us to overcome fear.
And so when our starting point is faith: that God will seek us – it prevents us from becoming overwhelmed by that fear.
We know that when our impulse scatters us from the fears of this world – and we know there are many things to be afraid of – we have faith that God will seek us out, and bring us back to the safety of the community.
Like a great shepherd. We are valued as part of the larger flock.
Shepherds recognise the presence of danger – real or perceived- and notice when the fearful are missing. They do all that they can to re-establish stability and safety, then seek out the scattered fearful and bring them back.
They know they’re not making things perfect forever, but for right now the sheep – we – are reminded of the safety in numbers, the power of family, the gift of being with God.
We like our spiritual shepherds.
How comforting and relatable, then, that God promises to come and do the work of a shepherd for the people of God’s family and Kingdom.
I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I will make them lie down, says the Lord GOD. 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.
There are strong words here. Strong promises from God, to all of us:
Of Comfort: when we are lost, God is finding us.
Of Community: when we stray, God brings us back.
Of Healing: when we are hurt, God helps us in the process towards recovery
Of Encouragement: when we are weak, God gives us others to build up our faith.
And it can be helpful too to recognise the implication that God makes about the Fat and the Strong.
God is not opposed to those of us who carry a few extra pounds, or for those who hit the gym several times a week.
For sheep, only the bullies get fat and strong: fat because they deny others their portion; strong because they constantly force others out.
The fat and strong are those who need to put others down in order to feel tall.
And God assures us that they will be FED WITH JUSTICE: encouraging words to those who are the least, the lost, the left-behind.
Justice is hard: It’s not retribution, it’s not about easy happiness - it’s about the quest for equitable fairness. The right action, the impartial perspective, the moral harmony that God desires for us all.
To be fed with justice means that those who are in need receive their fair share… and those who live in abundance share or reduce their portion.
And this is why justice is a commendable but elusive reality in our world: it’s hard to put into practice a standard of “fair” or to define what is meant by “deserving”.
Yet this is the call.
This is the aspiration of God, to bring us into a society where Christ reigns.
And what does THAT look like?
Biblically, it looks like we have a shepherd king. Or maybe a kingly shepherd?
This is not the mixed metaphor: it is the reign of Christ.
The juxtaposition starts before Jesus’ birth. David, who we hear of today - is a lowly shepherd who rises to super-hero fame, eventually being named king of all Israel: his faith and authority are the stuff of tradition.
It’s no wonder that throughout the ages, the phrase “Son of David” became synonymous with protector, redeemer, other-worldly carer.
And Jesus is born to his earthly father Joseph: who is of the lineage of David.
The imagery would have been vivid for the folks in biblical times, as the people were desperate for the reign of the Messiah.
So I’m going to invite us now to ponder on what it would look like TODAY to live into the aspiration of God, to bring us into a society where Christ reigns.
And it’s not just waiting for someone else to ‘make it right’.
It’s up to us to make it a reality.
To put into action God’s promises of comfort, community, healing, and encouragement.
It’s our opportunity, and our privilege, to go into the world in service: knowing that we go in the name of Christ, and with the love of God, to extend grace and mercy.
So how are we doing with that? How are we responding to folks who are lost and struggling, so that they know they are loved, they are wanted, they are welcomed?
How are we extending love, to those who feel unloved and unloveable?
How are we respecting those who have become accustomed to a culture of dehumanisation?
How are we making connections to those who have been hurt: by individuals and institutions?
We love: as we are called. We interact without judgement:
We feed the hungry, without shaming their hunger, but striving for food security.
We give drink to the thirsty, thankful for water from our taps, while advocating for safe and accessible water for all.
We welcome the stranger, prayerfully and physically into our society and culture.
We cloth the vulnerable in front of us, with garments and with dignity.
We don’t do it for reward or personal gain, but because we want to know the restoration of shared resources.
We delight in the leadership and example of the king and shepherd who guides us and guards us.
We do it because we are loved, and we are blessed as we love others.
We enter into the kingdom of heaven as we build that kingdom on earth.
The reign of Christ is not a one-time event, or some mystical divine experience; it is our hope and God’s promise, our yesterdays and todays and tomorrows.
It is our privilege and responsibility; our vocation and celebration: as sheep in the flock of our kingly shepherd.
And so empowered by what we have received: May we all go into the world with the confidence of faith, doing all we can to make the reign of Christ a known truth in our city and our world.
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