"Learning Love's Voice"
Easter 4C 2016
John 10:22-30
17 April 2016
On the Occassion of Charley Stroud's Baptism
The Gospel lesson for today is set in
Jerusalem, in the winter, and most importantly during the Feast of the
Dedication. For the celebration of the feast of Dedication, the theme of
Messiahship was profound. The very purpose for this gathering was to remember
the ‘rededication of the temple’ as result of the heroic action of Judas
Maccabees in the second century BC, who carried on his father’s zeal, fighting
against the infidels, reclaiming the holy city for the people of God,
rededicating the temple, and fortifying its walls once again. It was such an
important victory for the people of God that it marked the beginning of the
feast of dedication that Jesus and the people of God are gathered for some 200
years later. And since this time, the
militaristic victories of Judas Macabees had formed the peoples’ expectations
for the long-awaited Messiah. They
expected that the Messiah would resemble Judas Macabees and bring ultimate
victory to the people of God and that it would happen as result of him being a
mighty warrior in battle.
Thus it makes sense that, at the outset, the
people ask the question, “If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.’ The concerns of messiahship are
paramount. And Jesus responds, “I have
told you but you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name
testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my
sheep.”
You see, the people have been taught to look
for the wrong signs. They’re looking for
signs of worldly power reminiscent of Judas Maccabees and his military
victories. They’re looking for someone who can make them “great again.” And yet, all along true power has been revealed
before their very eyes-- signs of a new age…a new kingdom…a new
King/Messiah…but they can not see it…because they’ve been taught to look for
something else. Something shiny, new, mighty, loud, violent, tough, exclusive…you
could add so many adjectives to describe such an understanding of power and
authority.
The words and works of Jesus thus far in
John’s gospel have revealed the antithesis of such messiah-like power. The power and authority revealed by Jesus is
not that of an enormous ego with the muscle to defeat and destroy any and all
who stand in the way of his mission, but as other-centered and self-offering
love. Love that embraces the woman
caught in adultery with forgiveness.
Love that heals a man who was no more than a living example for the
religious leader to use to catch Jesus in a trap. Love that restores a man who was ignored and
marginalized for more than 38 years. Love that dares to extend fullness of
humanity to one of “those people” – namely a Samaritan woman…This is the king
that becomes one with his people. Who
lives in the midst of their pain and suffering and takes it upon Himself and
does something about it. Love that lays
down his very life for his precious sheep and raises it back up again in victory
over all forms of power that are contrary to the self-offering and
other-centered love that God revealed in Jesus Christ, our Good Shepherd.
What it means to belong to his fold is to see
these signs and hear these words and to respond to such signs of the coming
kingdom by aligning yourself and your household with this kind of power and
authority. A kingdom that Jesus keeps
telling us “is not from this age.” Belonging
to Jesus is becoming a citizen of a kingdom that has broken in upon this age
that is passing away, that will come in fullness and last forever.
This is the very central meaning of
baptism. It is not simply some outward
sign publicly announcing that we, or our children, have accepted a golden
ticket that grants us/them everlasting life.
Baptism is so much more. Baptism
means becoming one of the fold of Jesus, one of the sheep that belong to the
Good Shepherd. It means learning to
discern and hear the voice of Jesus in the midst of so many competing voices in
this world who want to draw us away from the love of God. And the voices usually present good and noble
things upon which to place our hope. A
stable career…financial security…making a name for yourself that stands out…so
many noble things…and sometimes things that do not even appear to be so noble
but promise us power and control…something we’ve been hungry for since our fall
from righteousness with God in the very beginning.
Belonging to the fold of God means living
life against the grain. It means living
in the world but not being of the world.
Such a life is not mean to be lived alone. It cannot be lived
alone. Never in the New Testament is
salvation offered as an individual contract between God and the individual.
Rather it is, in continuity with Old Covenant, becoming part of a people who
are tasked with a very particular mission in this world which is nothing more
and nothing less than the continuation of the mission of God in Jesus Christ following
our Good Shepherd’s lead by the power of the Holy Spirit.
The task of the people of God – those who
have already been baptized into the fold of the Good Shepherd – is simple yet
takes profound commitment. In just a few
moments, just before Charley participates in the death and resurrection of our
Lord Jesus Christ, dying to the age that is passing away and rising to newness
of life as a citizen of the age that has broken in, is coming, and will remain,
we, the body of Christ, will stand before Charley, his parents, godparents, and
most importantly, God, and covenant to make sure this little lamb will grow to
know the voice of the Good Shepherd in the midst of all the competing voices of
this world. That truly is the bottom
line of the baptismal covenant. Will we commit
to the task of pointing to Jesus, to his signs and wonders, which are happening
all around us, so that this little one will grow to know and love God in Jesus
and know the joy of abundant and eternal life in the here-and-now?
Rowan Williams told an old Hebrew story about
a great Rabbi. He dreams he is in heaven and he asks the keeper of the
gate “Is my name written in the Book of Life so that I may enter into the glory
of the lord?” The keeper of the gate turns to the book of those who have died
that day and begins to read. As he reads, the Rabbi hears all manner of
names of all sorts of tongues and many he has never heard of before.
The Rabbi then says “Am I welcome into the glory of God?” The gate keeper says “Everyone is welcome, but to enter one must hear one’s true name spoken. I read your name, but you did not recognize it. That is why you wait here, outside the gate for a time. When you are able to hear someone speak your true name or, when by listening very closely you can even hear God speak it, then you will enter.” The Rabbi awoke from his dream and fell on his knees and begged God “Father, let me hear my name called once by my brothers.”[1]
The Rabbi then says “Am I welcome into the glory of God?” The gate keeper says “Everyone is welcome, but to enter one must hear one’s true name spoken. I read your name, but you did not recognize it. That is why you wait here, outside the gate for a time. When you are able to hear someone speak your true name or, when by listening very closely you can even hear God speak it, then you will enter.” The Rabbi awoke from his dream and fell on his knees and begged God “Father, let me hear my name called once by my brothers.”[1]
Charley, today we will welcome you as one of
the Good Shepherd’s fold. We promise to journey with you, to teach you to
discern the voice of God calling you by your true name in this world. May you learn to know the sound of Love’s
voice and to know your true name being called by it so that you may become
everything God already knows you are.
