The Lord is my shepherd. The first phrase of Psalm twenty-three brings up the whole of the psalm for us at once. Instantly, we see an image of a shepherd-Jesus with staff in hand, perhaps even carrying a lamb in his arms. It is the oldest artistic representation of Jesus, carved in the rock of the catacombs in Rome. We recall the care of our good shepherd. Jesus will provide for us. He will guide us and protect us. The psalm ends with the hope of the feast of victory, the place of blessing that will be our final destination.

         Jesus tells us he is the good shepherd. As he tells us this, he contrasts himself with the hired hand. The good shepherd will do whatever it takes to protect the sheep. The hired hand will only save his own skin. The picture Jesus gives us is more than a reassurance that we will be comfortable. Jesus tells his story for a purpose.

         Jesus reassures us and he reminds us of the tremendous sacrifice he makes on our behalf. There is more to the image of the good shepherd than this. There are the sheep. We are to follow the shepherd in faith. We are to trust that he will bring us to good pasture and still water. We should expect the reassuring nudge from his staff whenever we stray. There is a warning that the path of the shepherd is not always easy. True, we end up in the place of blessing, but along the way there are dangers. We will pass through the valley of the shadow of death. There are wolves that threaten us – which the good shepherd drives away, no matter the cost.

         This is how we are no longer sheep. Jesus provides for us and guides us to bring us through real dangers. We are not ignorant sheep. We are not called to a place of amnesia and painlessness. We are warned about all of the dangers and struggles of life so that, with the help of our good shepherd, we can overcome them.

         The image of the good shepherd is more than sensitive caring. The good shepherd is courageous. We are called to show the same courage. The disciples are transformed with the Holy Spirit. They are able to proclaim the good news about Jesus. When they are brought before the religious authorities, they can speak with courage, even though they know that resisting the status quo might get them killed. (In our readings from Acts since Easter, the disciples have healed a lame man and then the authorities question them. They tell the court that they heal through the name of Jesus. The court tells them to stop teaching about Jesus and they say that they will speak about him anyway.)

         John reminds us (in his first letter) that we must show what we believe through our actions. He does not suggest a retreat into comfort and security. The way we act should reflect what we believe. We are to show love and not just talk about it. The sacrifice we are called to make is no sacrifice unless it costs us something.

         We have a true message of hope. It is hope based in the reality of life. Jesus gives himself for sinners, not perfect people. The good shepherd guides us through terrible ordeals. In the end, we may acknowledge blessing, but we must first pass through the valley of the shadow of death.

         The picture Jesus gives us should not cause us to be passive – as if the only thing to learn is that Jesus leads and we follow. We are also children of God and we are called to grow into the image of Christ. I am not your shepherd. I follow him too. (Maybe I’m just the sheep dog?) There are times when I am called to exercise authority and leadership. There are times when many of you are also called to exercise authority and leadership. Jesus is always our leader and we are always his disciples. He calls to follow and to emulate him. We are given authority to be ambassadors of good news to a world that is lost and scattered – like sheep without a shepherd. We know the good shepherd.

         We proclaim a new way of living. We have been given the power to choose how we show love. How we love reveals how God is acting in our lives. Our call to love guides our choices about what we choose to do with our time and resources. Our call to love guides how we interact with people in our lives. Our call to love gives us the courage to love the stranger. Our call to love opens our eyes to see injustice around us and to respond with God’s sacrificial love. Our call to love is where we find the courage to overcome the things we fear and move out of comfort and safety.

         For all of this we need courage. Courage is not the absence of fear. We show courage when we act in the midst of fear – while we are surrounded by real threats and the outcome for us is uncertain. We need courage to abandon our excuses. We are poor and few in numbers. We do not have ready answers to all the problems that beset us. We need to trust the good shepherd and follow him into the place of the unknown. This is where we find our courage. Jesus leads us through the things we fear because he has gone before us. He knows the way. He has overcome death with life and he will bring us to the blessing of resurrection.