Preachrblog

  I Am Jesus’ Little Lamb Today is known as “Good Shepherd Sunday”.   As the 4 th Sunday in the Easter Season, each year, our lectionary directs us to readings which draw us into one of the grand metaphors that run throughout Scripture – that Christ is our Shepherd, and we the people are his sheep, his flock.   This is a picture that begins with the first shepherd, Abel.   It is seen in the lives of the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.   God leads his people Israel, his flock, through the wilderness to the green pastures of the Promised Land.   The kings of Israel are called “shepherds”, though they were often wicked.   And of course, David, the most famous of these, was himself, literally, a shepherd from boyhood.   And of course David wrote our beloved Psalm 23, “The Lord Is My Shepherd”.   Jesus, the Son of David, is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for the sheep, but also takes that life up again in resurrection, also ...

  The Risen Christ’s Agenda Christ is risen!   (He is risen indeed!   Alleluia!) In this Easter season, we of course celebrate Christ’s victory over sin, devil and death.   That Jesus died and Jesus rose is of paramount importance for us, for our faith, and for our future. But simply being alive isn’t all.   Our risen Lord has quite an agenda, and our reading from Luke’s Gospel today shows us a risen Christ who is still very busy doing things for his people, making promises and giving gifts.   Let’s take a closer look. For starters, if today’s reading reminds you of last week’s Gospel reading from John 20, that’s because it seems to be telling us about the same event.   John, of course, emphasized certain aspects of Jesus’ appearance to the disciples on that Easter evening.   But here Luke shares other details.   Just prior, Luke tells the account of the 2 disciples who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.   After he appeared...

  The Spiritual, The Material, and Jesus Every year, right after Easter, we have the reading that is often called, “Doubting Thomas”.   For whatever reason Thomas missed the first appearance of Jesus in the locked room, and only a week later did he get his wish – to see and touch Jesus and even put his hand’s in Jesus’ side where the spear had pierced him.   Thomas confesses his faith, “My Lord, and my God!” and Jesus commends him for seeing and believing, but even more those who do not see and yet believe. You’ve maybe heard some treatment of this text which sort of downplays the importance of seeing – and suggests that all we need is the word!   And there’s some truth to that.   But a closer look at today’s reading shows that Jesus is concerned about both the seeing and the hearing, both the spirit and the material.   For he is the Savior of all people and the Savior of the whole person. Bear with me today as I get a little bit more into the weeds o...