Easter 4A 2008 John 10:1-10

As he often did, Charles Kuralt made an astute observation – and I paraphrase: It does no harm just once in a little while to acknowledge that the whole country isn’t in flames, that there are people in the country besides politicians, Presidential candidates, entertainers, sports figures, and criminals. Sometimes it’s hard to remember that the basic goodness of almost all the rest of us. But the thing to remember is that the world is full of good people, the good shepherds who surround us on all sides, good shepherds whose interest is our care and welfare.
We all recognize – or at least give lip service – to Jesus as the Good Shepherds – we all remember those Sunday School posters of Jesus holding the lost lamb. But sometimes it’s hard to remember these other good shepherds, good shepherds as unlikely Leroy, who regularly visits some of the lonely people in the Lancashire, who prays for me in the TriStar as soon as I have prayed and blessed him – quite regularly. You should see the tired checkers brighten and smile at the two of us.

Being a real shepherd can be a tough and thankless job. Sheep aren’t very bright and they smell bad and there is no rest from their care.

Being an ordinary good shepherd can also be a tough and thankless job. A family with young children was vacationing on a beach. Every morning they noticed what appeared to be a strange bag lady coming toward them on the beach. Her clothes were ragged and dirty and her stringy gray hair flew wildly in the wind. She was constantly picking things up from the sand and putting them into a bag,

And every morning the parents called their young children to them, away from the strange old woman’s path. They told the children to stay away from her, as she went by, constantly picking up things from the sand. Each time the old woman went by the young family she smiled at them – and they just glared angrily back at her.

Several years later they read her obituary in the paper. She had made it her lifelong task to pick up pieces of glass and other sharp things from the beach sand – so children wouldn’t cut their feet.

Ordinary good shepherds and angels have a lot in common. Angels bring the Good News of God’s love and mercy to those to whom they appear. They are always around us, especially in the form of our devoted dog companions, who watch over us day and night, and who love us no matter what.

Ordinary good shepherds bring the Good News of God’s love and mercy to those whom they touch with the example of their lives.

Ordinary good shepherds are the unexpected voice on the telephone when you need to hear it most.

Ordinary good shepherds write the note or letter that lifts your spirits when they are down -- and even when they are not.

Ordinary good shepherds bring you flowers from their yards, fruit from their trees, food from their gardens.

Ordinary good shepherds are always glad to see you at their door -- and they are often at yours.

Ordinary good shepherds are quick to forgive – and to ask for forgiveness, though they rarely need it.

Some ordinary good shepherds also devote themselves to thankless tasks like
--picking up glass and other sharp things from the sand to protect children’s feet.
--visiting hospitals and nursing homes when they don’t really want to be there.
--giving care or ensuring it to someone who is physically helpless.
--turning the other cheek even when they really want to lash back.

So why do the ordinary good shepherds among us keep at their work even when they are tired and discouraged and unappreciated? Maybe it’s because they take the Summary of the Law, Christ’s great mandate seriously: You shall love the Lord your God with every thing you are and have and you shall love your neighbors as yourself.

To be a Christian is to be an ordinary good shepherd to everyone around you:
--even when it’s hard,
--even when it’s inconvenient,
--even when it’s tiresome, awkward, daunting --
--not just when it’s easy.
And mostly because we have Jesus example of what a Good Shepherd is and does always before us – our Good Shepherd who loves us for all time.

AMEN