“The Lord our Shepherd Gives us Provision, Protection, and a Place in His Flock” (Psalm 23)
The shadow of death.
In the Hebrew, it’s one word. In
English, we can make a new compound word out of it. “Deathshade.”
Sounds like the name of a Marvel comics villain. Or a heavy metal band. Deathshade.
This deathshade is the pall that hangs over all humanity. We’ve seen lately how the valley of the
deathshade runs through places like Boston, Massachussetts; West, Texas; and
Newtown, Connecticut. It runs through
faraway places that are off our personal radar, but are no less affected by
sorrow and grief. The valley of the
deathshade runs through every nation, every state, every county, every city,
every village, every home.
When you compare the scale of the event in Boston to the
one twelve years ago on 9-11, there really is no comparison. But tell that to every single family who was
affected. No matter how many casualties are
counted, the deathshade falls dark and devastatingly upon even one single
person and all the individuals who were a part of that person’s life.
Death comes to us through evildoers. It comes by tragic accidents. It comes by disease. It comes when our bodies age and finally wear
out. But the root cause of all of this
is sin. Mankind’s disobedience to God
brought this deathshade upon itself. God
gave man life. Man abused that
gift. Now life is twisted and contorted
with fear, distress, trouble, anxiety, and evil behavior. And lest you think evil behavior is reserved
for terrorists, think about the evil in our own hearts. The Lord our Shepherd provides all that we
need, yet you and I greedily covet. The
Lord our Shepherd brings us to the green pastures and still waters of his Word,
yet we seek satisfaction in other pastures that are not God-pleasing. Like sheep that stray, we walk off the paths
of righteousness and onto the way of wickedness. We speak hurtful words. We refuse to forgive. This is all part of the deathshade that hangs
over all of us and ruins the life that God intends for us.
God should come in and crush each and every one of us for
the way we have misused and abused his gifts to us. But instead, he sent his Son into the flesh
to be crushed in our place. “He was
crushed for our iniquities,” the prophet Isaiah foretold (Is. 53:5). The deathshade that lies upon the whole world
fell upon Jesus at the cross. He endured
all that we deserve. The valley of the
shadow of death traveled up the hill of Golgotha and dragged Jesus all the way down
into its darkest depths in the tomb. But
as you already know, three days later the tomb was empty. The light of the resurrection eclipsed the
deathshade. That’s what we celebrated
several Sundays ago. That’s what we
celebrate every Sunday. It’s what we
should be celebrating and remembering every single day. We do not worship a dead Savior. He lives.
Through his death, he has earned the forgiveness of sins for you. Through his resurrection, he has conquered death
and the grave for you. And he is present
now with his life and with his love in Word and Sacrament.
King David was once a shepherd boy. He knew how a shepherd was to be ever
watchful, ever vigilant, ever caring for his sheep. When he became shepherd over God’s people
Israel, David knew he needed a greater Shepherd. And so he was able to pen those familiar words,
“The Lord is my shepherd.” In John
chapter 10, Jesus teaches us that he is the Shepherd of whom David wrote: “I am
the good shepherd. I know my own and my
own know me, and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:14-15).
The Lord our Shepherd gives us provision, protection, and a
place in his flock.
The Lord our Shepherd provides for our needs. The psalmist says “I shall not want.” Other translations say something like this:
“I lack nothing” (NIV) … “I have everything I need” (GNB). And what is it that we really need? I think about this every time I go into my
garage. There is an awful lot of stuff
there. And it just sits there. Taking up space. Collecting dust. Providing places for spiders and other
creepy-crawlies to hide and reproduce.
Do I need all that stuff? Of
course not. Most of it I could probably
take to the dump and I would still be fine.
I wouldn’t miss it a bit. The
only time I probably even think about it is when I’m in the garage, and I think
to myself, “I might need that some day.”
Really? Those roller blades? I will probably never put those things on
ever again. If I did, I’d probably break
my neck. That old drill that I inherited
from my dad? I don’t think I’ve taken it
out of the bottom of the Craftsman tool cabinet (also inherited from dad) since
we moved in, and since my wife bought me one of those new-fangled rechargeable
drills. And what about all those tools
inside that tool cabinet? I probably
have at least five hundred allen wrenches in there … again, an inheritance from
dad. Do I really need that many allen
wrenches? Did my dad really need that
many allen wrenches? I am no handyman,
but I would venture to guess that even the most experienced handyman does not
need five hundred allen wrenches.
What do we really need?
Simple, nourishing food. Quiet
refreshment. Restoration. The Lord our Shepherd gives us exactly what
we need for our bodies, like a shepherd who leads his flock to green pastures
and still waters. More importantly, he provides
for our spiritual needs in his Word. In
his commentary on Psalm 23, this is what Luther saw. The green pastures and still waters are all
about the blessings of God’s Word for us.
His Word nourishes our souls. It
gives us times of quiet refreshment as we take time to listen, to read, and to
have our souls restored through the message of the forgiveness of sins. That’s the path of righteousness on which we
are led by our Good Shepherd. And it’s
not because of anything we have done.
It’s all because of everything that he has done for us. Jesus walked the path of perfect
righteousness for us. All that he does
for us is “for his name’s sake.” His
name is honored. He gets all the glory
for the life and salvation he gives to us.
The Lord our Shepherd gives us protection. The rod and staff of his Word comfort
us. The deathshade hangs over us like a
vulture circling around a weak, injured animal, waiting to swoop in … or like a
wolf ready to pounce on a helpless lamb when the shepherd is distracted. Nevertheless, our Good Shepherd protects us
from evil and the fear of death. But
what do we see all around us? Nothing
but death, evil, and trouble … all kinds of vultures and wolves who would
devour us and lead us astray. Whether
tremendous tragedies or petty problems, they cause us to doubt God’s care and
concern for us. Luther tells us,
therefore, to listen to the Shepherd’s voice, not “what your eyes see and your
old Adam feels.” Listen to the Good
Shepherd’s sure promise: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one
will snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:27-28). Our Good Shepherd is never distracted, never
caught off guard. Holding fast to that
promise, Luther says, “You will go straight forward to speak freely:
Let the devil, the
world, or my own conscience oppose me violently as they may. I will not for
that reason grieve myself to death. It
must be so and it shall be so, that whoever is the Lord’s sheep will surely be
assailed by the wolves. Be it with me as
it may, let them boil or roast me, it shall be my comfort that my Shepherd has
given his life for me. Moreover, He has
a sweet, kind voice, with which He comforts me and says that I shall never
perish, neither shall any man snatch me out of His hand; I shall have eternal
life (John 10:28). And He will keep this
promise, not matter what happens to me.
If because of my weakness some sin or other fault by chance is still
found in me, He will not reject me on that account. For He is a friendly Shepherd, who watches
over the weak sheep, binds up their wounds, and heals them. And so that I may be all the more sure and
not doubt, He has given me, as a token, His holy Sacraments.[i]
The Lord our Shepherd gives us provision. He gives us protection. And he gives us a place in his flock. It’s been said that America was once “a
nation of joiners.” However, a study
conducted by a Harvard professor showed that over the last 40 years,
participation in voluntary associations is down by up to 50 percent. The professor blames television for this, and
that may be the case.[ii] But my point here is not to point the blame
at TV or the internet … although I think you can make the case that the growth
of social media like Facebook has shown that people still feel the need to
belong to something bigger than themselves and to connect in a meaningful way
with people.
As those baptized into Christ, you and I already are
connected to something bigger than ourselves.
We are members of the Body of Christ.
We are members of the Holy Christian Church. We are connected not only to one another
here, but to Christians around the world.
We are even connected mystically to that white robed, innumerable
multitude already standing before the throne and before the Lamb of God.
Until we join that throng, a place has been prepared for us at
his table where we get to eat and drink the body and blood of the Lamb in the
presence of our enemies. We have been
anointed with the abundant oil of grace and mercy in Christ Jesus. And there is a never-ending supply of life
and salvation that flows from our Lord’s overflowing chalice.
Provision.
Protection. A place in his
flock. These are all gifts of the Lord
your faithful Shepherd who became the Lamb of God for you. The light of Christ’s resurrection shines
brightly through the deathshade that hangs over us. Listen to his voice in his Word and follow
him. He has promised that his goodness
and mercy will follow you all the days of your life. And you can be sure that at your life’s end, you
will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
Amen.
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