Recently, I was outdoors when a rain shower caught me off guard. As I looked for a place to stay dry, a person said to me, "April showers bring May flowers." Even though I wasn't thrilled to be getting wet, I had to acknowledge that I enjoy the color transformation that takes place in part because of God's moisture falling from above. I thought at that moment of one of our hymns, "Beautiful Savior." I thought of these words:
Beautiful Savior, King of Creation,
Son of God and Son of Man!
Truly I'd love thee, truly I'd serve thee,
Light of my soul, my joy, my crown.
The month of may brings to mind another beautiful image, the image of the Good Shepherd. The fourth Sunday of Easter each year focuses upon the Good Shepherd, the one who gently cares for His own. Although many of us do not live on a farm, some, like me, have a background of growing up on a farm. That helps me appreciate the image of the Good Shepherd. But I still need to learn more.
The gospel for Good Shepherd Sunday teaches quite plainly that Jesus ins the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep. Now, the people who first heard Jesus say these words may have thought that he was peaking metaphorically about laying down His life. But after the cross, they realized that he meant it literally. He is the shepherd who gave his life for his sheep.
We learn not only from the words spoken by Jesus, but also from I John 3:16: "We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us." As followers of Jesus, we who are committed to go where Jesus went and do what Jesus did, ought to lay down our lives for one another, too. In John 3:17, the author offers a concrete example of how we can practice this, how we can lay down our lives for one another. "How does God's love abide in anyone who has the world's goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses to help?" John tells whoever follows the Good Shepherd to practice real love. This is easier said than done.
This month when you hear about the Good Shepherd, think about how you can live as Jesus, the Good Shepherd, taught you to live. Have a great May!
Pastor Brad Homan
