By The Venerable G. Kingsley Knowles
Commitment Sunday. Advent 1. Christ the king Anglican Church.
November 29, 2020.
I am the good shepherd. John chapter 10; the great Shepherd, Hebrews 13;20, the chief Shepherd 1 Peter 5:4.
is particularly fitting for our reflection at this time in the life of the Church. The Body of Christ as we experiencing a profound crisis. Laypeople and clergy alike are crying out for greater accountability, zeal and holiness from its leaders. As Bishop Knestout: “We are a community struggling to make sense of truths and untruths. We are angry and discouraged.” Our response of “anguish” and “revulsion” is understandable — but we must never lose hope because Jesus is a very good shepherd. One who takes action, teach and train, protects, serves and sacrifice his life for the sheep fold by being bold.
The Way the truth and the Life.
Rector of Christ the King Anglican church,
Nassau Bahamas
Just listen to these words found in Matthew’s gospel:
“At the sight of the crowds, Jesus’ heart was moved with pity for them because they were troubled and abandoned, like sheep without a shepherd.” (Matthew 9:36)
Jesus the Good Shepherd knows and understands our pain in these days of pain and anxiety, the New Normal. In fact, His Sacred Heart is moved with pity for each one of us — He recognizes that we are troubled and perhaps feel like sheep without a shepherd!
1.Take action.
. Jesus is a shepherd who takes action
He saw the people as sheep without a shepherd
He sent his disciples to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matt 10:16)
He acted towards people as a shepherd acts toward his sheep.
He was cared, example, taking young children in his arms. (Matthew 19:14, Luke 18:16.)
2.Feeding and Nurturing:
Feeding of the Five thousand Matthew 14:13-21 and John 6:1-14. (so powerful that Greeks said sir we want to see Jesus (John 12:21 we see these Greeks, representing the non-Jewish world, wanting to see Jesus. In coming to Philip, they were, in effect, saying, “Sir, we understand the Jews are rejecting Jesus, but we want to accept him.
3.. Teach and Train
Teaching and Training: Example; The Sermon on the Mount, (Train)- the Good Samaritan. (What is means to be neighbour) Mark 12:28-34. Deut 6;28-34 Who is my neighbor? \” This is a radical truth. In Christ we are given a right standing before God (justification), and we are propelled in love for God and others by the new power of his Spirit in us (sanctification). This affects the way we see those around us. It’s not because they’ve become something different, but because we have. God’s justifying work for us and transforming work in us commissions a path of good works prepared beforehand \”that we should walk in them\” (Ephesians 2:10).
4. Protector:
Protecting. The door of the Sheep Pen: John 10:9
. Jesus said, “I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture.”. This statement is a part of Jesus’ teaching after He had healed the man born blind. It had been at Jerusalem that Jesus had miraculously healed the man.
He is a Good Shepherd he protects. He means to heal us, bring back the straying sheep, and chase off wolves once and for all.
But how will he go about doing all this?
“This required: Intimacy, Relationship, Security, Sacrifice, Warmth, Tenderness because of fallen mankind.
John 1;1,14 In the beginning was the word and the word was God, and the word became flesh and dwelt among us. He came to be like us to experience what we experience so that He could conquer the wolf or the hired person and save us through his incarnation. There was no other good enough.
To purchase a place for us
And to offers ass a free gift. Isaiah 53:6 all we like sheep have gone astray, we have turned to our own way; and the lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed and he was afflicted, like a lamb that was led to the slaughter, and like a sheep before its shearer is silent…He bore the sin of many. By His stripes we are healed.
That is why Jesus invites us to come to him, all who labour and are heavy laden, and He will give you rest for your soul (Matthew 11:28-29).
Notice: Our Lord connects the lack of shepherds with the need to pray for “laborers!” That means Jesus won’t leave us alone. He wants to provide shepherds for his people — Shepherds that won’t serve themselves, but rather will freely choose to abide in him, the Good Shepherd.
4.To serve:
You see Christ came not to be served, but to serve.
Effective shepherding occurs when we can happily serve Him through each other. Remember at the last supper, Jesus took off his outer garment?
Genuine Gesture
Jesus and his disciples finished eating when Jesus knelt down at the feet of each person and washed their feet. This overwhelming gesture made a lasting impression on the disciples.
a. It expressed pure love but
b. It is the foundational standard of true servant of Christ.
This gesture stands as the model for servitude and leadership amongst Christians today. This is a Necessary ingredient for ministry.
5.Sacrifice his life:
The model of the last supper:
Passover represented Israel’s escape from bondage in Egypt. In Exodus, the blood of the Passover lamb was painted on the door frames, causing the plague of the firstborn to pass over their houses sparing the firstborn sons from death. The Last Supper is significant because Jesus showed his disciples he was about to become the Passover Lamb of God. His blood would open the door to freedom. His followers would exchange slavery to sin and death for eternal life in God’s Kingdom.
God’s Body: Christ’s presence by faith is made spiritual because they are unchanged elements, used as symbols, representing Christ’s body and blood, in remembrance of his enduring sacrifice. He leaves the 99 who are safe to make sure that everyone is secure, safe in the arms of Jesu and goes after the one that is lost. He lays at the entrance of the sheep pen to protect. As a living sacrifice for the healing of the world.
That’s why the image is so fitting: Jesus the Good Shepherd is the model for every Christian follower of Jesus Christ. He gave his all so that we would give our all. Fully committed is response to his love for the world.
We are not called to feed ourselves and horde riches instead of feeding the sheep. Our responsibility is to make Sure that wholeness abounds in the sheep fold. And in this case “Christ the King fold”. Our sheep Pen. This is our responsibility. The church has no room for selfishness but to provide pictorial care. To strengthen the weak hearted sheep, to recover the fallen, the sick sheep, to heal and to nurse, to bound up the broken to lift up the depressed. Yes, we are our brothers and Sisters keepers to bring people back into the fold not to drive them away.
We are afraid, and anger because our eyes are on the bad shepherd or the hired hand that is in our midst, we become week because we have taken our que from the world, allowing secularism and materialism to becoming our priority. (the Rich Young Ruler) We are afraid because we have lost focus, forgetting that God is in Charge. He has our back because He is the ultimate reality. He is the one who paid the price; one who came to seek and to save us: one who came to be among us as one who serves: yes, committed to his task. Showering us with his free gift of Grace.
He did not surround himself with luxury, privilege, or any shred of entitlement. He came in poverty as a meek and humble child, to whom there was no room, tenderly guiding His flock toward the Father’s Heart.
No Baptized person in this church can exercise effective ministry of Jesus Christ apart from this model of the Good Shepherd, remembering, to whom much is given much is expected.
Now more than ever, the Church needs you and me to serve each other with humility and tenderness. Sacrificial people who first recognize the sufferings of the world and then choose to lay down our lives for the progress of the kingdom of God to give our all, unreserved ,unselfish but lovingly , by caring for the poor and the weak.
1.We must rely on your prayers in order to properly discern God’s will and follow after Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd
2. Pray for one another;
3 Perseverance;
4.Clarity;
5 Zeal;
6. Bible Reading his word daily, to remain focused; and
7. Worship. Attend mass regularly so that you could remain available for his command.
And as Jesus Himself exhorted, make sure to ask the Master of the harvest to send even more men/women to say yes to this life of service in the vineyard of the Lord.