One of the most well known visual depictions of Jesus is the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. Sermons on the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd typically associate the sheep (followers of Jesus) with ignorance and helplessness, who need the protection of the Shepherd. This association of sheep with ignorance is consistent with the way that human beings are metaphorically linked to sheep in contemporary political discourse.
This characterization of followers of Jesus being ignorant and helpless fundamentally misconstrues what it means to be a follower of Jesus, as does understanding the purpose of discipleship as seeking protection from harm.
Jesus is, after all, the Lamb of God, whose sacrifice effected the reconciliation and redemption of the world. Sheep in ancient Israel were used in religious ritual as instruments of reconciliation between believers and God, and between persons who were estranged. Similarly, followers of Jesus are cultivated by Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, so that we can become God's instruments of reconciliation. We are sent, through God's Spirit, out into the world to bring about reconciliation and to proclaim redemption.
Supporting the work and mission of Caney Spring United Methodist Church and Berlin United Methodist Church, two churches partnered in the ministry of making disciples of Christ for the transformation of the world, located in Marshall County, Tennessee.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Our Encounters with the Risen Christ
Luke's gospel contains a post resurrection story that is not found in any of the other three canonical gospels, which describes two disciples who encounter Jesus on the road.
What most sermons on this text focus on is the fact that the disciples do not recognize Jesus as they walk along the road with him. It is only at the end of the story, when they invite Jesus to break bread with them, that they recognize him for an instant, after which he disappears.
What I find most remarkable about the story is not that the disciples do not recognize Jesus, but that Jesus does not announce Himself or tell the disciples who he is. It is the disciples who are given the task of recognizing Jesus.
I think this story was remembered and past down in the early community and included in Luke's gospel because it is paradigmatic of the experience of the early Church. The earliest Christians expected Jesus to return within their lifetime with great demonstrations of power and glory and inaugurate a new age. The fact that this did not happen perplexed the early Church. The early Church was also perplexed that they did not encounter Jesus in a way that was obvious and self evident. Like the disciples in the story in Luke's gospel, the early Church learned that Christ did not appear to the community in a way that was easily recognizable. Despite this, the Church also knew that the risen Christ was truly present with them.
It is the task of the Church to be able to discern the presence of the risen Christ. Christ is truly present in our lives, but does not announce His presence. Instead, we must learn to see him. This is a spiritual discipline that must be practiced and nurtured.
What most sermons on this text focus on is the fact that the disciples do not recognize Jesus as they walk along the road with him. It is only at the end of the story, when they invite Jesus to break bread with them, that they recognize him for an instant, after which he disappears.
What I find most remarkable about the story is not that the disciples do not recognize Jesus, but that Jesus does not announce Himself or tell the disciples who he is. It is the disciples who are given the task of recognizing Jesus.
I think this story was remembered and past down in the early community and included in Luke's gospel because it is paradigmatic of the experience of the early Church. The earliest Christians expected Jesus to return within their lifetime with great demonstrations of power and glory and inaugurate a new age. The fact that this did not happen perplexed the early Church. The early Church was also perplexed that they did not encounter Jesus in a way that was obvious and self evident. Like the disciples in the story in Luke's gospel, the early Church learned that Christ did not appear to the community in a way that was easily recognizable. Despite this, the Church also knew that the risen Christ was truly present with them.
It is the task of the Church to be able to discern the presence of the risen Christ. Christ is truly present in our lives, but does not announce His presence. Instead, we must learn to see him. This is a spiritual discipline that must be practiced and nurtured.
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