Psalm 23: The Lord Is My Shepherd

Regardless of the faith background of people or no faith background at all, Psalm 23 is the most requested funeral scripture.  Almost every time without exception, when I sit down with a family to plan a funeral service, they talk about the 23rd Psalm.  Sometimes they tell the story about memorizing it as a child in Sunday School.  Sometimes they talk about memorizing it at school.  They tell stories about its comfort and familiarity.

From this you may be tempted to think about Psalm 23 as a funeral Psalm.  However, I have come to believe that Psalm 23 has little to do with funerals, instead, it has everything to do with life and familiarity.  In death, we want to know that not everything you knew of expected changed.  We want to know that we can depend on God and the way God cares for us.  Psalm 23 reminds us that life has difficult moments, but ultimately, we find protection and joy.  We trust in the good shepherd.

Biblically, prophets shine the light on Jesus as the Good Shepherd.  From the Gospel of Matthew, we get a glimpse of the scripture lesson we hear most around Epiphany.  The prophet Micah tell us of Jesus as the shepherd king from Bethlehem.  Jesus, as the ruler, who will come out of the people and shepherd the people.  A good shepherd who lay down his life for the sheep.  In fact, 32 separate times through the Bible, we hear about God or Jesus as the good shepherd.

In my years of ministry, I had not preached on Psalm 23 before. It was conversations I began having with Judy Gambill about 2 years ago that granted me new fresh insight on Psalm 23.  Judy trains sheepdogs, as well as others who have sheepdogs.  Her observations gave me pause to think more deeply of a passage I knew well.  I want you to garner some of her insight as well.  So I have to thank Judy and John for their open hearts and open pastures, as well as Keith Schneider who filmed and produced the segments.  Throughout this series, we will hear from Judy on living with sheep and sheepdogs.  Take a look as she answered a few questions.  What are sheep like?  Why do they need a shepherd?  How might we understand the relationship between the sheepdog and sheep?

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One of the first things that drew me to Judy’s reflections about sheep, sheepdog, and shepherd, was what I didn’t hear.  I have always heard sheep described as stupid.  Every sermon I ever heard on Psalm 23, up played the lack of knowledge that sheep have and their utter lack of direction and life without a shepherd.  However, that seemed to me to be off kilter somehow.  Instead, the desire of sheep to be led comes through.  The needs of sheep to depend on one who can see beyond them in time and space.    Shepherd need a shepherd and sheep dog team who know them and who claim them.

A mother was asked by a census-taker how many children she had. She replied, “Well, there’s Billy and Harry and Martha and…”. “Never mind the names,” the man interrupted, “Just give me the numbers”. The mother angrily replied, “They don’t have numbers, they have names!”

You and I are known by God intimately as a shepherd knows each sheep.  A shepherd who knows this sheep will lead and this sheep will always need more attention.  We often think of ourselves as sheep, well-cared for by the good shepherd, but let me challenge us just a bit.  To live as a sheepdog is a reminder that you must know the shepherd well.  You must know and love the sheep.  Neither of those are optional.  Both are essential.

Phillip Keller, author of Lessons from a Sheepdog, writes “More than anything else in the world, he wants me to be His companion, His co-worker, His friend in helping tend His flock.1” In effect then, we are called to help the Good Shepherd.    If we are serving alongside God as sheepdog, do we know and love the sheep?  Do we know those we live with well enough to know when they are struggling, before they have admitted to themselves?   Do we know our children and spouses well enough to know what delights their hearts?   Do we know our neighbors well enough to know when a family member is sick, what they might need?  The Lord is my shepherd is a reminder of how well God knows us, how intimately and intuitively. We who work with God, also need to know one another.

Out of visioning time together, I am asking all of us to be in prayer.  One of the specific prayers, I am asking you to prayer about is: May God give us specific hearts for our community.  There are many needs around the world and many good ideas about how to serve people well in the name of Jesus.  Are we loving and knowing our community?  Do we know what is specific about West Grove now?  Not how it was 30 years ago, but right now and right now.  This is part of what led faith leaders in our area to discern a need for Family Promise.  To honestly and earnestly say that there are those without homes in our community, and what they need is significant assistance of housing, food, guidance in budgeting and job skills, encouragement, and support, so they can live a full life in their own space and place.

As I give thanks to God for this last week in which we hosted Family Promise, including one of the first children born into the program (born on Maundy Thursday), this is one way in which knowing our community, loving the people, and shepherding have served well those in need.  We have studied and loved as families, have had varying food needs and companionship needs.  We have loved families as they have needed listening ears and additional blankets.  Our love has driven us to talk about our guests with compassion and a desire to serve those whose lives feel so different from those of us who are not worried about where we will sleep tonight.

The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want.   I shall not want is a prayer and declaration about the future.  It also speaks to the present.  It becomes a “solid declaration that we are those people who have been richly blessed and so can lead lives of confidence, courage, and generosity, knowing that we have, indeed, been blessed to be a blessing.2

When Alisabeth was a toddler, she would often declare that she wanted.  Not having learned the wisdom of Psalm 23 yet, when she could not get what she wanted, she would declare I want (and then whatever it was).  I want candy, I want my cookie, I want my toy.  I want whatever it is that you will not give me.  In fact, she would sometimes get so wound when her parents would not give her what she wanted, she would no longer say I want my cookie.  She would simply repeat over and over again – I want.  I want.  I want.  Even when she did not know what she wanted.  She had a feeling of wanting.

How often are you and I in that place?  We are not surely exactly what we want, just that we are unsatisfied with what we have.  There must be something we need.  In the face of a world that spends obscene amounts of money to convince us via advertising that we have great wants and only the right clothes, toys, cars, or even vacations can fill them – how radical it sounds – I shall not want.  I am completely satisfied with God’s providence and care of my life. God spares nothing to care for me.  Jesus, my shepherd, and the sheepdogs who care for me on Jesus’ team will lead me towards all I want.

Today, I invite you to respond to each want that rises up inside you with ‘I shall not want’.  Not like you lecturing yourself, but rather praying into the hope that the day will come when you and I might say with fully certainty – I shall not want.  May the Good Shepherd provide for all your needs.

This is the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, thanks be to God, Amen.

1 Keller, Phillip.  Lessons from a Sheepdog. 1983.

2 http://www.workingpreacher.org/craft.aspx?post=1498

Old Testament Lesson: Psalm 23:1

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.

Gospel Lesson: Matthew 2: 1-6

In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, asking,

‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him homage.’

When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They told him,

‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:
“And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
for from you shall come a ruler
who is to shepherd my people Israel.” ’

Meditations For Your Week

Sunday, April 23 ~ Saturday, April 30

Sunday: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1. This is a      declaration and a prayer. Today, remind yourself each time you worry. There is nothing you need that God will not provide.

Monday: “In the time of King Herod, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem.” Matthew 2:1. The wise seek    Jesus. Even though his path is different and sometimes seems so unusual. Jesus’ way leads to life. Ask God to show you where you can walk to know abundant life.

Tuesday: “[They were] asking, ‘Where is the child who has been born king of the Jews? For we observed his star at its rising, and have come to pay him     homage.’” Matthew 2:2. Pause today to pay homage, worship and adoration to the Shepherd King.

Wednesday: “When King Herod heard this, he was frightened, and all   Jerusalem with him.” Matthew 2:3. The unexpected can be frightening. But Herod was startled, because he had not studied God’s word. Where do you need to study God’s word, so you are better    prepared for God’s will?

Thursday: “And calling together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born.” Matthew 2:4. Herod did not know the prophecies of the Messiah’s birth. Spend time in the Bible    today, so you know God’s will and way.

Friday: “They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet.” Matthew 2:5. Prophets have foretold the way of Jesus. Even today, prophets point us back to God. Prayerfully ask God to show you prophets to whom you should listen.

Saturday: “And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who is to shepherd my people Israel.” Matthew 2:6. Jesus was always to be our shepherd.   Shepherds know the needs of their sheep. Talk to you shepherd.