Jesus makes us good enough!

The Rev. Deon K. Johnson

Preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brighton MI April 29, 2012

John 10:11-18

Jesus said, "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it up again. I have received this command from my Father."

West Indian Blackbelly Sheep

I have to begin with a confession.  My brother and I actually grew up with sheep. Not the cute white woolly wads of fleece that you see on TV but dark brown, non-woolly black bellied sheep native to the West Indies. They are not the sheep of TV, movies or Serta mattress commercials.  


They were plain, boring ole sheep that we had to take out in the morning and bring back home at night. The way we spelt sheep was C-H-O-R-E! 

The thing about the sheep that I grew up with was that they were in a word dumb! If I had a choice between the sheep, rabbits and goats that I had to take care of as a child I would go with the goats. They were at least somewhat smart. But not the sheep.

They were noisy four legged creatures that would follow you everywhere, get loose and wonder off or even worse raid the garden and eat everything green in sight, and of course I got blamed. I often wondered if the care of sheep wasn’t some unique punishment created by God specifically for my brother and I to atone for sins yet committed. 

The thing about sheep is that they have a tendency, if you’re not careful, to wonder off and get themselves hurt or worse killed. But if there is one thing that sheep know it is this: with someone to care for them there will always be enough grass and greenery to eat and that someone will always be there, loving them and taking care of them no matter how stupid they may sometimes be.  

I suspect that that is why Jesus said to his followers “I am the Good shepherd” that image of tender loving care that a shepherd has for the sheep is a timeless image. It speaks to our need to belong, to be loved and to know that someone cares deeply for us.

[Description and history of the image the image of Jesus in the catacombs from the 2^nd Century -the very first image of Jesus from the early church.]

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep." And "I lay down my life in order to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord."

But why? Why does Jesus the good shepherd lay down his life? To tell us that we are, in fact, good enough. Jesus, especially in John's gospel, doesn't die in order to make some kind of payment to God or to satisfy God's wrath or to pay the penalty for sin. Jesus, in John's Gospel, is the Revealer, the One who comes to make the invisible God visible and the unapproachable God accessible. Jesus comes to reveal that God loves the whole world, no exceptions. Jesus comes, that is, to tell us that we are already beloved, that we are good enough, that we need no shoes or book or car or reputation or lover or high status job or big bank account or list of achievements or anything else to be deserving of God's love. That we've already got God's unconditional and unending love.

But that can be hard to believe. So many messages, so much money is devoted to trying to tell us that we are not good enough, that we are not worthy of love, that we need to earn acceptance, that we need something else, something more to be acceptable. Think of all the commercials on TV that tell us in subtle terms of course, that if we just got this one product, this one special thing, we would be perfect and all our friends, family and even our pets would love us! Get it, buy it, wear it, show it, give it, share it, spend it and you to will be good enough, but only with my product. (And of course two weeks later the come out with the platinum edition of whatever it is we just bought.)

But what  Jesus reminds us that we are good enough, that nothing in this world could make us any less in the eyes of God.  But it is hard to believe at times. Let's make no mistake about that. Which is why we should listen to even more of Jesus' message: "I lay down my life for the sheep," he says. "I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd." Jesus, in other words, didn't come just for the original group of disciples. He came also for us, and we are now invited to hear and believe this message of grace and acceptance and to share it with each other and all those we meet.

It means that in our loves we have to live like someone loves us. It means that we have to treat others as if someone loves them and loves them deeply. It means that we can't just do the motions of faith on Sundays and then live like we don't know that a Good Shepherd loves us the rest of the week.

It means reminding ourselves and others that:

"You are a beloved child of God, and you are good enough."

Lets practice that now. Turn to someone next to you and remind them. 

Feels good doesn't? We need to hear that more often. We need to tell others that more often.  That is what our faith is about, reminding ourselves that we are good enough. 

What we say in baptizing Joshua today is that he is good enough for God's love. That nothing and no one can't separate him from God not matter who he becomes in life. The challenge for us is to make sure that he knows that he is always good enough. It isn't enough for us to tell him that he is loved and cared for by the Good Shepherd we must live as if we know that we are loved and cared for as well. It means that we must work for a world where all of God's children know that they are loved and gently cared for by the creator of the vast universe.

There is a reason why the early church saw Jesus not as a king, or a ruler but as a gentle herder of sheep. They like we know that we need to be reminded that in Jesus Christ God's love is made real and tangible. That the almighty creator of the world is not some distant figure on a cloud or something far away but a real living, breathing, loving prison revealed in a man named Jesus.

In Jesus the Good Shepherd God reminds us that we are beloved and that we are good enough. May we have the courage to live our lives as though we really, truly believed it. Amen.

Jesus is hungry...

The Reverend Deon K. Johnson

Preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brighton MI April 22, 2012

Luke 24:36b-48

While the disciples were telling how they had seen Jesus risen from the dead, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, "Peace be with you." They were startled and terrified, and thought that they were seeing a ghost. He said to them, "Why are you frightened, and why do doubts arise in your hearts? Look at my hands and my feet; see that it is I myself. Touch me and see; for a ghost does not have flesh and bones as you see that I have." And when he had said this, he showed them his hands and his feet. While in their joy they were disbelieving and still wondering, he said to them, "Have you anything here to eat?" They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate in their presence. Then he said to them, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you-- that everything written about me in the law of Moses, the prophets, and the psalms must be fulfilled." Then he opened their minds to understand the scriptures, and he said to them, "Thus it is written, that the Messiah is to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day, and that repentance and forgiveness of sins is to be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things."

I have to begin by asking a question…

What is the one thing that Jesus is always doing in almost every story in the Gospels where people  are gathered?

He’s always eating! 

Feeding the 5000, dinner with Tax Collectors and prostitutes, multiplying the fish and loaves, the last supper. If I didn’t know better I’d think that Jesus main ministry message was “eat in remembrance of me” –oh wait, it is.

I suspect that the Food network would be Jesus’ favorite TV channel if they had it back then.  Jesus seems to know a thing or two about food and in almost every resurrection appearance Jesus is always eating.  Apparently after 3 days in the tomb, he’s kinda hungry, hungry to share a meal.  And a meal isn’t about just food. 

Food is more than just the maintenance of our bodies. Food speaks to who we are, where we come from, and the things we value. 

Can you think of any occasion in your life that did not in some way shape or form involve food? I suspect that you can't think of one because it is hard to avoid not sharing a meal. 

We share meals for just about every occasion; from baptism brunches to funeral wakes, we eat our way through life, and that is exactly what Jesus did in his time. Is it a wonder that our worship centers on a late night supper?  You see the thing is that Jesus knew that a meal is more than the nourishment; it is more than utensils and the place settings. It’s about companionship.  Jesus is hungry for companionship. 

Do you know what the word companion means? Com - with & panis -bread. Literally the one you share bread with. 

Our Gospel reading for today tells us that the disciples at first couldn’t believe they were experiencing the risen, living Jesus because they thought they were seeing a ghost.  Nobody ever quite recognizes the risen Jesus as Jesus until something else happens.  When Jesus points out his crucifixion wounds, they see.  But then, the thought that he is risen is so joyful and amazing, they still can’t believe it.  Too scary.  Too wonderful.  Either way, it’s hard to accept.

And then he asks for a piece of fish. Jesus is hungry: hungry to share a meal and celebrate life; hungry to gather again with his friends; hungry for them to trust the life giving power of God; hungry for them to become a new community of faithful, courageous living; hungry for them to break bread together and with strangers everywhere until strangers are strange no more. That is what Jesus wants of us as well.

There is a wonderful short story told by the humorist David Sedaris called Jesus Shaves, where Sedaris finds himself living in France and he decides that it might be a good idea to take an introductory French class. Because the class is made up of people from all over the world, with different cultures and backgrounds the teacher has them explore different cultural holidays that they celebrate BUT they can only speak to each other in French.

At the beginning of a particular class the teacher asked:  "And what does one do on Easter? Would anyone like to tell us?"

Sedaris writes:

The Italian nanny was attempting to answer the question when the Moroccan student interrupted, shouting, "Excuse me, but what's an Easter?"

Despite her having grown up in a Muslim country, it seemed she might have heard it mentioned once or twice, but no. "I mean it," she said. "I have no idea what you people are talking about."

The teacher then called upon the rest of us to explain.

The Poles led the charge to the best of their ability. "It is," said one, "a party for the little boy of God who call his self Jesus and…"

She faltered, and her fellow countryman came to her aid.

"He call his self Jesus, and then he be die one day on two . . . morsels of . . . lumber."

The rest of the class jumped in, offering bits of information that would have given the pope an aneurysm.

"He die one day, and then he go above of my head to live with your father."

"He weared the long hair, and after he died, the first day he come back here for to say hello to the peoples."

"He nice, the Jesus."

"He make the good things, and on the Easter we be sad because somebody makes him dead today."

Part of the problem had to do with grammar. Simple nouns such as cross and resurrection were beyond our grasp, let alone such complicated reflexive phrases as "To give of yourself your only begotten son." Faced with the challenge of explaining the cornerstone of Christianity, we did what any self-respecting group of people might do. We talked about food instead.

Explaining Easter and resurrection in any language is difficult at best furthermore trying to explain it in a language that is not your native tongue. But he is right when in doubt the universal language is food. Jesus knew that, Jesus lived that, Jesus died, rose and is remembered in that.

The resurrected Jesus is a hungry Jesus.  He comes to feed us with his bread and wine, his living, loving presence.  And then, he feeds us with his hunger, until we are hungry for the same things:  companionship, meals shared in community, a gathering of strangers and friends where everyone is fed and is so overjoyed they can hardly believe it, but so overjoyed they can hardly not.

That is what resurrection is about, it is about sharing a meal that has the power to transform us from what we used to be into who God wants us to be.  It is about being willing to let a simple meal challenge us and change us, and shape us and mold us until we more closely resemble the resurrected Jesus.

So come to Christ’s table. Come as you are. Come hungry, come helpless, come hopeful. Eat and live to go and tell. We are the witnesses. Whether bold or fearful, let us be full and faithful in our going and telling and inviting. There is room for all and plenty of food to share and plenty of companionship. 

Alleluia! Christ is risen! Christ is hungry indeed! Alleluia! Amen. 

Resurrection finds us...

The Reverend Deon K. Johnson

Preached at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brighton MI April 8, 2012 Easter Day

Mark 16:1-8

When the sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint Jesus. And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. They had been saying to one another, "Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?" When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man, dressed in a white robe, sitting on the right side; and they were alarmed. But he said to them, "Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you." So they went out and fled from the tomb, for terror and amazement had seized them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

"When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back" (Mark 16:4).

The women approached the tomb to complete a proper burial for their friend and would-be-messiah. Dread and sorrow filled their hearts, but like women everywhere, in every time, they came simply to do what must be done. This One, who had gone beyond merely making the lame walk and proclaimed the forgiveness of sins and a new life under the reign of God, was now dead. The end of a dream -- their dream of salvation and deliverance. And then they looked up and "saw that the stone, which was very large, had ALREADY been rolled back."

Can you imagine the fear and the joy they felt on that first Easter morning? Can you imagine going to visit the grave of a loved one and finding it open and empty? You'd be mad, or scared or both. You don't expect the dead to be anything else but dead. We like our dead to stay dead. And that is the problem with Jesus he just won't stay dead! He just won't stay in the places that we put him!

You see we try to contain God. We crucify him, wrap him in a shroud and roll a stone to bar the entrance. But God can not be contained no matter how hard we try, no matter how many stones, or shrouds or cross we place in the way!

Resurrection finds us. It finds us at the point of brokenness in our lives and does something amazing. We may not always see it, may not even understand it, but God will be there to find us when we need to be resurrected the most.

We as people of faith should worry less what people say they believe happened 2,000 years ago to Jesus and worry more about whether we are living as if resurrection still happens. I believe in resurrection because I have experienced it. I experienced it when I lost my sight in seminary and my professors and classmates showed me what God’s unconditional love looked like. I experienced resurrection when I have sat at the death bed of a complete stranger in the hospital who was at peace with the life to come and left this world with a smile on his face because he lived his life to the fullest. He lived his life in a way that made him happy because he lived like God intended him to live. He let the small insignificant things fall away. How many of us when we come to our deaths will meet our end with a smile looking back at a life well lived?

I experienced resurrection in seeing a close friend go through months of chemotherapy, loose her hair, her health and at times it would seem her hope but through it all managed to smile and come out the other side a survivor. I experience resurrection in my two nieces who teach me more about God that I sometimes care to know.

The thing is we don’t have to go back two thousand years to know resurrection, we know resurrection because we live it! Because of Jesus’ resurrection we experience resurrection!

You have been there as well. You know only too well what resurrection looks and feels and tastes like in your own life. You know what it feels like when the massive stone that has been holding you back has been rolled back and you experience life in all its fullness. You see resurrection isn’t a time and place in history that happened to Jesus, resurrection happens every day.

We don’t find resurrection, we don’t get up one morning and decide…”well I have nothing else to do I think I am going to go look for resurrection.” No we don’t find resurrection, resurrection finds us. Like the women early that morning looking for the body of Jesus to anoint, they were not looking for resurrection; it didn’t even cross their minds that they would find anything other than the lifeless body of their teacher in a borrowed tomb. But instead resurrection finds them.

I think it begins by practicing resurrection. It begins by opening up ourselves to our lives being transformed when we least expect it. It means living our lives as if they had meaning, and purpose and hope. Living a resurrected life means that we have to let the massive stones in our lives be rolled away so that the life that God is calling us to can come alive! Living our lives in that truth means doing courageous and mighty things in Jesus' name. Surrendering to the resurrection means letting go of all the anxiety and fear that can so easily grip and disempower us and experiencing the joy of the resurrected life.

It means living our lives with "the peace that passes all understanding" in our hearts. And it means stopping each and every day, one day at a time, to look up and be reminded that the stone has ALREADY been rolled away. We need to live as Easter people in a world clinging to Good Friday! We need to like Jesus’ followers to practice resurrection. We need to leave behind all the dead places and things that we have followed and proclaim a God who will not be contained, who will meet us and resurrect us when we are weighted down by the instruments of death.

Wendell Barrie in his poem “Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front.” Here’s a taste of this poetic and prophetic masterpiece:

So, friends, every day do something
that won’t compute. Love the Lord.
Love the world. Work for nothing.
Take all that you have and be poor.
Love someone who does not deserve it.
Give your approval to all you cannot
understand. Praise ignorance.

Ask the questions that have no answers.
Invest in the millennium. Plant sequoias.
Say that your main crop is the forest
that you did not plant,
that you will not live to harvest.
Say that the leaves are harvested
when they have rotted into the mold.
Call that profit. Prophesy such returns.

Put your faith in the two inches of humus
that will build under the trees
every thousand years.
Listen to carrion – put your ear
close, and hear the faint chattering
of the songs that are to come.
Expect the end of the world. Laugh.
Laughter is immeasurable. Be joyful
though you have considered all the facts.

Be like the fox who makes more tracks than necessary,

some in the wrong direction.

Practice resurrection.

This Easter, may you open your whole self — heart, soul, mind, and strength — to God’s inspiring call to new life and renewed love. May you feel God luring you, prompting you, goading you, cajoling you, calling you and encouraging you — each day and in each new present moment — to practice resurrection. Alleluia! Christ is Risen. Amen.