SETTING THE CONTEXT

We continue our reflection on the 23^rd Psalm as we focus on verse 4b.

Read Psalm 23:1-4

In our next passage from Matthew, Jesus has heard about the murder of his cousin and co-worker in God’s proclamation, John the Baptist. He had no time to grieve before the crowds were hounding him to heal them. He not only healed them, but he fed the 5,000 plus people who gathered. Our story picks up at the end of the feeding.

Read Matthew 14:22-33

THE SERMON

Last week George talked about how pain can be helpful to us. It can be a warning sign that something is wrong in our bodies, in our relationships, in our spirits. We were reminded last week that God is with us in those times of pain. This week, we’re going to look at how God is with us as we reflect on the second half of verse 4 from the 23^rd Psalm. The entire verse is “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. (NIV)” When I think of a rod, my first thought is something you hang a curtain on and then something you beat people with. When I think of a staff, I think of people who work with and for me. I don’t think these are the things that David had in mind when he wrote the words, “Your rod and your staff they comfort me.”

I turned again to author Phillip Keller, a shepherd who wrote about this psalm, for help,^[i] He said that on the long sheep drives, it is customary for the shepherds to take minimal equipment. Remember that they are walking along with the sheep. He said usually a shepherd carries a rifle and a staff, but in the Middle East and other parts of the world, shepherds carry a rod and a staff. In Africa, when a young boy is ready to begin shepherding he goes into the bush and digs out a young sapling. He works the base of the tree where the trunk joins the roots to shape a smooth, rounded head of hard wood and he shapes the top of the tree to fit his hand exactly. Then he spends hours practicing with his club, learning how to throw it with amazing speed and accuracy. The rod serves several purposes; it is an extension of the owner’s right arm and is the shepherd’s main weapon of defense. If a predator comes toward the sheep, the shepherd frightens it off with the rod. In Kenya, the Masai are a herding people. The Masai security guard at our hotel when we were in southern Kenya guarded a kitchen helper putting scraps out for the animals with just a rod. There were hyenas and all kinds of animals waiting in the bush for those scraps and he was prepared to face those animals with only his rod! Can you imagine facing a mountain lion or hyena with a stick? Shepherds must be very brave and tough.

The rod is also an instrument of discipline and correction. If a sheep starts wandering away on its own, is approaching poisonous weeds or too close to danger, the club will whistle through the air and hit the ground near the sheep sending it scampering back to the fold. (You notice the shepherd guides the sheep, but never hits it with the rod. Keep that in mind the next time you hear the proverb, “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”) This powerful weapon in the hands of a good shepherd also becomes a tool of comfort. The shepherd can use it to inspect the sheep. When the animal comes out of the corral through the gate, the shepherd stops it with the outstretched rod. Then he gives it a careful, intimate, first hand examination. He opens the fleece with the rod, running his hands over its body, feeling for signs of trouble. He is looking for signs of pests and parasites or sores and disease. This process is a comfort to the sheep because it is the only way hidden problems come to light so that the shepherd can treat them. The good shepherd always, always uses the rod for the welfare of the sheep.

The church builds times of careful, intimate, first-hand examination into our church year. The preparation time before our two great feast days, Easter and Christmas are set-aside for this. We are currently in the season of Lent, which is the preparation time before Easter. I recognize that God does this examination at other times when we need it, too. At any time, it can be uncomfortable to feel that close inspection, but it is a relief when that hidden brokenness or rebellion is revealed and dealt with. The rod of God’s authority and power are awesome and can make us nervous if not for the continual reminder of God’s mercy and compassion, God’s love of us; this is symbolized by the staff.

The shepherd’s staff is normally a long, slender stick, often with a crook or hook on one end. The staff functions as a source of comfort for both the shepherd and the sheep and symbolizes the concern and compassion of the shepherd for his sheep. Keller says some of his most moving memories from the Middle East and Africa are of seeing elderly shepherds in the twilight of their lives, standing silently at sunset, leaning on their staves, watching their flocks with contented spirits.^[ii] The shepherd also uses the staff during lambing season to lift a newborn lamb and bring it close to its mother if they become separated. It becomes an extension of his arm. It can be used to reach out and catch individual sheep of any age and draw them to the shepherd for close inspection. This is especially helpful for shy and timid sheep that tend to scatter away if anyone gets too close.  It can help lift a sheep that has wandered into trouble out of water or off a cliff face. The staff helps guide the sheep, too. The tip of the staff is laid gently against the animal’s side and pressure is applied to guide it in the way the shepherd wants it to go. The sheep is guided around trouble and reassured that it is on the proper path. Sometimes the staff is held against the side of a sheep the shepherd has a particular fondness for so that they stay in intimate touch, almost like they are walking hand in hand.^[iii] The sheep loves this special attention and the sense of security of being so connected to the shepherd.

I do believe that God draws us close from time to time to receive special nurture. I have felt that close touch when I have been immersed in the natural world while hiking. I’ve felt it at gatherings such as the Clergy Gathering and SoulFiesta last week and in worship. I’ve felt it when rocking my beloved children and grandchildren. My experience has been that God does guide us usually by gentle, but persistent pressure. Sometimes God has to be more forceful (it has occasionally taken the “rod approach” to get my attention), but it usually starts out with nudgings. I was reminded by the speaker at the events last week about how important my prayer time is to remain healthy in body, mind and spirit and to maintain my ability to be a good pastor to you. Just this week, I was praying to God about the coming week’s events. And what came to me was “Be not afraid.” Boy, do those words sound familiar. Not only have I heard them many times in my own life (I tend to be a worrier), but they appear 66 times in the Bible. I counted them myself. The Divine Shepherd wants to touch us in a very intimate and personal way and so Jesus came to help us see and feel God’s compassion and care first hand.

The disciples were in the midst of a storm while Jesus was off praying. I wonder if they complained about his absence. There was a lot of fear that night- fear of the storm, fear of the form they saw approaching them, and he responds with one of those 66 times by saying “do not be afraid.” I love the way the Visual Bible^[iv] presents this passage from Matthew.

Dear Peter wants so badly to step out in faith and yet he shows us that even a beloved disciple finds it hard to do. It takes time, experience and the power of the Holy Spirit to build up that trust. Through that trust and confidence in the power and compassion of the Good Shepherd, we will come to recognize the Shepherd’s comforting touch when the dark valleys come.

We do have a Good Shepherd who cares for us in the storms of life, in the dark valleys. As the rod symbolizes, he has the power and the authority to walk with us through those valleys bringing us new life and wholeness. He loves us and wants us to be free from things that hurt us and cause us disease. Warning and discipline are not necessarily bad things when they are done correctly. The Good Shepherd will alert us, if we are willing to listen, to danger and those things that will make us sick. As the staff symbolizes, he has concern and compassion for us, his sheep, bringing us strength and comfort in our times of need. He reaches out regularly to touch us in the depths of our souls to calm our fears and guide us forward even through the darkest places. The Good Shepherd is here with rod and staff to comfort you. Do not be afraid. Amen.

Sermon delived by Rev. Nancy Cushman on March 9, 2008.