Easter Message from ASQ
Sermon on Psalm 23 delivered by Bishop John Went on 4th Sunday of Easter at ASQ on 11.5.25
Today the focus of the gospel continues to be Jesus the Good Shepherd. In John’s gospel Jesus makes a number of “I am” sayings: I am the true vine; I am the bread of life; I am the way, the truth & the life; I am the resurrection & the life. Jesus takes titles applied in the Old Testament to God & applies them significantly to himself. In the Old Testament God is pictured as Shepherd & supremely in the beautiful 23rd Psalm.
The Lord is my Shepherd, therefore can I lack nothing; God’s Provision. David the Shepherd boy later King of Israel goes on to speak of being fed in luscious green pastures, led to a place of cool refreshing water; a picture of his deepest needs as a human being met through knowing God’s presence in his life. Here and in much of the Old Testament there is an emphasis on God as providing material & physical gifts; but as well as a healthy emphasis on material blessings, the psalmist reminds us that the greatest gift is God himself The Psalmist elsewhere speaks of being abandoned by his human family but included by God in his family. In John’s gospel Jesus presents himself as the Bread of Life, as Living Water. There is security, a sense of belonging, acceptance love, value, significance: all this & much more through a personal relationship with God.
God’s Provision. Secondly, God’s Protection Though walking through the valley of the shadow of death he will fear no evil. God as Shepherd is with him; the Lord’s road & staff bring him comfort. Palestinian shepherd carried a club (rod) & a crook (staff); the rod to ward off dangerous wild animals, staff to control the sheep, keep them close to the shepherd, away from danger; vivid image of the shepherd’s personal care for the sheep to protect them from danger. The security of the sheep lay in keeping as close as possible to the Shepherd. Earlier in John 10 Jesus speaks of himself also as the door to the sheepfold. Sheepfolds at the time were open on three sides & at night time the shepherd would sleep lying across the open entrance to ensure the sheep couldn’t wander off & no wild animals could get in to harm the sheep.
We live in very challenging times; ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Russia & Ukraine, India & Pakistan fighting over Kashmir, then personal sadness, issues, fears in our own lives. Faced with problems, challenging situations, it is tremendously encouraging to know the presence of a God of power & love who has revealed his true nature in the Person of Jesus, in his life & ministry, in his death on the cross. Jesus faced the most horrendous darkness, powers of evil on the cross & emerged the other side alive & free.
Sheila Cassidy in Sharing the Darkness speaks of her ministry among the terminally ill & the importance in that setting of a spirituality of presence the presence of a God of love who in Jesus Christ has entered fully into our human pain & suffering & is present today by the Holy Spirit, entering all our pain & fragility, our constant companion & friend, a source of comfort, inner strength, future hope.
Presence; Protection; Thirdly, God’s Promises As the Psalmist faces an unknown future his experience of God’s faithfulness & love in the past gives him confidence to face an unknown future. The imagery changes from Shepherd & Sheep to Host & Guests: a lavish banquet is spread out; celebration of God’s abundant provision & protection; an occasion of joy in the presence of God as our Host. Meals in the Middle East as celebratory occasions.
This eucharist is an occasion for us to experience God’s hospitality. Just as in the gospels God’s love in Jesus is all embracing, open, welcoming love. The challenge for us as God’s people here in Queensbury is to be accessible, welcoming reaching out to share God’s love by word & action with those around us.
David goes on to vividly imagine God’s loving kindness & mercy pursuing him. Hebrew word used is used of a pack of hounds pursuing a wild animal; so determined is God to pour out his blessing on us; God’s boundless love; a God who delights to lavish & go on lavishing his love on us!
Generally, in the Old Testament there is no clear hope of life beyond this life; but occasionally ( the end of Psalm 23 is one such occasion) there are pointers to the fact that if God loves us in the way that only God can, we cannot exhaust the full significance of God’s love in one short earthly life; God’s purposes must embrace eternity. That future hope is taken up in the New Testament where the banquet becomes a symbol of sharing in a great feast God in his love has prepared for us, celebrating the love & goodness of God for all eternity & the eucharist is a foretaste of that heavenly banquet.
Provision, Protection Promises. Many times in this short psalm imagery & words are used that echo imagery earlier in the Old Testament of God’s gracious provision for & his protection of his people as he brought them out of slavery in Egypt & let them through the Wilderness & safely into the Promised Land. That great act of deliverance by God for his people served as a paradigm for all God’s relationships with his people & the source of King David’s confidence in God. A God who has shown such love & proved beyond all doubt his faithfulness so abundantly in the past can be trusted here & now whatever we face in life. And you & I look back to an even greater demonstration of God’s love & faithfulness in Jesus Christ his life & ministry, his death & resurrection & we continue to celebrate the victory of Easter during this Easter season. Good news. Romans 8: Nothing in the whole of creation can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus!
Bishop John Went
11.5.25
Why not join us every Sunday for Eucharist service at 10am?
We would love to see you there, bine aţi venit!
Waltham Drive
Queensbury
Edgware
Middx
HA8 5PQ