Reflections...

A sermon preached at Kowloon Union Church on Easter Sunday 11 May 2014 by the Rev. Phyllis Wong. The scripture readings that day were Psalm 23; 1 Peter 2:19-25 and John 10:1-10.

Opening prayer

Dear God, thank for your living words and your love that revealed in Jesus Christ. May your words O God nourish our soul and strengthen us to become more Christ like. Amen.

Introduction

Happy Mother’s Day!

We were all born from our biological mothers. Mother and child thus have special bonding. We celebrate Mother’s Day and give thanks to our mothers for their care and love to the children. I always remember Daniel my son’s sharing about our former domestic helper – Mimi. He said Mimi was like his mum when he was young. Mimi started to work for us when he was two years old. Mimi took care of him every day. She fed him, took him to bath, took him to school and played with him. Mimi had given to him such an intensive care when Tong and I were away from home to work. Therefore I was very grateful to Mimi for her immense help and loving support to our children and family. I was also happy that our two children respect and love Mimi, and they have maintained very good relationship even after Mimi stopped working for us.

I am also indebted to my mother. She gave to me an earthly life. She did not only raise me and take care of me, she had also helped me to look after our children when they were small. On this Mother’s Day I am missing her a lot.

Abundant life begins with a thankful heart

The gospel reading today is taken from John 10:1-10. This is the teaching of Jesus on the relationship between the shepherd and the sheep, as well as his claim of being a good shepherd. This reading is one of my favourite verses:

Jesus said: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly”. (John 10:10)

In today’s message about ‘abundant life’, Mother’s Day inspires me to reflect on an important aspect in life. Our life would never have been abundant if no one give us life in the first place. We will never experience the richness of life if there is no one there to help and care for us.

Therefore while we are celebrating Mother’s Day, we are here to celebrate life and life in abundance. Our mothers are definitely the first persons we should say thank you. Abundant life does not come by itself, it is nurtured by people who are there when we need them. They love and care for us in a unique way. They may be our fathers, our grand-parents, our siblings, our uncles and aunties, our teachers, our pastors, our friends and colleagues….you name it. 

‘The Lord is our shepherd, I shall not want.’ (Psalm 23:1) From a spiritual point of view, God who is the Creator of the universe, is the first one who gives to us the abundant life on earth.  We should be thankful for that.

Life would not be abundant if we take it for granted and don’t cherish it. The more we are grateful to God and to those who nourish and support us, the more we are blessed in life. Therefore, an abundant life begins with a thankful heart.

I know there may be some people who do not celebrate Mother’s Day because their mother or their children are not around due of work or because their mother has passed away, or simply because they don’t have good relationship with their mother or children.

A friend of mine found out that she was an adopted child when she was in her forties. She was shocked at the beginning. But later when she was able to digest the whole thing, she started to be grateful for her adopted mother and father. Although the thought of being abandoned still haunts and tears her apart, she has been gradually able to confirm one fact – without her biological mother, she won’t  exist in this world. Without her adopted parents, she may not even survive up to now. Therefore my friend was able to transform every now and then to face her life, a life of brokenness. To live a life from brokenness to a life of abundance, I believe ‘being grateful’ is an important element. Of course the process is not easy and she has gone through different stages of healing.

We do need God to heal and to seek God’s power of forgiveness in our relationships that have been so hurting. An abundant life cannot be fulfilled if we carry the guilt and shame, hatred and anger with our beloved ones.

Abundant life is to engage in God’s service

Jesus said: ‘I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly’. (John 10:10)

Jesus’ promise to give life of abundance is very attractive indeed. But when I started to serve in KUC and met with some asylum seekers I found that their lives were so difficult. They were not happy with the current life situation. They had more worries than hope because of an uncertain future. What does Jesus’ promise of an abundant life mean to them?

After a while I found that our African brothers are talented in music and dancing. Their drumming in African style is powerful and their voice is strong. I then confirm that no matter how poor and miserable a person seem to be, God gives each one of us some gifts that we may enjoy and bring glory to God if we use it with a serving heart. I thus gather them to form the African Voices to sing in the church and form the peace making team to go for outreach programs in the community. They went to local churches, schools and community centres to share their music talents, experiences in Hong Kong as refugees and their cultures from home.

When they begin to serve and focus on what they can do and contribute, their life is no more the same. They have become happier and find life more meaningful. They may also make better use of their time by doing something that can contribute to the community and serve God as peace ambassadors. 

In connection to this pastoral experience, let me share the context of Jesus’ teaching in John 10.

Jesus taught during a Jewish festival called ‘Hanukkah’. He was speaking to the religious Jewish leaders. At the Hanukkah festival, Israel recalled the failed leadership of the temple during the Maccabean era. During its ceremonies of the Hanukkah liturgy, there is powerful criticism of Israel’s ‘false shepherds’. You may refer it to the Book of Ezekiel 34.

Jesus criticized the leadership in Jerusalem, he also launched the principal theme of Hanukkah identifying the true and false shepherd of God’s people.

Hanukkah in Hebrew means offering, therefore this festival is also known as the Feast of Dedication. Jesus had dedicated himself to serve as a good shepherd to lay down his life for the sheep. (v.11)

In the Catholic tradition, the 4^th Sunday in Easter is taken as Good Shepherd Sunday or Vocation Sunday

Abundant life is thus not a conceptual understanding nor is something we passively receive. Abundant life is an active engagement in God’s service to bring goodness for others by offering what has been given.  An abundant life for us as Christian is to walk with Jesus Christ in his life and in his ministry on earth.

Jesus Christ came to world to love and to save. His sacrifice has set an example for us. He called his followers to do the same as him.

2 Peter 2:21 – “For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you should follow in his steps.”

In Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, we will then know what Jesus is referring to in abundant life. Abundant life is not free from suffering and pain.

Abundant life is not an absence of life trial.

In ancient Israel, Shepherd is an image and figure of God who care for his people. A shepherd is good to his people. He provides what they need and protect them from danger. A shepherd is thus like a strong king and caring mother to protect and to love.

Psalm 23

“He made me lie down in green pasture; he leads me beside still waters. He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff – they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies… Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long. ”

In Psalm 23, the image of good shepherd has been described in details. This poetry is beauty. But when we read between the lines and knowing the potential danger in the wilderness, we will know very well the world that we are living in is not safe. What’s more, the life we engage on earth is never free from danger nor trial.

Although Jesus promised to come to give life and a life of abundance, we should be know also:

Abundant life is not an absence of brokenness.

Abundant life is not an absence of sickness

Abundant life is not an absence of enemies.

What is abundant life then?

Abundant life - is our deep trust in God’s promise of life and love, and Christ’ deep commitment to forgive and save.

Abundant life – is to live with a thankful heart, to give thanks to God and others for what we have been given.  

Abundant life – is to serve with a willing mind, to return to Jesus Christ, be healed and follow the foot step of Jesus -- Christ to love and to serve.

Dear sisters and brothers, to live a life in Jesus Christ our good shepherd, surely goodness and mercy shall follow us all the days of our life, and we shall dwell in the house of the Lord our whole life long. May we and our church continue our abundant life with hope and joy. Amen.