|
distraction
rediscover Christmas (part 2 of 4)
summary
Jesus tells us that the sheep know the shepherd's voice. It is ironic that at Christmas, what the
secular world thinks the season is about distracts us. Amidst the familiar secular stories, we can miss
the true story of the baby in the manger who came to save the world.
introduction
In Christmas Vacation (1989), the Griswold mom and daughter talk about the difficulties of the
Christmas season (beginning 22:38; length :45; ends with, “It’s Christmas, and we’re all in misery”).
Has this become your experience of Christmas? Unfortunately, for too many people, this is exactly
what Christmas has become. The misery of Christmas is a painful reality, the mere mention of which
is enough to cause shivers in anticipation.
How has this happened? How has Christmas become a misery? How has Christmas become a
distraction that keeps us from experiencing the grace, joy, and peace of God?
distraction
John 10:1-18 give us an interesting glimpse into this phenomenon:
1“Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a
thief and a bandit. 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3The gatekeeper opens the
gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4When he
has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice.
5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.”
6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
7So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8All who came before me are
thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved,
and will come in and go out and find pasture. 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that
they may have life, and have it abundantly.
11“I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12The 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. 13The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for
the sheep. 14I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, 15just as the Father knows me
and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. 16I 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. 17For
this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life in order to take it up again. 18No 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.” (John 10:1-18)
Who are those called “a thief [or] a bandit” (:1)? This phrase is a reference to the relationship
between the sheep and all others besides Jesus. All others attack the sheep in a multiplicity of ways
(e.g. the thieves through stealth or the bandits with violence).
The sheep know the voice of their shepherd (:3-4) through the process of conditioning: the shepherd
protects and leads the sheep to pasture, providing all that is required for abundant life; the sheep are
then conditioned to expect good things from the shepherd and therefore respond expectantly at the
mere sound of his voice. In contrast, all others have selfish motives, wanting only to steal, kill, and
scatter the sheep for their own ends (:10a). The shepherd thinks only of the sheep, even to the point
of sacrificing his own life to protect them (:11).
There a number of different sheep alluded to in this passage: all the sheep the shepherd owns; those
he calls by name, presumably because of a more intimate relationship; and, those in or from other
sheepfolds (:3-4, 16). Of the first group, some will hear and respond to Jesus’ voice and become the
second group. Of the third group, some will likewise hear and respond to Jesus’ voice and become
the second group. The second group is protected and provided for, even so much so that they enjoy
abundant life. The thieves and bandits do the exact opposite; they cannot be trusted, but they do
distract.
But why are thieves and bandits so able to distract the sheep and us, if their motives are so
recognisably evil? In the first group of sheep, it is because of a lack of conditioning. They lack this
conditioning enjoyed by the second group most likely because they have refused the initial
experiences with the shepherd that convinced the second group of his positive intentions towards the
sheep.
However, the third group, while also not having the benefit of conditioning, they hear and they respond
without conditioning, after the manner of the second group. What is the difference between the first
and third groups?
Quite possibly it is because the third group have seen the second group of sheep out in the fields with
their shepherd, and have seen how well he treats them and how they enjoy their abundant life. Their
own shepherd, while possibly not being a thief or a bandit —although, even thieves and bandits may
keep ‘security sheep’, for times of poor ‘collections’— their shepherd is certainly more like a hired
hand because he could not possibly be of the quality of the good shepherd, else the sheep would not
abandon him so quickly. In such a case, who would not leave at the earliest opportunity to be cared
for by the good shepherd?
The first group of sheep have not seen the abundant life of the second group because they have
remained within the sheepfold, and present an easy target for being stolen or killed.
Many would try to allegorise all of the characters in this story, but the thrust of the narrative explores
only the relationship between the sheep and the good shepherd and/or the thieves and bandits.
Clearly the sheep prefer to be with the good shepherd, but they are either distracted or have not yet
had the opportunity to go with the good shepherd.
Both scenarios exist at Christmas. Who and what distracts us, at Christmas, from hearing the voice of
the good shepherd? How are some of us prevented from responding to the good shepherd?
The enticements of alternative narratives for Christmas are one distraction. Who wants the challenge
of the baby in the manger when the sexy allure of Santa Claus will do? The picture postcard
Christmas experience is quite appealing as well, but it cannot make good on its promises, as the
Christmas Vacation excerpt demonstrates. These, and other elements of a non-Jesus-centred holiday
celebration, are mere distractions. They become dangerous distractions when one is unable to find
the Christ in Christmas, at the end of it all.
conclusion & response
Some people have never had a glimpse of the Christ of Christmas, so their longing for joy, peace, and
salvation remains unfulfilled and misguided. They will continue to attempt to fill this longing with
distractions until they catch a glimpse of the true Christmas. Who will live out the true Christmas joy
visibly and loudly so that others may find this for themselves? Our church attempted to do just such a
thing with our picnic last week and our stall at the Hurstville Market yesterday. These are great
examples, but our efforts cannot end there.
Be sure, both during Advent and at Christmas, to celebrate the Christ of Christmas abundantly, and be
ready to give an honest explanation for why you have chosen to celebrate the baby in the manger
more so than Santa and the snow that will never fall, here in Sydney, at Christmas. In this way, you
will encourage people to refocus their attention, away from the distractions, so as to discover the true
meaning and spirit of Christmas.
sermon delivered by Ian Forest-Jones
at Hurstville Church of Christ
on Sunday, 9 December 2007 at 10am
[email]
< back
|
