Fourth Sunday of Easter; April 13, 2008; Bethel Lutheran Church, Rochester.
John 10:1-10.

Dear Friends in Christ, Grace to you and Peace, from God our Father and our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. AMEN.

Are you living an abundant life? Do you want an abundant life? All you have to do is send Bethel $19.99, and we will send you a packet that will change your life. You will be taking vacations that only the rich can afford. You will get out from under your bills. Spring will finally come, and your cat will even love you. Not only that, if you sign up for our extended spiritual life program at the low cost of $10.00 a month for one year, that is just $10.00 (two Starbucks lattes), we’ll show you how you can quit your job and be happier than ever.

Thus far, I pray that no one has taken me seriously. It is a fairly crass parody of the “abundant life” being offered these days by some who call themselves Christians. Abundance is defined in money and possessions. Abundance is having more than the neighbor. Abundance borders on wastefulness.

That isn’t the abundance of which Jesus speaks. Goodness, Jesus speaks about abundance of life in terms of sheep and shepherds—and what kind of abundance can sheep enjoy? Two little stories:

A couple sheep are walking on the grasslands. Suddenly they both fall into a hole. They can't get out. The first simple sheep starts to shout: "Help!! Help!!" It doesn't seem to work. No help is coming. The sheep shouts again: "Help!!! Help!!" The second sheep says: "It might help if we shout together." The first sheep shouts: "Together!! Together!!" And Jesus compares us to sheep?

Two guys are walking through the woods and come across this big deep hole. "Wow...that looks deep." "Sure does... toss a few pebbles in there and see how deep it is." They pick up a few pebbles and throw them in and wait... no noise. "Wow. That is REALLY deep... here.. throw one of these great big rocks down there. That should make a noise." They pick up a couple football-sized rocks and toss them into the hole and wait... and wait. Nothing.

They look at each other in amazement. One gets a determined look on his
face and says, "Hey...over here in the weeds, there's a railroad tie. Help me carry it over here. When we toss THAT baby in, it's GOTTA make some noise." The two men drag the heavy tie over to the hole and heave it in. Not a sound comes from the hole.

Suddenly, out of the nearby woods, a sheep appears, running like the wind. It rushes toward the two men, then right past them, running as fast as it's legs will carry it. Suddenly it leaps in the air and into the hole. The two men are astonished with what they've just seen... Then, out of the woods comes a farmer who spots the men and ambles over. “Hey... you two guys seen my sheep out here?” “You bet we did! Craziest thing I ever seen! It came running like crazy and just jumped into this hole!”
“Nah,” says the farmer, “that couldn't have been MY sheep. My sheep was
chained to a railroad tie.”

Not that the sheep had any choice in the matter of following the railroad tie in this case, but one of my organists in a previous parish was a sheep farmer, and he would tell you that sheep are dull enough to follow a railroad tie.

Jesus came to save his sheep—even if we are dull enough to follow railroad ties. Not only did he come to save us, he came to give us life, and life abundant. Jesus loved the word, “life.” In the New Testament as a whole, there are 216 references to the word, “life.” There are 47 uses of the word, “life,” in the Gospel of John alone. Jesus came to give life and still comes today to give life and to give us abundant life and eternal life.

Life and eternal life are dominating themes in the Gospel of John. While the first three gospels love to talk about the kingdom of God or the kingdom of heaven, John uses the word “life.” The most famous Bible verse illustrates that truth, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

It is not just the hereafter to which this life refers. Jesus expects that the promise of life is for this world and the next. This past week I had lunch with the owner of a large trucking firm which is getting devastated by the current cost of diesel fuel. He is losing money every day. But his life is good. He knows what is important. This past week I buried a 90-year-old woman who lived a modest life by most standards. But she was rich. She was rich in her faith and in her large family. This past week I talked with an 8-year-old girl who told me her mission is to help others and to do what pleases God in this world. There will never be a person with more abundant life if she lives out that mission.

Abundant living isn't hard to find. It's a matter of walking through the right doors. Jesus tells us that he is the door, he is the gate. The life of which Jesus is speaking--one that overflows--is a life that passes through the grace of God. Jesus cautions those who would sneak through other passageways. Phony grace and false security and make-believe shepherds abound, and so do misleading doorways.

For years St. Anthony's Catholic Church in San Francisco has served meals to people in need. Over the doorway to its dining room the church has posted a sign bearing the inscription: Caritate Dei. One day a young mechanic, just released from jail and new to St. Anthony's, entered the door and sat down for a meal. A woman was busy cleaning the adjoining table. "When do we get on our knees and do the chores, lady?" he asked. "You don't," she replied. "Then when's the sermon comin'?" he inquired. "Aren't any," she said. "How `bout the lecture on life, huh?" "Not here," she said.

The man was suspicious. "Then what's the gimmick?" The woman pointed to the inscription over the door. He squinted at the sign. "What's it mean, lady?" "Out of love for God," she said with a smile, and moved on to another table.

That is the abundance of life to which Jesus would point us in this world. Edith, who was closest to God while in her garden and enjoying God’s creation. Katie, who would pray faithfully many times a day. A stock car driver who offers a prayer for the racers and spectators before the engines fire. A teacher who finally sees a light of understanding in a child who has struggled so hard. The adoring new mother or new father who sees God in the creation of a new life. Abundant life, Jesus says. Abundant life. Or, as our beloved Psalm would have it today, “…my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.

And that is not all. Life in the Bible is often defined as “eternal life.” In John’s gospel, we have fifteen specific references to Jesus giving “eternal life.” Abundant life begins now. It extends through our earthly life. And Jesus’ expectation is that his sheep will enjoy life eternal. Or, as our Psalm would tell us, “…and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.”

That “forever” concept is incomprehensible to us humans. We are programmed to days, months, years, decades, even centuries. Forever? Forever. That is exactly what God wants for us. Abundant life forever.

I suspect that most of us will continue to chase the inducements of this world—money, power, fame, popularity, and a hoard of others. We sometimes confuse that with a life of abundance. But Jesus would warn us that they are robbers who are trying to get at us, not through the gate, but by another way. They would try to drown out the voice of the shepherd.

Thank you for being here today to hear the voice of the resurrected one—the one who is the way, the truth, and the life. For you, my friends—abundant life! AMEN.