Baa Baa
by Frank Fisher

Matthew 25:31-46

Your name is Elizur.
You're a sheep.
At least 
that's what people
 have always called you. 
Even back when you where taking 
your first toddling steps,
through the hot dusty streets
of first century Jerusalem,
you'd follow after anyone blindly,
and without any hesitation at all.
If your mother looked away from you
for even an instant,
you'd be off down the street,
tagging along behind a perfect stranger. 

It took at lot of effort
but your parents finally broke you
of that habit.
But they never could convince you
to be more careful
about the people you looked up too.
The shepherds whom you followed,
no matter where they led you.

First,
 there was the boy who lived next door.
You remember him pretty well I'm sure.
He was smart,
and lots of fun to be around.
One of the most fun tricks
 that he taught you
was to throw rocks
at the tax collector.
The taxes on your father's shop
doubled right after you got caught.

Then there were the two brothers
who lived across town.
They were a lot older then you,
and they seemed to succeed
at everything they tried.
They certainly succeeded with you
when they helped you
burn down the rabbi's house.

Over the years
you followed lots
of other shepherds.
They all helped you to learn 
an incredible variety of 
repugnant ways to hurt other people.
But you never looked up to anyone
or followed anyone
the way you followed Azoriah.

Azoriah looked like the perfect shepherd
to a sheep like you.
He was a lot older, 
and he was big and strong.
He had the kind of confident air
that convinced you
 that he knew everything.
And Azoriah
 not only knew how to do lots of things.
You thought
 that he knew how to do them very well.
Like that one special skill 
that he taught you.
The skill
that changed your life. 
Azoriah taught you
 how to steal.

Things hadn't been going real well
in your father's shop lately.
He hadn't forgotten the tax collector
so you didn't get along with him too well
You felt
that you could find better things to do
with your time.
After all,
 learning a trade's hard work.
And to you,
work is something that gains appeal
when it's done by someone else.
And when Azoriah showed you
 that there was an easier way to make a living,
it seemed like a really good idea.
At least it did 
 at the time.

You started off by taking money
out of the cups of the blind beggars
who sat by the eastern gate.
That was pretty easy.
And it provided you,
and Azoriah,
with pocket money.
At least it did
 until your father caught you,
disowned you,
and threw you 
out of the house.

Then it was off to the wilderness
tagging along behind your shepherd.
You see Azoriah had this perfect plan.
He knew a cave
that was just out of sight
 of a major caravan route.
All you had to do
was hide in the cave
and wait.
Sooner or later
a poorly defended caravan would come along.
Then after a few minutes work
you'd have enough money
to last you for months.
You had to hand it to Azoriah.
His plan worked.
At least it did,
until you used it
 a few times too often.
That's when the legionaries
sent out their own caravan.

In the last few hours
 you've had plenty of time
to think.
You think that maybe
 you should have lived your life
a little differently.
You think that maybe
Azoriah was more of a wolf
 than a shepherd.

Yes,
there's plenty of time to think now
as you hang here
 on the cross.
At least they crucified Azoriah with you.
It's nice to have some company
while you're waiting to die.

But wait,
it looks like
 you'll have even more company.
The Romans
are bringing a third man up the hill.
Well,
 he won't keep you company long.
They've already abused him so much
that he's too weak
to even carry his own cross.

You watch as
the Romans nail him down
and hoist him into the air.
All the people around you
 are laughing at him
and at the sign
that's nailed to the top of his cross.
They think it's pretty funny
that the sign reads,
"This is the king
of the Jews."
You thought that he looked familiar.
But the sign confirms it.
Even you, and Azoriah,
have heard of him.
Lot's of people thought
that he was the Messiah.


Azoriah opens his mouth
and joins in the laughter,
"Are you not the Messiah?
Save yourself and us."
You look
 at the face of this man.
There's something about him.
Something that breaks into your mind
and touches you
 in the very center
of your soul.

The last hold that Azoriah had on you snaps,
and you scream out,
"Do you not fear God
since you are under
 the same sentence of condemnation.
And we have been condemned justly,
for we are getting what we deserve for our deeds,
but this man
 has done nothing wrong."
Then you humbly turn your face
toward the man
 on the center cross
and say,
"Jesus
remember me
when you come into your kingdom."

With a look of incredible love
that burns away the pain
Jesus looks at you,
 and says,
"Truly I tell you,
today you will be with me
in paradise."

The last of your strength
 ebbs from your body.
You throw your head back,
and scream out your last breath.
But that breath
is caught up
by the very arms of God.
And your scream
is a cry of victory.
Sheep you may be,
but at last,
at long last,
you have found
 your shepherd.

Two thousand  years have passed
since that day.
Centuries have come and gone.
You're still a sheep,
as am I,
and as is every other human
 who walks on the earth.
But thanks be to God,
there still is a Shepherd.
A Shepherd
 who knew each 
and every one of us
by name
at the dawn of creation.
A Shepherd who walks beside us
in each and every day
in every phase
of our journey.

I was notified
of the next phase
of your journey
with the Shepherd,
when I received a letter
this week 
from the Presbyterian Bureau
 of Amalgamated Pastoral Services, 
the official minister matchmaking
            service of the Presbyterian Church.
 It was addressed to me as 
            interim pastor of this church, 
with a carbon copy 
to Blackhawk Presbytery.
 I  opened it nervously, 
wondering what on earth 
the Bureau had to say. 
 The   letter read as follows:


"Dear Interim Pastor:
  "According to our records,
 your congregation 
recently ordered a new pastoral unit, 
model XKE47, 
to be delivered 
sometime around the first of 
February.

We regret to inform you 
that we cannot provide you
 with a  model XKE47,
            as the new software 
has not yet been fully 
debugged by the vendor, 
 Jehovah
            Industries Incorporated.

            "You may rescind your order
 for a full refund. 
Or, if you prefer, we 
 can send you 
our current model pastoral unit
, the XKE46, 
as we have  several
            excess in stock. 
The XKE46 pastoral unit
 comes with many
 of the advanced
            features of the XKE47. 
Both pastoral units 
are equipped with 
advanced
            teaching and preaching technology,
 as well as fully certified
 and bonded
            listening software.

            "The only significant differences 
between the model XKE47 
and the  model XKE46 
is that the pastoral unit XKE46 
does not come equipped with 
the Extra  Sensory Perception Module.
 The Model XKE46 also has
 an independent streak
            that potentially interferes 
with doing what
 the congregation wants 
whenever
            the congregation wants it
 regardless of the circumstances. 

 Nonetheless, 
it  has been our experience 
at the Bureau of Amalgamated Pastoral  Services
 that espite these flaws the XKE46
 functions quite well 
in the average
            Presbyterian congregation,
 providing 
the congregation conforms to 
the
            following procedures:

            "If a member of the congregation
 has a problem 
that requires the  attention
            of the pastoral unit, 
that member of the congregation 
must promptly inform
            the pastoral unit of the difficulty.
 Because the pastoral unit lacks 
the Extrasensory Perception Module,
 the pastoral unit will not know
 that someone
            is in the hospital, 
or ill,
 or angry, 
or in need of comfort
 unless the unit
            is informed of that fact. 

Moreover, 
the unit XKE46 
requires direct input of
            information. 
It cannot respond effectively 
to rumors or hearsay.


 The  XKE46
            also needs 
a reasonable combination 
of time off 
and personal privacy 
in order to recharge 
its batteries. 
You must give the XKE46 
its space.

    "We at the 
Bureau of Amalgamated Pastoral Services 
believe that a pastoral  unit XKE46
 will serve your congregation well
 for many years providing you
            conform to the above procedures.
 Because of our confidence 
in the XKE46
            pastoral unit 
we will, 
unless we hear otherwise, 
proceed to ship you 
 a model XKE46. 
You should receive your new pastoral unit
 by your requested 
 delivery date.

            "If you have any problems 
or complaints, 
please notify us promptly 
at
            1-800-BUZ-ZOFF. 
We regret any inconvenience 
we may have caused you.

            "Sincerely, 
the Presbyterian Bureau 
of Amalgamated Pastoral Services."

            Now technically, 
I should have called 
a special meeting of the 
Session to respond to this letter.
 However, 
I took the liberty
 of telling the  Bureau
            that the  model XKE46
named Howard Smith,
 would do just fine. 

The letter points out
that February 1st
will not mark the arrival
of your Shepherd.
Instead,
in Howard
you will find a lead sheep;
one who will help you listen
to the Shepherd's voice
as together,
in caring for Christ's people.
you work for the day
when our Lord
will again
walk among us.

Come Lord Jesus,
Gentle Shepherd
who cares
even for sheep like us.
Acknowledge us,
  we humbly pray,
as sheep of your own fold,
lambs of your own flock,
sinners of your own redeeming.
Walk with us 
and guard us 
until the day that you bring us
through the gate 
you've opened
to your eternal fields.
There may we at last
safely graze forever.

To God alone be glory. Amen.
www.ffisher.net

(Comments to Frank at FRANK.FISHER@ecunet.org.)
http://www.ffisher.net