Grace, mercy and peace be yours, from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Numbers 27:12-23
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go up this mountain in the Abarim range and see the land I have given the Israelites. After you have seen it, you too will be gathered to your people, as your brother Aaron was, for when the community rebelled at the waters in the Desert of Zin, both of you disobeyed my command to honor me as holy before their eyes.” (These were the water of Meribah Kadesh, in the Desert of Zin.)
Moses said to the LORD, “May the LORD, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community to go out and come in before them, one who will lead them out and bring them in, so the LORD’s people will not be like sheep without a shepherd.” So the LORD said to Moses, “Take Joshua son of Nun, a man in whom is the spirit, and lay your hand on him. Have him stand before Eleazar the priest and the entire assembly and commission him in their presence. Give him some of your authority so the whole Israelite community will obey him. He is to stand before Eleazar the priest, who will obtain decisions for him by inquiring of the Urim before the LORD. At his command he and the entire community of the Israelites will go out, and at his command they will come in.”
Moses did as the LORD commanded him. He took Joshua and had him stand before Eleazar the priest and the whole assembly. Then he laid his hands on him and commissioned him, as the LORD instructed through Moses.
Dear friends in Christ,
I was flipping through the TV channels the other day, looking for something interesting to catch my eye (which apparently is an annoying habit to other members who live in the same house I do). Anyway… I came across a show that featured what some might consider to be unique or odd jobs, so I decided to watch.
In Japan, they have so many people taking the train, they have what are called: train pushers. They are usually college students who work during the morning and evening rush hours. Their job is to literally push as many people onto the train as they can. They are paid $6-$8 an hour to push people.
Another job featured was a professional mascot. The Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League is hiring. You get paid $30,000-$40,000 a year to attend games, interact with fans, and to attend other community functions as needed. Not bad.
And then there was the dog food taster. Tasters regularly open sample tins of freshly made dog food, and then proceed to smell it and eat it. And it pays well! An entry-level position pays $30,000 a year, where an experienced taster can earn as much as $75,000 a year. Maybe if this pastor thing doesn’t work out for me…
Every once in a while you come across a job that just makes you scratch your head. In our sermon for today, we hear about a job opening. This one was no joke. Moses, the unquestioned leader of God’s people for over forty years, was about to be replaced. It was time for new leadership. It was time for a new shepherd; someone who would lead God’s people into the Promised Land.
Make no mistake; this was going to be a big job. Imagine trying to lead 2,000,000 people! The qualifications needed for this job would be impressive. The new leader would have to be great at organization, would need excellent communication skills, diplomacy, tact, vision, and hopefully some military training. This person would have to be a great leader.
In today’s Scripture lesson, we witness a 120 year old Moses turning over the reins of leadership to Joshua. Lord willing, there are some leadership lessons here for us to learn. May we learn that:
When Sheep Become Shepherds
- First you follow
- Then you lead
Moses was an amazing man who lived an incredible life. He was born a Hebrew but raised as Egyptian royalty. Years later he would serve as God’s servant to bring his people out of slavery in Egypt, and guide them as they wandered in the desert for forty years. And then finally, when Israel stood at the borders of the Promised Land, Moses was told he would not enter.
The final chapter of Moses’ life goes like this, “Moses climbed Mount Nebo…there the Lord showed him the whole land…Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.” I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.” And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said. He buriedhim in Moab….Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face” (Deuteronomy 34:1,4,5,6,10).
That’s quite an honor to be buried by God, and before that, to hold numerous mountain summits face to face with God. When it comes to leadership, Moses ranks among the very best, but it took some time and training.
If you have any kind of influence on any other person, that makes you a leader. You don’t need an appointment from an organization or a title in front of your name. To be a leader all you need is at least one follower. To be a shepherd all you need is at least one sheep. If you are able to influence a child, a spouse, a roommate, a coworker, a friend, a neighbor, or for that matter even someone who reads your Facebook page, then you’re a leader. You are a shepherd.
Before any of us becomes a shepherd or leader, however, we first need to learn what it is to follow. We must first learn to be sheep. The gifted general was at one time a lowly cadet. The successful lawyer was at one time a hard-working clerk. Potential leaders often create problems for themselves when they want to skip this step. And as Christians we often create problems for ourselves when we think we can be leaders on our own terms without following God.
Recall how the ambitious 40-year-old Moses tried to save the Israelites from slavery according to his own time and method when he killed the Egyptian who was beating a Hebrew. Only after the humiliation of being chased into the wilderness because the Egyptian king wanted him dead was Moses ready to follow – to learn from and listen to God. That took another 40 years.
Moses settled in the land of Midian, married, and became a shepherd for his father-in-law. Only after he matured from sheep to shepherd did the Lord call him – when he was 80 years old – to deliver the Israelites from slavery. Even then, there were times when Moses slipped into sin. After the Israelites escaped from Egypt, and wandered in the wilderness, there was a time when they couldn’t find water. As usual, they complained, and Moses forwarded the problem to God, who mercifully instructed Moses to command a rock to gush with water. But during a passionate speech Moses got a little carried away and smacked the rock with his staff instead. Although water shot out, God would never forget this act of Moses that crowded in on God’s glory by making it seem like Moses’ own power and will had caused the water to gush from the rock instead of from the power and gracious will of God.
Moses disobeyed God’s orders and dishonored God in front of the people he was leading. God graciously forgave him but as a powerful lesson to everyone involved he told Moses that he would not be able to enter the Promised Land.
Sometimes, once we become leaders, we have problems following God. We dishonor him in front of the people whom we influence: spouse, children, family and friends. Jesus takes our influence on others so seriously that he once said, “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck”(Mark 9:42).
There is a price to be paid for misrepresenting God to others by our bad behavior. Sadly, sometimes a portion of that price is paid by those whom we influence, who follow our bad behavior and fall into sin. As if watching our children, friends, and neighbors repeat our sinful mistakes isn’t bad enough, the blame that we bear makes us guilty before God so that we sink, and sink, and sink away from him. We become like lost sheep unable to find our way home. We convince ourselves that we are the best of shepherds, and yet, we end up becoming the worst of sheep.
In today’s gospel Jesus shows that he has a special place in his heart for lost sheep. “He had compassion on them because they were like sheep without a shepherd” (Mark 6:34). Whether you feel like you are falling dangerously further and further from God or you are wandering aimlessly wondering which spiritual direction is best, your Good Shepherd Jesus comes to you. He calls you by name and rescues you from your enemies and even yourself. He who eternally deserves the name Good Shepherd gave up that title for a while to become a sheep himself as the Lamb of God. He followed God’s voice into the valley of the shadow of death, and laid down his life as the payment for sin. The guilt that belongs to us sinners pointed its finger of blame at Jesus and he didn’t back away. Neither did the Father back away from his promise to exalt his Son who sacrificed himself. “The God of peace … brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep” (Hebrews 13:20).
Take a good look. The stone now putting pressure on you is not a millstone of punishment pulling you away from God but a tombstone of God’s power, pushing you forward to “equip you with everything good for doing his will, [to] work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ” (Hebrews 13:21).
You are a sheep who – by Jesus’ death and resurrection – has become a shepherd. Being a good sheep who follows Jesus makes you a better shepherd who leads other people to follow Jesus. Here are some examples:
- The shepherd who sets the example for the rest of the family by bringing them to worship.
- The shepherds who see the importance of Christian education and see to it that those they love and those they meet learn about Jesus, whether its in our elementary school, or Sunday School, or Vacation Bible School, or in one of our area Lutheran high schools.
- The shepherd who practices what he/she preaches despite constant peer pressure to give in to the temptations of a sinful society: while dating, drinking, cursing, or gossiping.
- The shepherd who takes the time to welcome those who visit with us in worship and then invites them to return.
- The shepherd who seizes the opportunity to care for someone else in need; and who encourages others to support each other and pray for each other.
- The shepherd who intentionally and prayerfully turns meaningless chit chat with a neighbor into a meaningful conversation about Jesus.
Shepherding is everywhere, and Moses knew a lot about shepherding. First he learned it for forty years, then he practiced it for another forty years leading the Israelites until this moment when God told him he’d soon die. Amazingly, Moses didn’t argue or bargain for more time. With the trust of a sheep and the wisdom of a shepherd, he said, “May the Lord, the God of the spirits of all mankind, appoint a man over this community”(Numbers 27:16).
Moses knew Israel’s future was in God’s hands. He trusted that God would put the right shepherd, in the right place, at the right time. He did. Joshua was put into place and God promised him success.
God has now put you here, in this place, at this time. He’s put you here and is giving you the opportunity to shepherd and to influence those around you, to bring them closer to Jesus.
So how can you do that? Remember the mission and vision of this congregation. You are here to make disciples for Christ. And we intend to do that, with God’s help, by remaining connected to the means of grace, and to each other; and then striving by all possible means to bring the gospel into our community and world.
That’s now your job. That’s my job. We’re all in this together, until we reach the Promised Land.
Amen.
And now may the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, keep our hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus. Amen.