Oh for the days of miracles (July 19, 2009)
By Rev. Steve Bagnall

Oh for the days of miracles, to have been there when Jesus had compassion of the Shepherd-less sheep. Oh to have heard His voice teaching many things, speaking words of forgiveness and eternal life. Oh to have been there when Jesus stood in the midst of hungry and lost people and fed them with a miracle; when the apostles carried the blessed and holy food to the people. Oh to have seen Jesus, to have received His bread. Oh that Jesus were MY Shepherd!

Dear little flock – this is the day of miracles. Jesus sees you and knows you’ve wandered as a sheep without a shepherd. You’ve rejected Him as your Shepherd time and time again. You have listened to the lying voice of the world that tells you there’s life and happiness in money or love, in alcohol or a good job. He knows you’ve followed the false shepherd of your own heart, the one that tells you if it feels good it’s ok, the one that leads you in paths of selfishness and greed, lust and fornication and divorce, fear and anger, gossip and lies. Jesus knows you have followed the devil and his lies. Jesus knows your sin and He hates your sin, but still He has compassion on you – He looks at you with love and mercy and He calls you away from that empty road. He calls you back to His path, the path of righteousness, the path where He cares for you, the path that leads to eternal life.

Friends, the Lord of heaven is here and He sees your sin, the terrible thoughts and deeds that have been so common in your life. He warns you of their danger. This sin leads you away from God. Like the Pied Piper, the devil wants to lead you on the road to pain and damnation. But Jesus calls you to leave that path behind; to return to God. He calls you and He promises forgiveness. He holds high His own cross, where forgiveness is won and offered.

Jesus speaks the Word of truth today in the voice of His chosen undershepherds. And those who have no hope will receive that message with joy. You who suffer in the brokenness of this world and its twisted life – you will yearn for the cool refreshing water of Christ’s gospel. You will wait expectantly to hear the pastor say, “I forgive you.” You will listen closely for Jesus’ words of love in the sermon, and you will find peace.

When we’re hungry, when the world’s disappointments have struck, we long for our Good Shepherd. But once we’re forgiven -- once Jesus has called us back to Himself and His loving arms – how soon we rebel again. We want the Shepherd’s forgiveness, but not His leadership. Do you truly follow Jesus’ direction in all things? Or do you pick and choose, continuing in the sins you really like or the ones you convince yourself “aren’t that bad”?

We are the forgiven flock of God, bought by the suffering and precious blood and death of Jesus, and yet we refuse His loving guidance. We fear that we won’t have enough for ourselves, so we hold back in our offerings to God. We don’t give money and time and energy according to how much we’ve been given by God. We reject His promise that true joy and contentment comes from His perfect and beautiful way and instead we look for the pleasure the world loves, living more like the television and music stars around us than like Jesus and His Apostles. Maybe we think if we only swear and curse a little, only lust a little, only cheat a little, only lie a little, then we won’t wander from Jesus. But each small step leads to another until the path of righteousness is only a vague memory in our lives.

Sure enough, we all find that we return to Jesus when trouble strikes, but all too soon we hear the siren call of sin and we follow, wandering from Jesus’ safe and perfect way. But the voice of the Shepherd still calls. “Come to Me. My death has paid for your sin. There is a place for you in my flock. My blood has paid your sin’s price. Come to Me, My little lamb.” Sinner, the compassionate Shepherd is here today and He gathers you to Himself in forgiveness and peace.

And that Shepherd feeds you with the miracle bread – the bread of His Body and Blood. Today, among us, in this place set apart from the world, Jesus will have His sent servants cause you to recline in groups here, at this rail. And He will take bread and bless it and break it. But He will do more than that. He will speak the miracle words – “This is my body, broken for you; this is my blood shed for the forgiveness of all your sins.”

The miracle here is not a filling of your belly but a filling of your soul, a forgiving of your sins. Here the blood of the Lamb will give you life; there the death of Jesus will restore your soul. On this altar Jesus will prepare a table in the presence of your enemies: death and sin. Here, today, this is the place of miracles. This is the place of the feast. Come and rest. Come and eat. Come and be forgiven. Thus says the Lord.

Amen