4 Easter B April 22, 2018
Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23
1 John 3:1-8 John 10:11-16
Lectionary Link
A boy named Billy went with his family to a petting zoo at a farm in the country and this petting zoo was very special place because on this day they had a sign up at the sheep pen. Billy and his sister went into the sheep pen and were petting and playing with the little lambs. They were so cute and nice. Billy's sister Suzy could read and she saw a sign in the sheep pen. It read, "Lambs for sale; please ask the owner." Suzy said to her brother Billy, "Billy, the sign says the lambs are for sale." And Suzy missed the gestures of mom and dad with their finger on their lips....meaning shush, "Don't tell Billy that the lambs are for sale." But it was too late. Once Billy found out that the lambs were for sale, he had to have one. He bugged mom and dad and begged them. "Please can we get a lamb. Can I choose this cute little one? Look, he likes me, he needs me and I think he wants to go home with me."
Mom and Dad said, "No, Billy, the lamb will be lots of work. You have to take care of them and especially when it is so young. " Billy insisted, "I can do it, I will do and we have a very big fenced back yard and we have shed in the back where the lamb can stay. I want this lamb. You don't have to get me a Christmas present or a birthday present. This will be my next Christmas present and birthday present. Please..please...please...and then pretty please and then pretty please with lots of sugar on it."
Mom and Dad rolled their eyes and finally they gave in. So the farmer put the lamb in a box with some hay and some feed and a bottle and the lamb went home with Billy riding in the back seat. Billy said, "I'm going to call him Fuzzy, because his wool is so fuzzy." Billy was the happiest boy alive. But did he stay that way?
For two days, Billy had fun feeding the Fuzzy with a bottle. And he kept him in a big dog carrier with hay.
But after two days, the lamb would wake up bleating in morning. Mom shouted, "Billy, have you fed Fuzzy this morning?" Billy said, "I forgot." "Billy, did you take Fuzzy outside to let him run in the yard." Billy said, "No, because when I did that he got into your flowers and he made a mess and he chewed a hole in my basketball and popped it."
Mom said, "Billy I asked you to keep him in the fenced off area away from my flowers. And you need to keep all of your toys away from Fuzzy or he will chew them."
Billy took Fuzzy outside to play with him. But after about 10 minutes he came running into the house, shouting, "Fuzzy is gone; I can't find him." Mom said, "Were you watching him?" Billy said, "Not all of the time." They went to look for Fuzzy. The gate had been left open and he had gotten out of the yard. Fortunately, Fuzzy was just in the neighbor's yard trying to knock over their garbage can. Billy, corralled Fuzzy and put him back in the carrier. And Billy was sad.
Billy remained sad and quiet and so his Dad asked him at dinner why he wasn't eating and why was he sad. With tears in his eyes, Billy blurted out, "I'm not a good shepherd. Fuzzy needs to be taken care of and watched all of the time and I don't have anytime to do anything else. Fuzzy needs a good shepherd and I don't think that I am a good shepherd."
Mom and Dad said, "Billy, that's okay. Little lambs are hard to take care of. Do you want to take him back to the farm?" Billy said, "Well no, but I think it would be better for Fuzzy. Will the farmer take him back?" Dad said, "Yes, he told us if it didn't work out that Fuzzy could come back."
What did Billy find out about taking care of a lamb? It is very hard work to be a good shepherd.
Today we've read about Jesus being a good shepherd. This world needs good shepherds. It needs people who are strong, smart and generous to take care of the young, the poor, the sick, and those who are not smart enough or strong enough to take care of themselves. Sometimes we are in need and we need good shepherds to help us. And sometimes we are a strong and able to help people in need.
Our world needs a balance of having enough good shepherds to take care of all of the people in need. And good news of Jesus as the good shepherd is a lesson for us to learn how to be good shepherd as we learn how to help people in need. And like Billy, we will sometimes find out that we are not good shepherds, but we can never give up trying to be good shepherds. Amen.
Acts 4:5-12 Psalm 23
1 John 3:1-8 John 10:11-16
Lectionary Link
A boy named Billy went with his family to a petting zoo at a farm in the country and this petting zoo was very special place because on this day they had a sign up at the sheep pen. Billy and his sister went into the sheep pen and were petting and playing with the little lambs. They were so cute and nice. Billy's sister Suzy could read and she saw a sign in the sheep pen. It read, "Lambs for sale; please ask the owner." Suzy said to her brother Billy, "Billy, the sign says the lambs are for sale." And Suzy missed the gestures of mom and dad with their finger on their lips....meaning shush, "Don't tell Billy that the lambs are for sale." But it was too late. Once Billy found out that the lambs were for sale, he had to have one. He bugged mom and dad and begged them. "Please can we get a lamb. Can I choose this cute little one? Look, he likes me, he needs me and I think he wants to go home with me."
Mom and Dad said, "No, Billy, the lamb will be lots of work. You have to take care of them and especially when it is so young. " Billy insisted, "I can do it, I will do and we have a very big fenced back yard and we have shed in the back where the lamb can stay. I want this lamb. You don't have to get me a Christmas present or a birthday present. This will be my next Christmas present and birthday present. Please..please...please...and then pretty please and then pretty please with lots of sugar on it."
Mom and Dad rolled their eyes and finally they gave in. So the farmer put the lamb in a box with some hay and some feed and a bottle and the lamb went home with Billy riding in the back seat. Billy said, "I'm going to call him Fuzzy, because his wool is so fuzzy." Billy was the happiest boy alive. But did he stay that way?
For two days, Billy had fun feeding the Fuzzy with a bottle. And he kept him in a big dog carrier with hay.
But after two days, the lamb would wake up bleating in morning. Mom shouted, "Billy, have you fed Fuzzy this morning?" Billy said, "I forgot." "Billy, did you take Fuzzy outside to let him run in the yard." Billy said, "No, because when I did that he got into your flowers and he made a mess and he chewed a hole in my basketball and popped it."
Mom said, "Billy I asked you to keep him in the fenced off area away from my flowers. And you need to keep all of your toys away from Fuzzy or he will chew them."
Billy took Fuzzy outside to play with him. But after about 10 minutes he came running into the house, shouting, "Fuzzy is gone; I can't find him." Mom said, "Were you watching him?" Billy said, "Not all of the time." They went to look for Fuzzy. The gate had been left open and he had gotten out of the yard. Fortunately, Fuzzy was just in the neighbor's yard trying to knock over their garbage can. Billy, corralled Fuzzy and put him back in the carrier. And Billy was sad.
Billy remained sad and quiet and so his Dad asked him at dinner why he wasn't eating and why was he sad. With tears in his eyes, Billy blurted out, "I'm not a good shepherd. Fuzzy needs to be taken care of and watched all of the time and I don't have anytime to do anything else. Fuzzy needs a good shepherd and I don't think that I am a good shepherd."
Mom and Dad said, "Billy, that's okay. Little lambs are hard to take care of. Do you want to take him back to the farm?" Billy said, "Well no, but I think it would be better for Fuzzy. Will the farmer take him back?" Dad said, "Yes, he told us if it didn't work out that Fuzzy could come back."
What did Billy find out about taking care of a lamb? It is very hard work to be a good shepherd.
Today we've read about Jesus being a good shepherd. This world needs good shepherds. It needs people who are strong, smart and generous to take care of the young, the poor, the sick, and those who are not smart enough or strong enough to take care of themselves. Sometimes we are in need and we need good shepherds to help us. And sometimes we are a strong and able to help people in need.
Our world needs a balance of having enough good shepherds to take care of all of the people in need. And good news of Jesus as the good shepherd is a lesson for us to learn how to be good shepherd as we learn how to help people in need. And like Billy, we will sometimes find out that we are not good shepherds, but we can never give up trying to be good shepherds. Amen.
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