The Shepherds Table

February 3, 1991

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me. Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies. Thou anointest my head with oil. My cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. Psalm 23

Introduction

This beautiful Psalm is one of God's sweetest gifts to all generations. The pure poetry, along with the personal trust in God it exudes, has spoken in countless circumstances and situations, powerfully time and time again. It is at one and the same time a statement of faith and a prayer. We will never exhaust its supply of strength.

Very often when I am thinking about the sacrament of communion, thinking of Christ and His provision of salvation, thinking of the Last Supper and the words Jesus spoke then:

"This is my body, broken for you; this is my blood;" I think of the phrase in the Shepherd Psalm:

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

Somehow I know it "connects." Jesus, our Good Shepherd, is the One who calls us to His table.

I. GOD'S TABLE IS ABOUT FOOD

Jesus took the common things of life and living and elevated them to the status of sacrament. When purity and love are present then all of life is holy. But in a special way Jesus made food and eating part of His most sacred command:

  1. Food is basic stuff. It is connected with life. That isn't too profound. But somehow just about all cultures and civilizations have understood that bread has to do with the mystery of Life; with the God or "gods" that connect with what we cannot understand of beginnings and destinations.
  2. Idols, man-made "gods" demand to be fed. Again and again in the scriptures idols are described. They have to be carried. They are a burden.
  3. But the living God feeds his children. He carries them. We who have been brought up on the truth of the Christian story don't realize the stark contrast of many of the world religions.
  4. God does have demands regarding food. JHWH demanded "shewbread" on the table, which the priests ate. Our God demands our first fruits, our tithes. But do our tithes "support Almighty God?" God provided manna. Jesus broke loaves and fishes and fed multitudes. Again, Jesus provided breakfast along the seashore for the disciples. No, we don't feed God— we simply put Him absolutely "first" and He provides what we need to be/become what He wants us to be.

II. THIS TABLE IS ALSO ABOUT ENEMIES

  1. "Enemies" is basic stuff, too. Who has "enemies" in this sophisticated time? Certainly not Christians! We are past the confrontational stages of life and living!

    Enemies are people you hate! People who hate YOU! Christians don't hate! "Love your enemies!"

    The Psalms seem so simple: David hated God's enemies; we are so much more sophisticated!

    We don't like the "war-like" examples of the Bible we don't have any enemies!

    WHAT? WHAT DO WE DO WITH THE IDEA OF "ENEMIES?"

  2. When we seek to do God's will we are opposed.
    1. There are forces seeking to cause your defeat. You had better be alert!
    2. There are battles we must fight. Every Christian group or individual has some sort of agenda, even if it is just saving the seals. Some of the most militant of people are people who advocate peace.
  3. Christians usually fall into one of two categories: either ACTIVIST, or CONVERSIONIST.
    1. Activists create pressure. They seek to enact law. They form a moral majority or a green peace. They protest.
    2. Conversionists seek to evangelize. Nothing wrong with that— except that all too often this means "Join MY group the way WE say and then circle the wagons and wait for the cavalry." I do not deny that I believe that people need to be born again, and that unless a person is saved he or she is lost.

      But there is a third way. Stanley Hauerwas suggests that this "third way" is not in any way a blending of the other two, but a radically different approach to Christian reality!

    3. This third way says: EAT IN FRONT OF YOUR ENEMIES! Don't just try to block them in legislature, or persuade them to become a member of your church— but show them your Shepherd!

      Instead of an ACTIVIST APPROACH or a CONVERSIONIST APPROACH, this is A CONFESSIONAL APPROACH to Christian living. . . . saying: "Jesus Christ is MY Shepherd! He is MY Lord and MY Master. I will seek to do everything I do in a way to please Him and reveal Him to the world!

III. THE LORD'S TABLE IS ABOUT SANCTUARY

  1. This Psalm is highly personal. That is hardly news. We all know it by heart, and yet somehow it has the power to make each one of us feel "special" before God. THAT is deeply satisfying. There are a lot of Christians. Millions, even. But you can relate to God one-on-One!
  2. Never forget, though, that though it is personal, the star of the Psalm, the focus of the confidence, the object of trust is the Shepherd! "The LORD is my shepherd!" That is confessional. And it is the Lord that

    maketh and

    leadeth and

    restoreth and

    leadeth (again, for His name's sake) and

    Thou art with me

    Thy rod and Thy staff comfort me and

    THOU preparest and

    THOU anointest!

  3. It is NOT a table for two! Yes, it IS personal! But there is fellowship around the Shepherd's table. Actually the fellowship is not the primary thing— even though sometimes it becomes the focus. But the fellowship is incidental to the MEAL.

Conclusion:

I would challenge you this morning to be a confessional Christian!

To "eat in front of your enemies" does not mean you will DO LESS than those who call themselves "activist."

To be "confessional" does not mean that you will TALK LESS ABOUT JESUS than the "conversionists." Probably you will both do and say more than ever before for your Master.

But my challenge to you is that as we eat together this morning you and I will be telling the Shepherd, the Master, our Lord Jesus Christ, that He can make us, He can lead us, He can restore us, He can "rod and staff us" with whatever discipline He sees fit!

Prayer: Meet with us at Your table this morning, O Lord. (Crimond)