Gifts of the Crucified Shepherd - A Quiet Heart

"He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul."

Psalm 23:2-3a

  

He first noticed that he was getting tired easily.  Then it seemed like he was worn out all day long. Then, as he tells the story, he started to be able to hear his heart beat.  That kind of scared him.  However he still didn’t want to go check it out.  He had too much to do.  He was too busy.  He decided all these symptoms must mean he was getting out of shape.  If he just worked out more… got his body in shape – he would feel better.  That just made matters worse.  Finally, he had to go to the doctor.  They put him into the hospital.  He was anemic.  His body wasn’t producing enough red blood cells.  Working his heart harder was the last thing he should have done.  He needed a quiet heart.  

I think that is also how we often react when things are troubling us.  So many things can trouble our hearts – worry, fear, guilt, grief.  The list can be a long one.  Often our reaction to those things is to make ourselves busier. That way we won’t have to think about it.  The person grieving a loved one’s death will keep themselves busy in an effort to avoid the pain.  Then there is the  person struggling with some addiction in his life.  Instead of seeking help he simply resolve to try harder.  Surely he can stop himself. That just makes matters worse. The cycle of addiction is allowed to continue. How many of you when you are worried, try to get your mind off it by distracting yourself with some other activity?   Yet often the worry doesn’t go away. It just eats away at you.  You can’t focus. . 

As someone once said to me, “I have tried to keep busy but that doesn’t make the hurt go away.  I am tired of staying so busy.  I need some quiet moments.”  That is so true.  Yes sometimes we do need to keep busy.  Its no use wallowing in self-pity.  Its also no use trying to avoid our pain    Even Jesus needed time alone… time to quiet His heart.  The Bible tells us that Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.  The night before naming his 12 disciples Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.”  In today’s reading from the passion, overwhelmed with the burden of sin He was about to bear, Jesus first went off to pray.  He invited His friends to come and support him.  “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.  Stay here and keep watch with me.  There in prayer He poured out the agony of His heart to God.  “If there be any other way, let this up pass from me.” He cried.  There He allowed His Father to quiet his troubled heart.  Nevertheless, not my will but Thy will be done!” 

I know sometimes you feel like you have no where to go with your troubled heart.  Who can you burden with your worries and fears? This Shepherd Jesus, that’s who!  The burdens that overwhelmed His soul… that he carried to the cross – are yours and mine.  “He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.  But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.”  On the cross he carried all your worries, all your fears, all your grief, all your guilt to bring us peace. He was wounded to heal our wounds.

Now having been raised to life again, he invites us to come to Him. Our crucified Shepherd seeks to give to you and me the gift of a quiet heart. That’s meaning of today’s verses from the 23^rd Psalm.  He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he restores my soul.  Beside the quiet waters of prayer… in the green pastures of His Word, He lifts the burden and restores our souls. He invites us, “Come unto me all you that are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”  “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”  There are so many ways to come to him… in prayer… in His word… In worship… seeking out the listening ear of  a pastor, a friend, a counselor.  He invites us to bring what ever it is that troubles us;.  He forgives any and every sin.  He has carried every burden.  Whatever it is He has already taken it in His hands… already taking to the cross.  Already triumphed over it by His Easter victory.  His wound heal our wounds.  He can quiet our hearts with His peace.

 A friend once asked me what picture comes to mind when I think about grace.  Well I picture my dad when my kids were crying, screaming babies.  He would pick them up and carry them… rock them in his arms… whisper in their ears…. Shhhhhh…. Shhhhhhh… until their cries quieted… their eyes closed… and they fell asleep…  That’s what our shepherd does. He invites us to come to lay down in His green pastures…  He invites us to rest besides the quiet waters.  He picks us up.  He listens to our cries….   “Shhh!”  He says, “Shhh.  I’ve got you.    Rest now in me!  Amen!