Sermon – 11-26-23 – Proper 29 – Cycle A
Scripture: Ezekiel 34:11-16, 20-24; Ephesians 1:15-23; Matthew 25:31-46
Sermon Title: “Am I A Goat or Am I A Sheep?”

What is the difference? I think both goats and sheep help people. So why is Jesus calling sheep good and goats bad?

Billy Goat said to Sherry Sheep, “What can you do that I don’t do? Why do the Father and Jesus like you but not me?” I am spelling Sherry S-h-e-r-r-y so as not to be confused with our Sheri S-h-e-r-i. But then our Sheri may like to be this sheep because God likes sheep better than goats. Sherry Sheep answers Billy Goat, “I really don’t know why that is.”

Billy Goat says, “Are you up to a conversation about this situation?” Sherry Sheep answers, “Sure. But you can start the conversation, because I am not very smart.” “Really?” replies Billy Goat. “Why are you putting yourself down like that? What makes you think you are not smart?”

Sherry Sheep replies, “Oh, I don’t know. Sheep don’t need to think very much. We just follow our noses eating our fill of green grass. If we get to a cliff and fall down the cliff, the shepherd comes to get us. We really don’t need to watch for cliffs. We just mosey along, eating one green blade after the other. We just follow the shepherd. That is how we stay out of trouble. We are rather slow in our walking. We are one relaxed kind of creature. We mostly just follow the shepherd. That is the safest thing to do.”

Sherry Sheep continues, “But sometimes a dog or dogs will follow our flock. The dogs are smart. They notice when one of us gets careless or if a wolf is hiding in the bushes. We accept this protection. The sheep dogs are gentle but wise.”

Billy Goat thinks and then offers this statement, “So you are good followers, basically. Would you agree?” Yes, says Sherry Sheep. “Good followers. But we are careful to follow the right shepherd. We know our own shepherd’s voice. We don’t go running off after an outsider.” Then Sherry Sheep challenges Billy Goat. She questions Billy Goat, “What good do you do in this world? I give wool for clothing. People eat my meat when I am ready to be slaughtered. My ba-a-a is nice and gentle most of the time unless I am in trouble. We ba-a-ad very lovingly when our “shepherd” was a baby in Bethlehem in a manger. Were you in Bethlehem at the manger, Billy Goat?”

“What was so important about being in Bethlehem near a manger?” shouts Billy Goat defensively. “Oh,” cooed Sherry the Sheep, “Now I sound like the dove who was with us! Anyway, in a few weeks, I can explain the manger story to you better.” Meanwhile, what makes you so bad. Why is Jesus talking about sheep being the good guys and goats being the bad guys? What do goats do that is so offensive?”

“Well, let me think, says Billy Goat. Why wouldn’t Jesus be happy with us? How do we shake up the kingdom?” Then Billy Goat starts on the qualities of goats, both good and bad. He says to Sherry Sheep, “We are smarter than sheep, I guess, but maybe that does not count in the kingdom. We are strong-willed – you know – doing what we think is best or what we feel like doing never mind what the farmer is trying to get us to do. But some of us are wild goats meaning we don’t belong to a farmer. Then we can really do what we want to do including getting ourselves into trouble.”

Billy Goat thinks some more. “You know we really do help people like you do with milk after our females have babies; people can make cheese from our milk just as they do with your milk, Sherry Sheep. People laugh when they watch us. They think we are cute with our dancing and jumping around. It is good for people to laugh, you know.

Then when the people need meat, they just take our lives into their own hands and there is generous protein to go around.” Another thing we do to help people who don’t have lawn mowers or the hill is too steep for a lawn mower, is to become lawn mowers ourselves – we eat the grass. We are very energetic about it.”

I made us sound more good than bad,” continues Billy Goat. But the Father and Jesus must not care for our attitudes. We are not servant-like as you are, Sherry Sheep. We are not humble. We have a more “catch me if you can” attitude.

Sherry Sheep suggests, “Do you think you have more fun than we sheep have?” Billy Goat says, “Fun? I don’t know how much you enjoy life, but we might have more fun if fun means enjoying ourselves.” But do we go out of our way to visit a sick, fellow goat? Do we share the leftovers we eat with a weaker goat? Do we welcome a new goat into our territory or our herd? Do we move aside when we find sparkling, clean water so a weaker goat can have a drink?” I don’t do those things, says Billy Goat. I have not learned to be so kind. It is not in my nature.”

“What could make you change?” asks Sherry Sheep of Billy Goat. “You don’t want to spend eternity in hell do you?” “Oh, scare me really hard, Sherry Sheep!” “Hell? Do you mean continuous fire? Where the dwellers can roast marshmallows anytime they want? Oh, Sherry Sheep, not even toasted marshmallows will be enough to make me want to go to hell if there really is such a place!” “Well then,” says Sherry Sheep. “How about practicing humility and gentleness? It is such a good feeling to move into the group which pleases the Father and Jesus. You can still experience joy but a deeper joy than making people laugh. The joy of knowing you belong to the Father and to Jesus. The joy of knowing that you are stronger when you are meek and weak. The joy of knowing that you are truly helping other people in their deepest need; helping people to come into the kingdom of Jesus on earth all the while looking forward to the true and pure kingdom of God without evil, only good!”

This is when Billy Goat says to Sherry Sheep, “Good idea! Will you be my friend and watch me and nudge me to move into the groove of being loving and kind and a good follower of the Shepherd who reigns in heaven and on earth as our loving King?” “Yes,” answers Sherry Sheep, “Indeed I want to do that for you!”

Let us pray. Holy and loving Jesus, even though you are our King, you are gentle and loving and you are our healer: the healer of nations, the healer of our very souls. May we follow you! Amen