You Are With Me

Psalm 23:4b

On Christmas Day, 2005, Annie and I, along with a friend, were walking on the path that cuts across the valley behind our house. We were heading into Centreville to attend the Christmas Day service when all of a sudden two young men with knives jumped out to rob us. This was just a couple weeks before the Eid al-Adha, the big feast when three to four million sheep in Morocco are killed within a couple hours. The knives used for butchering the sheep were the knives these two men held in their hands.

Annie and her friend began screaming, I tried to stand between them and the two men. Everything happened so fast. A group of military men were running on Mohammed VI (then called John Kennedy) and heard the screams. They came running down to the path, some carrying big stones and pieces of concrete they picked up as they ran.

The end result was that one of the robbers was captured and the second escaped. We spent the next several hours in the police station rather than going to the Christmas Day service. We were unharmed, nothing was stolen, but for days I kept looking at my arms, expecting to see cuts.

It took months before I was willing to walk on that path again, and when I did, I made sure there were other people walking on the path with me. Ten years later, there are times when I walk on that path alone, but I pick up big stones at the top of the hill before descending on the path and then drop them off at the top of the hill as I get out of the valley. When I walk I look around constantly. I feel most confident when I walk close to some military men who are heading to work.

Last week I talked about walking though the valley of the shadow of death and I read a description by one commentator on Psalm 23.
Valleys of the shadow of death are paths which wind in between mountains where there are dark shadows and deep gorges. Travelers march slowly and silently in order to avoid being seen or heard by bandits. The fear of death is constantly in their minds. They tremble, they expect trouble or death at any time while they are passing through.

I made two points about passing through a valley of the shadow of death. First, people do not go though the valley of the shadow of death because they want to; they have no other choice. There are no other options. This path cannot be avoided, as much as we might want to. We have to go through the difficulty and danger of this path.

Second, we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. We pass through, the valley is not our destination and it is not our final resting place. In the midst of stressful, anxious, difficult times, it can seem that this will be the permanent condition of our life, but it is only temporary. In these difficult times, God is at work and because he is leading us, we will not end up where we are at the moment.

Last week I said, “There is certainly much to be afraid of as we anticipate going through the valley of the shadow of death and much to be afraid of when we are going through the valley of the shadow of death. It is a rational response to be afraid, but we do not need to fear. We do not go through the valley of the shadow of death by ourselves, we are being led through the valley of the shadow of death by our good shepherd. Because we trust him, we can find courage and strength to keep on following him. I will talk more about this next week.” It is now next week so let’s get to the second half of verse 4.

4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

“I will fear no evil for you are with me.” Sheep follow their good shepherd, confident that their shepherd will lead them to safety, to green pastures, to still waters. This is a truth that is found over and over again, throughout the Bible.

At the end of his life, Moses shared his life experience with Joshua who was chosen to lead Israel after him. (Deuteronomy 31:6)
Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.”

As Joshua began his leadership of Israel, God reaffirmed Moses’ words by speaking directly to Joshua. (Joshua 1:5)
As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

God spoke to Isaac, the son of Abraham. (Genesis 26:24)
That night the Lord appeared to him and said, “I am the God of your father Abraham. Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

God spoke to Isaac’s son, Jacob, after he had stolen his brother’s blessing and was running for his life. (Genesis 28:15)
I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you.”

God called a young man named Jeremiah to be his prophet and gave him a message that was going to make Jeremiah’s life miserable. Jeremiah protested that he was too young and did not know how to speak. (Jeremiah 1:7–8 )
But the Lord said to me, “Do not say, ‘I am too young.’ You must go to everyone I send you to and say whatever I command you. 8 Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you and will rescue you,”

The passage I have turned to for comfort and encouragment over my years as a follower of Jesus is Isaiah 43:1–5
But now, this is what the Lord says—
he who created you, Jacob,
he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters,
I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
you will not be burned;
the flames will not set you ablaze.
3 For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior;
I give Egypt for your ransom,
Cush and Seba in your stead.
4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight,
and because I love you,
I will give people in exchange for you,
nations in exchange for your life.
5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you;

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, he told his disciples, and all who would follow him in the future: (Matthew 28:18–20)
All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

Kenneth Bailey writes:
Sheep have a special problem. They have no defenses. Cats have teeth, claws and speed. Dogs have their teeth and their speed. Horses can kick, bite and run. Bears can claw, bite and crush. Deer can run. But the sheep have no bite or claws and cannot outrun any serious predator. They can butt other sheep, but that ability will not protect them from a wolf or a bear. The sheep’s only security is the shepherd. Indeed, “you are with me.”

The Good Shepherd is with us, that is why we fear no evil.

your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.

What is a shepherd’s rod and staff? Why are they of comfort to us?

A rod is a shepherd’s primary offensive weapon for protecting his flock from wild animals or human thieves. It is about two and a half feet long with a mace-like end into which heavy pieces of iron are often embedded.

David used this weapon when he was a shepherd. When David defended his ability to fight Goliath, he told Saul: (1 Samuel 17:34–35)
Your servant has been keeping his father’s sheep. When a lion or a bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, 35 I went after it, struck it and rescued the sheep from its mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it.

David is known for his skill with a slingshot, but here, it is clear that he is using his rod in a close range battle. The sheep know their shepherd has the power and skill to protect them from enemies.

A shepherd’s staff is lighter and longer than the rod. It is long enough that he can reach some distance and guide the edges of the flock in the right direction. The shepherd leans on his staff while standing, walking, or climbing. It is usually about five feet long and a shepherd is never without it.

Almost always it has a crook at one end. When a lamb cannot scramble down from a ledge or falls into a crevice or down a bank into a stream, the shepherd is able, with the crook in his staff, to catch the lamb by a leg or a shoulder and gently lift it back onto the path. The shepherd’s staff is not for defending the flock from any external threat, but for caring for the sheep as he leads them daily in search of food, drink, tranquility, and rest.

The rod protects and the staff tenderly cares for the sheep. With this fierce protection and tender care, the sheep are comforted.

This is a beautiful message, but the reality is that despite the rod and staff of the good shepherd, sheep do get killed by predators. Followers of Jesus starve to death; they suffer the abuses of war; they suffer from divorce; they suffer from the bitter betrayal of close friends; they are physically and sexually abused. When we accumulate the stories of followers of Jesus, it does not seem to us they are well protected or well cared for.

I was talking with a friend and he told me his life is and has been very good and sometimes he wonders when the suffering Job speaks about will enter his life. Even if we have not suffered deep pain, we know so many people who have and we wonder where the good shepherd is. Where is Jesus in the midst of all the suffering in the world?

Jesus loved the apostle Paul and yet look at how Paul suffered. In 2 Corinthians 11 Paul defends himself against the “super apostles” who had taken over the church. He lists the ways he has suffered and among these mentions being in prison, flogged, exposed to death, received the “forty lashes minus one” five times, beaten with rods (this is the rod used by shepherds as an offensive weapon), pelted with stones and left for dead.

The writer of Hebrews writes in chapter 11 about heros of the faith. After mentioning Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and others, he concludes: (Hebrews 11:35–38)
There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 37 They were put to death by stoning; they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated—38 the world was not worthy of them.

Were these people under the protection of Jesus’ rod and the tender care of his staff?

What about the martyrs of Christian faith? In Revelation 6 when the Lamb is opening the seals we read, (Revelation 6:9–11)
9 When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. 10 They called out in a loud voice, “How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood?” 11 Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been.

They are given special honor in heaven, but were they well cared for on earth?

If we cannot count on being spared the suffering of this world, is the presence of our Good Shepherd enough? We walk on a path with Jesus and get mugged and ask, “Is it too much to ask to be a little bit more protected?”

The answer of God, the scriptures say, is that it is enough. It was enough for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It was enough for Moses and Joshua. It was enough for Jeremiah. And, when Jesus ascended, he felt it was enough for us.

When we celebrate the Seder Meal during Holy Week, the Thursday before Easter, there is a part of the service that centers around the Hebrew word, dayenu which means sufficient or enough. This was written in the ninth-century and is about being grateful to God for all of the gifts he gave the Jewish people. There are fifteen stanzas in this poem, all ending with dayenu, “It would have been enough.” I will read the middle stanza that talk about the miracles of the exodus from Egypt. You can respond at the end of each one with dayenu.

Had He divided the sea for us
And not brought us through on dry ground.

Dayenu

Had He brought us through on dry ground
And not drowned our oppressors.

Dayenu

Had He drowned our oppressors
And not helped us forty years in the desert.

Dayenu

Had He helped us forty years in the desert
And not fed us manna.

Dayenu

Had He fed us manna
And not given us the Sabbath.

Dayenu

Had He given us the Sabbath
And not brought us to Mount Sinai.

Dayenu

We may complain that Jesus does not do more for us, but the reality is that Jesus does far more for us than we need or deserve.

Had he been present with us
And not kept us from trials and tribulations

Dayenu

His presence with us is dayenu. It is sufficient.

Let me offer two encouraging truths as we consider suffering in the world. First, when we suffer, we do not suffer alone. God spoke this same word, over and over again, to men and women who were facing difficult circumstances. “Do not be afraid. I am with you.” He promises never to leave us or forsake us. And yet, when we suffer in some way, we feel terribly alone.

Shusaku Endo was a Japanese novelist who wrote from the rare perspective of being a Japanese follower of Jesus. One of his most famous novels is titled, Silence, and talks about the arrival of Portugese Jesuit missionaries in the sixteenth century. There was a great response to the gospel and the influence of the church was felt in many parts of Japanese society. There were an estimated 200,000 converts. But then the military rulers, the Shoguns, finally acted and there was a severe persecution that broke out and destroyed the church.

In Endo’s novel, a Jesuit priest, Rodrigues, hears that his mentor had committed fumi-e, the act of stepping on a bronze image of Mary and/or Jesus and thereby renouncing Christ. He is horrified at this news and travels to Japan to see for himself what happened.

He discovers the persecution and he himself faces the same situation his mentor faced. The Japanese peasants who had converted to faith in Jesus are being tortured and when he cries out to Jesus, he hears nothing, only silence. He reflects on this:
“I do not believe that God has given us this trial to no purpose. I know that the day will come when we will clearly understand why this persecution with all it’s sufferings has been bestowed upon us — for everything that Our Lord does is for our good. And yet, even as I write these words I feel the oppressive weight in my heart of those last stammering words of Kichijiro in the morning of his departure: “Why has Deus Sama imposed this suffering on us?” and then the resentment in those eyes that he turned upon me. “Father”, he had said “what evil have we done?”

I suppose I should simply cast from my mind these meaningless words of the coward; yet why does his plaintive voice pierce my breast with all the pain of a sharp needle? Why has Our Lord imposed this torture and this persecution on poor Japanese peasants? No, Kichijiro was trying to express something different, something even more sickening. The silence of God. Already twenty years have passed since the persecution broke out; the black soil of Japan has been filled with the lament of so many Christians; the red blood of priests has flowed profusely; the walls of churches have fallen down; and in the face of this terrible and merciless sacrifice offered up to Him, God has remained silent.”

What the peasants hanging in the pit do or do not do is of no consequence – apostasy will not save them.  The only thing that can end their torment is the priest’s apostasy.  Rodrigues is forced to listen to the moans and cries of agony of the Japanese peasants as their lives are slowly and painfully extinguished, and this, eventually, proves to be more than he can bear. In the climax of the book, the missionary tramples on the fumi-e in order to save the lives of the Japanese peasants.

In commenting on his book, Endo said people had misunderstood what he wrote. Endo said God was not silent. God did speak and in the climatic moment of the novel,
The priest raises his foot.  In it he feels a dull, heavy pain.  This is no mere formality.  He will now trample on what he has considered to be the most beautiful thing in his life, on what he has believed most pure, on what is filled with the ideals and the dreams of man.  How his foot aches!  And then the Christ in the bronze speaks to the priest: ‘Trample!  Trample!  I more than anyone know of the pain in your foot.  Trample!  It was to be trampled on by men that I was born into this world.  It was to share men’s pain that I carried my cross.  The priest placed his foot on the fumie.  Dawn broke.  And far in the distance the cock crew.

We think God is silent, but the reality is that Jesus is present with us, sharing with us the pain of our suffering. We are not alone.

A second truth that encourages us as we consider suffering in the world is that we find healing when we realize that Jesus was present with us in our painful experiences.

I heard of a story of a woman from this country who had a dream. In her dream she was weeping for all the sorrow of her life and then she realized that a man dressed in white was standing in the corner of the room, crying with her. She woke up the next morning, feeling comforted, but wondering who that man was. Later that day she was watching Al Hayat, an Arabic Christian television station. On the program she was watching, a woman described the same dream and it was then that she discovered that it was Jesus who had been weeping with her.

Jesus arrived at the home of Mary and Martha who were grieving the death of their brother, Lazarus. Jesus came and in the shortest verse of the Bible, (John 11:35) “Jesus wept.” Jesus did not weep because Lazarus was dead. Jesus knew he would raise Lazarus back to life. Jesus wept because of the sorrow of Mary and Martha.

Jesus grieves with us when we suffer in painful experiences and I have heard people tell me how healing it has been to go to someone who prays with them, counsels them, and takes them back to the moment of the painful experience and see Jesus being present with them.

This is not a sermon to talk about why there is pain and suffering in this world. In this sermon I want you to know that even in the valley of the shadow of death, Jesus is present with you and leading you to green pastures and still waters. Paul wrote in Romans 8:28
And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

God is never – not working – in our lives. He is always at work to use the evil of this world for our own good. We often do not understand why, but we can experience the comfort of Jesus even in the most difficult of times.

Corrie ten Boom was a Dutch Christian whose family helped Jews escape the Nazi holocaust. Because of this, she, her sister, and her father were taken to concentration camps themselves where both her sister and father were killed. She survived the camps and had a ministry after WWII, caring for those who suffered, including those who collaborated with the Nazis.

Once, when Corrie was sharing her experience, a person said, “I am sure it was your faith that carried you through.”
“My faith? I don’t know about that,” replied Corrie. “My faith was so weak, so unstable. It was hard to have faith. When a person is in a safe environment, having faith is easier. But in that camp when I saw my own sister and thousands of others starve to death, where I was surrounded by men and women who had training in cruelty, then I do not think it was my faith that helped me through. No, it was Jesus! He who said, ‘I am with you until the end of the world.’ It was His eternal arms that carried me through. He was my certainty. “If I tell you that it was my faith, you might say if you have to go through suffering, ‘I don’t have Corrie ten Boom’s faith.’ But if I tell you it was Jesus, then you can trust that He who helped me through will do the same for you. I have always believed it, but now I know from my own experience that His light is stronger than the deepest darkness.”

Do not be afraid, for I am with you.
I will never leave you or forsake you.
Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.

If you want more than Jesus’ presence, prepare to be disappointed. This has happened to me, it will happen to you, and it will most likely happen to me again. We are often cruelly disappointed because we have made Jesus promise more than he has promised. We take his presence for granted and then determine what we want to happen. When it does not go the way we want, we lose our ability to trust in God. This is the trap we fall into time and time again. But Jesus has not failed us. He has been present with us and with those we love. He is leading us to green pastures and still waters.

If our reward is in this world, the presence of Jesus may not be enough. But if we have our eyes fixed on Jesus and his eternal kingdom where Jesus is building a home for us, than his presence is far more than enough.