Living with Abundance

Rebecca Sheridan
Sunday, April 26, 2026
John 10:1-10

    What do you have an abundance of?  At our house, we have an abundance of coffee-making appliances – a whole cabinet full, because Rich’s favorite hobby is finding different ways to make coffee.  Grace is very proud of the fact that she has collected over one hundred “stuffies.”  Admittedly, most live in two boxes in our basement.  Erin would probably say she’s grateful for her different slime/putty/playdoh collection right now.  And I have a book problem – we have lots and lots of books—too many books, I’ll admit.
    It may not be surprising in the materialistic, consumeristic culture we live in that when I ask, “What do you have an abundance of?” we might think first about our material possessions.  We may think about the things we need to pare down, give away or recognize we have a bit more of than the ordinary person.  Our gospel for this morning includes one of my core “life verses,” where Jesus says “I came that they might have life and have it abundantly.”  I believe strongly that Jesus came to bless us with the life that really is life, a life that is full of abundance.  Jesus is not talking about the abundance of material or financial possessions here, though.  He’s actually talking about his sheep blessed by the abundance of the shepherd.
    On this Good Shepherd Sunday, we remember that we are God’s sheep, and Jesus is not just our shepherd, he is our GOOD shepherd, calling us by name, protecting us, leading and guiding us.  Sheep are not in a transactional relationship with their shepherd for the money or to “get rich quick” or to accumulate possessions.  They are quite helpless to meet their basic needs on their own, in fact, as domestic prey animals.  Sheep simply need some basics– food, water, shelter, safety, loving care.  However, sheep contribute something in return – they are not helpless dependents. The sheep live in a mutually beneficial relationship with their shepherd.  Receiving care from the shepherd, then the sheep are able to provide food and clothing for the shepherd: milk, wool, meat.  They both give and receive in this loving relationship with sheep and their good shepherd.  When we think of ourselves as sheep with Christ as our good shepherd, we are able to think of abundance differently – not in terms of accumulating material wealth and blessings, but in terms of God’s abundance, which is seeing what we already have been given by God as enough – in fact, more than enough, and then how we give out of that abundance of what we’ve been given.
    So how would you answer that question from a faith perspective, “What do you have an abundance of?”  Family and friends who love you and support you?  A sense of humor or perseverance when times get tough?  Wisdom from experience?  Gratitude and joy?  Patience or humility?  When we start thinking about the intangible gifts we have been given by God, then we start to see how abundantly we have been blessed.  God our good shepherd has taken care of us – through health challenges and grief journeys, through times of financial hardship and career changes, retirements and births of children and grandchildren, in the shadow of the valley of death and in the mountaintop highs of our lives.  I hope we can say along with Psalm 23, surely goodness and mercy has followed me all the days of my life.  Jesus urges us to see our lives as blessed by God with abundance.  When we feel safe, secure, loved, and cared for, and when we know we have this gift of eternal life, what else could we ask for?  What else could we possibly need?  This is why Jesus came, he reminds us today – so that we might have life and have it abundantly, in this life and the next, because life eternal never ends, thanks be to God!
    Just like sheep who receive love and care from their good shepherd, we can thank God for our many blessings and see the amazing gifts we have but then, we can ask what we are called to share out of grateful response to God’s abundant provision.  Jesus’ desire is that “they” plural, not just “you” singular might have life abundant.  We know that there are many in this world that do not have what we have – many have basic unmet physical needs but also basic intangible needs like love and safety.  When we see all that we have been given by God, we naturally want to give so that others might know Christ’s abundant life, also.  We can be discouraged that what we personally might be able to give doesn’t seem like enough, which puts us right back into a scarcity mentality, trapped by our limits rather than encouraged by God’s abundance.  I like this quote attributed to the Jewish Talmud and Rabbi Rami Shapiro:  "Do not be daunted by the enormity of the world's grief. Do justly, now. Love mercy, now. Walk humbly, now. You are not obligated to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it."  Individually, we cannot solve the world’s problems.  Ultimately, we are sheep, not the shepherd. Jesus came to save the world so we don’t have to.  It doesn’t mean that we are passive in the face of the world’s great needs, however, especially when we take note of our abundant blessings.  We have gifts to share.  We have the ability to make a difference in someone else’s life.
    For example, we know that there are about 250,000 people on Long Island living with food insecurity, and due to changes in SNAP benefits as well as rising costs of pretty much everything, the need is growing.  Our own New LIFE food pantry has had to lay off staff and reduce hours because of reductions in federal grants.  However, just this month there’s been a food drive all across our state at Stop & Shops.  Mail carriers will be picking up food donations on May 9 set out by people’s mailboxes.  People are looking at their gifts, their professions, their ability to buy food or volunteer by doing what they can, and it is making a difference!  What do you have an abundance of?  I hope as we’ve reflected on abundance this morning, the abundant life that Christ offers, we see ourselves as abundantly blessed, with an abundance of gifts to give back to others, so that more may know our Good Shepherd and his abundant life. Amen.