One of the interesting benefits of having so many meetings on Zoom, both with and without video, is that I’ve become more adept at recognizing people by the sound of their voice. It’s the kind of skill that takes time to develop, certainly; the kind of skill which comes from relationship, from shared conversation, from time spent together, talking and listening. I’m sure you have relationships like this, people you can call and say, “Hey, it’s me” and be certain they’ll know who “me” is just by hearing your voice. Or, maybe you’ve had the experience of being in a crowded restaurant or store (back in the good ol’ days!) and even amid all the noise, the voice of someone you know well catches your ear and you turn to find them.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus uses an extended, layered metaphor to describe to his disciples the kind of relationship he has with his followers. Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep, who calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He’s the gate for the sheep, which provides both safety within the sheepfold and a way out of the sheepfold into the verdant pasture. Like the shepherd, like the gate, Jesus is the one who tends and nurtures and brings about abundant life.
In this time of confusion and uncertainty, we are searching for voices offering wisdom, clarity, and leadership. In this time of fear and anxiety, we are desperate for hope and abundant life. What good news it is, then, to hear Jesus proclaim that his is the voice leading the way. Jesus assures us that, unlike the thief who comes to steal, and kill, and destroy, he comes that we may have life, and have it abundantly.
Good news, yes – but, how do we know what the voice of Jesus sounds like? In a world where there are so many voices promising life and success and prosperity, and so many voices that threaten to lead us astray, how can we be sure that we’re following the right shepherd?
A few thoughts:
First, it is the job of the shepherd, and not the job of the sheep, to make sure that the sheep are headed in the right direction. The metaphor of sheep and shepherd is a common one in Scripture, and elsewhere in the Gospels we are reminded that God is the kind of shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep in the wilderness to find the one who is lost and missing. So take heart! You can never be so lost or so far away that God cannot find you. In those times when we cannot hear the shepherd’s voice, we trust that God is seeking us out and leading us back.
We learn to recognize the voice of Jesus in the some of the same ways we learn to recognize the voices of our friends and loved ones: through relationship, shared conversation, and time spent together, talking and listening. If we want to know what the voice of Jesus sounds like, we do well to immerse ourselves in Scripture – the living word of God – and in prayer and worship.
Looking back at today’s Gospel reading, we see again the distinction Jesus draws between the actions of the thief and the actions of the shepherd. While the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus comes that we may have life, and have it abundantly. When you’re trying to discern the voice of Jesus, this can a helpful filter.
Is the voice, the message, you hear rooted in deceit, death, or destruction? Does the voice whisper shame, or disdain, or hatred? Does it parrot fear and suspicion? Does it try to convince you that the people around you aren’t worthy of love? If so, it’s not the voice of Jesus. Is the voice promising life that sounds too good to be true – perhaps life without pain or heartache, or life that revolves around you and you alone? Is it a life that depends on your ability to be a good person and do the right thing? That’s not the voice of Jesus, either.
Is the voice calling you to abundant life, both now and in the future, a life that is inseparable from relationship with God and with one another? That sounds like Jesus! Is the voice calling you to love? Does it promise that death doesn’t get the last word, that you’re worth more than the worst thing you’ve ever done? Is it a voice that proclaims welcome, forgiveness, and grace? That sounds like Jesus, too!
The voice of Jesus is the voice of love, and grace, and forgiveness, and hope. We give thanks for a God who leads and guides us, for a God who never stops looking for us when we are lost and afraid, for a God who protects and cares for us. In the midst of competing voices calling us to follow, we rejoice in a God who calls us by name and invites us into life that is abundant and everlasting.
In today’s Gospel reading, Jesus uses an extended, layered metaphor to describe to his disciples the kind of relationship he has with his followers. Jesus is the shepherd of the sheep, who calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. He’s the gate for the sheep, which provides both safety within the sheepfold and a way out of the sheepfold into the verdant pasture. Like the shepherd, like the gate, Jesus is the one who tends and nurtures and brings about abundant life.
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| Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash |
In this time of confusion and uncertainty, we are searching for voices offering wisdom, clarity, and leadership. In this time of fear and anxiety, we are desperate for hope and abundant life. What good news it is, then, to hear Jesus proclaim that his is the voice leading the way. Jesus assures us that, unlike the thief who comes to steal, and kill, and destroy, he comes that we may have life, and have it abundantly.
Good news, yes – but, how do we know what the voice of Jesus sounds like? In a world where there are so many voices promising life and success and prosperity, and so many voices that threaten to lead us astray, how can we be sure that we’re following the right shepherd?
A few thoughts:
First, it is the job of the shepherd, and not the job of the sheep, to make sure that the sheep are headed in the right direction. The metaphor of sheep and shepherd is a common one in Scripture, and elsewhere in the Gospels we are reminded that God is the kind of shepherd who leaves the 99 sheep in the wilderness to find the one who is lost and missing. So take heart! You can never be so lost or so far away that God cannot find you. In those times when we cannot hear the shepherd’s voice, we trust that God is seeking us out and leading us back.
We learn to recognize the voice of Jesus in the some of the same ways we learn to recognize the voices of our friends and loved ones: through relationship, shared conversation, and time spent together, talking and listening. If we want to know what the voice of Jesus sounds like, we do well to immerse ourselves in Scripture – the living word of God – and in prayer and worship.
Looking back at today’s Gospel reading, we see again the distinction Jesus draws between the actions of the thief and the actions of the shepherd. While the thief comes to steal and kill and destroy, Jesus comes that we may have life, and have it abundantly. When you’re trying to discern the voice of Jesus, this can a helpful filter.
Is the voice, the message, you hear rooted in deceit, death, or destruction? Does the voice whisper shame, or disdain, or hatred? Does it parrot fear and suspicion? Does it try to convince you that the people around you aren’t worthy of love? If so, it’s not the voice of Jesus. Is the voice promising life that sounds too good to be true – perhaps life without pain or heartache, or life that revolves around you and you alone? Is it a life that depends on your ability to be a good person and do the right thing? That’s not the voice of Jesus, either.
Is the voice calling you to abundant life, both now and in the future, a life that is inseparable from relationship with God and with one another? That sounds like Jesus! Is the voice calling you to love? Does it promise that death doesn’t get the last word, that you’re worth more than the worst thing you’ve ever done? Is it a voice that proclaims welcome, forgiveness, and grace? That sounds like Jesus, too!
The voice of Jesus is the voice of love, and grace, and forgiveness, and hope. We give thanks for a God who leads and guides us, for a God who never stops looking for us when we are lost and afraid, for a God who protects and cares for us. In the midst of competing voices calling us to follow, we rejoice in a God who calls us by name and invites us into life that is abundant and everlasting.
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