John 10:1-10Jesus said, "Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly."
“The sheep will follow him because they know his voice.” That sentence, Jesus’ promise, sounds very good to me except I wonder, how can “they,” and how can I, be sure it is Jesus’ voice that I am hearing?
ReplyDeleteThe strange and paradoxical thing is, the voice of God that we actually cannot “know” according to our human reason and objective analytic faculties is the one voice that when we know it we truly know it beyond all reason and objective measures. Anyone who has heard the voice of the Lord, the Shepherd, Jesus, the Spirit, God or whatever you choose to call it, cannot be convinced otherwise. That which is utterly unknowable is the one thing that is absolutely known. How is this so?
From Abraham’s encounter with God, to Moses and the Prophets, Mary, Joseph and everyone in the Christian Testament who encountered Jesus, each and every one was affected. Encounters with divinity are life changing but, and this is a big but, they do not necessarily lead to a particular response. Some who hear the voice of the Shepherd are skeptical and turn away even run away. Others are insulted, offended or outraged and seek to silence the Word. Still others hear and turn toward God allowing the way of their life to be changed.
“The sheep will follow him because they know his voice.” That sentence, Jesus’ promise, sounds very good to me except I wonder, how can “they,” and how can I, be sure it is Jesus’ voice that I am hearing?
The strange and paradoxical thing is, the voice of God that we actually cannot “know” according to our human reason and objective analytic faculties is the one voice that when we know it we truly know it beyond all reason and objective measures. Anyone who has heard the voice of the Lord, the Shepherd, Jesus, the Spirit, God or whatever you choose to call it, cannot be convinced otherwise. That which is utterly unknowable is the one thing that is absolutely known. How is this so?
From Abraham’s encounter with God, to Moses and the Prophets, Mary, Joseph and everyone in the Christian Testament who encountered Jesus, each and every one was affected. Encounters with divinity are life changing but, and this is a big but, they do not necessarily lead to a particular response. Some who hear the voice of the Shepherd are skeptical and turn away even run away. Others are insulted, offended or outraged and seek to silence the Word. Still others hear and turn toward God allowing the way of their life to be changed.
Lord, open the ears of my faith such then when you call I recognize Your voice and strengthen my will such that when I recognize Your voice I follow.