John 10:1-10
"The sheep hear his voice." (John 10:3)
The people who first heard Jesus compare him to a shepherd. They had some background knowledge that we are unfamiliar with. They knew that when shepherds brought their sheep in for the night, they put them into pens with other flocks. They were able to distinguish their sheep from all the others when it was time to go out to pasture again. And how was that possible? Each shepherd had a distinctive call, which only his sheep would recognize and follow.
This is a perfect metaphor for our relationship with Jesus. He is the Good Shepherd whose sheep know how to respond when he calls! Or do they? This may be an area where some of us need a bit more training. Do you believe that you have the potential of becoming so familiar with Jesus that you can quickly hear his voice from the other voices in the world? This gift of "hearing" which is every believer’s inheritance in Christ, is developed as we imitate the first Christians, who "devoted themselves to the teaching of the apostles and to the communal life, to the breaking of the bread and to the prayers" (Acts 2:42).
Scripture and church teaching can help us recognize God’s voice. Bonding with other followers of Christ can build us up and give us a place to help us see if our ideas are on target. Personal prayer can become a conversation where we learn to hear the voice of God. And the Eucharist can become an intimate encounter with the Lord, who wants to lead us into a deeper understanding of his will for us.
Isn’t it comforting that we can hear Jesus say, "I love you"? This is our Shepherd’s distinctive call. Do you recognize his voice?
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