The Voice of the Shepherd
A Sermon for the Fourth Sunday of Easter
May 8, 2022
The Rev. Robin Teasley
At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter, and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, "How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Jesus answered, "I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father's name testify to me; but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father's hand. The Father and I are one." John 10:22-30
Things are tense in our Gospel reading today. For all of chapter ten, Jesus has been speaking in metaphors to the Jewish leaders about sheep and shepherds and gates, and they do not appear to be comprehending, or really listening. Or is it that they simply do not like what they are hearing, and so they challenge Jesus, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” They are done with the metaphors, they want the answer to their question – is Jesus the Messiah or not?
Life is full of moments like these, isn’t it? We have all spent time in this pasture, we hear what we want to hear, and we can be as stubborn as sheep! Our world today is more impatient and confrontational than ever and it’s hard not to be swept up in all of the emotion, hard not to give more attention to the opinions of the sheep around us than to the shepherd.
In case you have not figured it out, today is Good Shepherd Sunday. Sheep are everywhere, running in every direction – running through the readings, the music, even implied in the collect of the day. And isn’t that how life is – so many things going on all the time, so many choices to make. We are busy sheep and we get so caught up in following all the other sheep around us that we may even forget sometimes that we have a shepherd.
Jesus is the Good Shepherd, and in our gospel reading for today there is only one line that speaks about hearing the voice of the shepherd, but it’s an important line. In talking about sheep, both those inside the flock and those yet to enter the flock, Jesus is clear that his sheep will listen to his voice. But in all the bleating chaos of life, hearing the Shepherd’s voice, distinguishing it from all the other noise that surrounds us, can sometimes be difficult.
However, I would like to suggest that we are not so inept at this as we would like to claim. We are actually quite good at hearing what we want to hear. Many of us immediately recognize the notification sound of new mail in our inbox, or the special ringtones and text alerts on our phones. We know that much awaited sound that our coffee pot makes just as it’s finished brewing, letting us know that our morning energy boost is ready!
I once had a chocolate Labrador retriever who knew the sound of my car keys. I could not ever pick them up quietly enough to sneak out without alerting her to my departure. She was always at the door ahead of me!
And what about human voices? Those of us who are parents know the sound of our children stirring in the night, or calling out for us when they have gotten separated from us in a crowd. Growing up we knew our parents’ voices, and when we heard them call our full names, first, middle and last, we knew we had better pay attention! We have spent enough time listening to those voices that provide for us and depend on us, that we can recognize them anywhere. The question is, are we going to choose to listen?
We hear what we want to hear, we hear what comforts us, feeds us, brings us happiness. But hearing what we want to hear is not the same as hearing what we need to hear. And when we wander away from the shepherd, out of hearing range, we risk becoming prey to those things that call us away from our shepherd, away from the good, away from God.
We sometimes choose to follow our own agendas, hearing only those voices that sound like our own. We begin to graze only on what we want rather than on what we need. Whether it’s about an unhealthy lifestyle, perceived wrongs done to us, denial about a situation, or an unwillingness to embrace change, we cannot always see what is best for us, and then our relationship with God and others begins to suffer.
Hearing the voice of the shepherd is about relationship. Only in relationship can we begin to trust that we are truly known. Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me.” Only when we can fully trust Jesus will we find comfort and hope in the rough and rocky places of life.
God desires green pastures and still waters for us, and God’s goodness and mercy follow us, never giving up on us, always seeking to be in relationship with us. In fact, in Psalm 23, the word for follow is the Hebrew word, radaph, which actually means “to pursue” in the same way that a hunter pursues its prey. It is a relentless pursuit, but it is a pursuit of love. It was the Rev. Jim Thompson who first pointed that out to me. He called goodness and mercy God’s watchdogs!
Just as the sheep need to hear the voice of the shepherd, we need to hear God’s voice give us direction; to provide comfort and hope in our lives when pastures are not green, and waters are not still; when our souls need reviving, when our paths need redirection, and when we find ourselves walking in the valleys. It is God’s voice that will shepherd us through these times.
Have you heard God’s voice lately? If we are listening, we might hear it in worship, in scripture and hymns, in nature, in service to others, or through wise words spoken by others. Another way to know God is through silence and prayer. This has become more and more important in our chaotic, noisy world. The Good Shepherd wants to lead us beside the still waters, the quiet and restful waters of prayer.
Sometimes it’s easy to use the distractions in our lives – the media, world events, even our disappointments, frustrations, and anger to avoid the silence that will bring us into God’s presence. Sometimes it’s easier to go along with the herd, even if they are heading off the cliff, than it is to stop and listen to the voice of the shepherd.
What I notice when I make time to be silent with God is that I am able to observe things I would otherwise miss in the noisy parts of life. I find myself listening better, hearing not only what is said, but what is not said. I find myself responding to things not out of fear and judgment but with more compassion. Time with God in silence creates space for deeper understanding, patience, forgiveness, and acceptance of what I cannot control.
What would it be like to know and be known so intimately that there was no more fear or anxiety, but only complete and total trust and love? What would happen if we followed God in the way that God’s watchdogs of mercy and goodness pursue us? The voice of the Shepherd calls to each one of us. How will we answer? I encourage you to take some time each day to listen for God’s voice speaking to you.
“Grant that when we hear his voice, we may know him who calls us each by name, and follow where he leads.”
Title Image:The Good Shepherd, Mausoleum of Galla Placidia, Ravenna, 425 CE
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