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15 October 2007
John 10 v 1-6
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the person who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger. They will run away from him because they don't know his voice." Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.
I once watched a sheepdog display at a fete. As the dogs performed, the handler explained how the shepherd would have used the dogs to help drive the sheep from the fields to their pen as he went behind the flock. It made me realise how different the shepherd in Jesus' time was. He didn't drive the sheep - he went in front and led them. No dogs, no whistles - just his voice. How did he get such timid animals to follow him? I read that the shepherds of this time would have spent time talking and talking to the sheep, giving them names and getting them used to his voice until they recognised it and trusted him so well that they would only respond to him. Recognising their shepherd's voice kept them safe.
And people say that sheep are silly! It seems to me that learning to recognise our shepherd, Jesus, so that we know to follow only him, is the smartest thing to do. Jesus speaks to us constantly; through the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, through our prayers, through our church leaders, through other Christians - so many ways. Do we spend enough time listening to him, so that we instinctively recognise his voice when he guides us? Think today what you can do to become more tuned in to Jesus' voice.
Jesus, there are so many voices out there in the world. I want to get to know your voice so well that I will always know that it's you speaking to me. Show me what I need to do so that I can know and trust you. Thank you for speaking to me all the time, for knowing me so completely. Amen
Written by Tracy Lambert
John 10 v 1-6
Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, the person who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The one who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. The one who guards the door opens it for him. And the sheep listen to the voice of the shepherd. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he brings all his sheep out, he goes ahead of them, and they follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger. They will run away from him because they don't know his voice." Jesus told the people this story, but they did not understand what it meant.
I once watched a sheepdog display at a fete. As the dogs performed, the handler explained how the shepherd would have used the dogs to help drive the sheep from the fields to their pen as he went behind the flock. It made me realise how different the shepherd in Jesus' time was. He didn't drive the sheep - he went in front and led them. No dogs, no whistles - just his voice. How did he get such timid animals to follow him? I read that the shepherds of this time would have spent time talking and talking to the sheep, giving them names and getting them used to his voice until they recognised it and trusted him so well that they would only respond to him. Recognising their shepherd's voice kept them safe.
And people say that sheep are silly! It seems to me that learning to recognise our shepherd, Jesus, so that we know to follow only him, is the smartest thing to do. Jesus speaks to us constantly; through the Bible, through the Holy Spirit, through our prayers, through our church leaders, through other Christians - so many ways. Do we spend enough time listening to him, so that we instinctively recognise his voice when he guides us? Think today what you can do to become more tuned in to Jesus' voice.
Jesus, there are so many voices out there in the world. I want to get to know your voice so well that I will always know that it's you speaking to me. Show me what I need to do so that I can know and trust you. Thank you for speaking to me all the time, for knowing me so completely. Amen
Written by Tracy Lambert
