Knowing Jesus’ Voice - Monday 8th May 06
John 10:1-42 (GNB)
1 Jesus said, "I am telling you the truth: the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who goes in through the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 The gatekeeper opens the gate for him; the sheep hear his voice as he calls his own sheep by name, and he leads them out. 4 When he has brought them out, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him, because they know his voice. 5 They will not follow someone else; instead, they will run away from such a person, because they do not know his voice."
6 Jesus told them this parable, but they did not understand what he meant. 7 So Jesus said again,
"I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep... 10b I have come in order that you might have life---life in all its fullness.
“The sheep follow him because they know his voice”
For some time I have been trying to encourage people in financial debt to join the Credit Union. The idea is that a small weekly saving can be the way into a big loan to get rid of “loan-sharks” who place huge interest burdens on the poor. The Credit Union has a fair interest rate that enables debt to be better managed.
The problem has been that I was not being heard. It was only when one of their number who had tried it herself, talked it up, then everyone wanted to know about it! They “knew the voice” so they followed.
It is the same with the Kingdom of God. The best evangelists are those who have found what God has done to transform their own expectations of life, maybe starting with something very practical such as a financial problem, but then giving them a God-view of who they are: his children.
Like Jesus, we need to say things again and again so that gradually people come to know our voice and hence hear his voice.
To ponder: Who knows my voice? | 