29 April 2007

My Sheep Know my Voice

John 10:22-30

Someone tells about a man who pulled up to a red light and saw a truck towing a trailer with many sheep inside. The man rolled down his window and yelled to the truck driver, "You shepherds don't move your sheep around like you used to." 

To which the truck driver replied, "I'm not a shepherd; I'm a butcher." 

Can you say 'lamb chops'? 

I read this story from Dana Chau submitted to Sermoncentral.com 

You know, this story reminds me of the struggles the Christian community was going through when John wrote his Gospel.  Like sheep they were taken to be slaughtered. Scholars tell us that John is not only the last and the most theological Gospel to be written, but it was also written when persecution began. The religious leaders or the Jews as John calls them were beginning to attack Jesus' followers and trying to bring them back to what they considered Jewish Orthodoxy.

The passage that we have read helped the Christian community that John was writing to, to recognize two things. One, it helped the true followers of Jesus recognize that the Jewish authority, or the Jews, simply will never fully embrace Jesus as the Messiah. John tells us that the Jews asked Jesus, How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly (v. 24).  John writes that Jesus instead of helping them believe, simply said, ìI have told you, and you do not believe you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep (v. 25, 26).  Not only are the Jewish authorities having problems believing, but they will never truly believe because they do not belong to Jesus. To the reader, to those Christians who are being persecuted and in some way becoming confused by the Jewish authorities, Jesus words cut the dialogue off.  In essence, John is telling the reader, "Move on they will never understand what you believe. They are not interested in what you have to say." This might sound harsh and insensitive. Yet, to the persecuted believer, it helps them break away from the past and fully embrace their future. It helps them make the choice to follow Jesus a little easier. 

Two, the passage helped the true followers of Jesus recognize that Jesus will never leave them alone. Nothing will snatch them away from the hands of their Shepherd. Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice. I know them. I give them eternal life and will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand" (v. 27). Again, if you are one of those persecuted Christians who are now becoming confused by what the Jewish authorities are saying, the Gospel of John gives them assurance that they have not made a mistake. It helps them to know that they are not alone and that Jesus himself will help them and see them through these difficult times. 

It the midst of Hanukkah, the festival of the Dedication of the Temple, in the midst of a celebration this small group of Jesus' followers find themselves ridiculed, ostracized and expelled from their communities. In the cold days of winter, the cold shoulders they received from their own relatives were far more painful and dreadful than the winter air outside their homes. 

Yet, the question is not what John is saying or what Jesus is trying to communicate. The question is what do we do with what we have read?  You see, if we put John within its historical context, there is little doubt what he is trying to say. The real question is, how do we apply what we have read to our lives? 

Margaret Guenther writes, ìI am not really pleased to be grouped with sheep, and I suspect that I am not alone in this. Our society places a high value on ingenuity, creativity and individuality. It is better to be a leader than a follower. Can you imagine parents urging their children to be good sheep, to aim for mediocrity in academics and sports? We admire people with high levels of energy and a zest for exploration. No. to be a good sheep is not part of the American dream. Margaret Guenther

And, you know? I think Margaret is right. To be a good sheep is un-American. The image of sheep in the Bible does not help us. Not only because we are too far removed and know very little about first century Jewish sheepherding, but also because sheep in general do not inspire us. We do not like to see ourselves as dumb people, who like sheep can be easily tangled in a bush or simply by following others fall off a cliff. We do not like to see ourselves as fragile people, who like sheep can easily be captured because it is too slow and clumsy to move and not smart enough to know where to run. NoÖ the sheep do not even know where to eat, where to find the good grass. To see ourselves as sheep is to admit we are indecisive, clumsy, fragile and dumb. 

Today, rarely do we find preachers telling us we must become sheep. No one is going to say, be indecisive, be clumsy, be fragile, and be dumb. No one is going to say, throw away your education and the wisdom you think you have. Ignore the voices inside of you telling you to question to wonder to think twice, and simply follow and accept without question. Yet, I will argue that indecisive, clumsy, fragile and dumb is exactly who we are. We can pretend to be strong, agile, smart and decisive. But, we know better. We know that even the smartest person on earth cannot explain with certainty the origins of the universe or what happens to us after death. We know that the most agile athlete can also be fearful of failure or even fearful of success. The most physically fit person can also be in great need of love and acceptance, and be the most insecure person in a crowd.  We know that even the most decisive leader of the Free World can make horrific infantile mistakes. 

You see, for me the question is not, do we want to become sheep or not? I know we are no better than a sheep. I know that regardless of how we view ourselves or who we want to become (whether it is un-American or not), the reality is that we act as sheep.  Having said that, however, for me the question is not even about sheep. For me, the question is about God.  Can we hear God? Do we have the capacity to hear the voice of our Maker when (not if, but when) we find ourselves tangled-up in a bush or close to the edge of cliff, because of our own foolishness?  Do we have the capacity to hear our Good Shepherd when we find ourselves lonely and fearful?  Do we have the capacity to hear the voice of our Lord and King, our Messiah, when we find ourselves confused and swept away by the philosophies of our era? Do we have the capacity to hear the gentle voice of Jesus when we find ourselves unsure of who we are and where we are going? 

At the end of the day, I believe this is what this passage is all about. Persecuted people, hurting people urged to hear the voice of Jesus Christ, urged to wait for their Shepherd and jump into his hands when he comes near. 

We can pretend to be smart. We can pretend that we are strong and agile.  We can pretend we have control of our lives and be decisive.  We can refuse to see ourselves as sheep. That's OK. I wouldn't want to hurt fragile souls, people with low self esteem. 

My hope and prayer is that when the time comes, when we find ourselves in trouble and are ready to admit our weakness, that we turn to our God; that we embrace Jesus Christ; that we jump into the hands of our Shepherd. Before we find ourselves being driven away in a trailer by a butcher, I hope we have enough courage and will to hear the voice of our God and follow Him. 

Let us pray