How often have we seen or heard someone pacing up and down the street or more likely a country lane or field calling out a strange names like Max, Tess or even Ted. Such people seem to have a blind faith that whoever they are calling, usually a pet, will eventually hear their name being called and will respond with immediate obedience.
A friend of ours keeps some sheep and has given them each a name; she goes round her field talking to them and giving them a treat to eat and a cuddle as well. It wasn’t until I saw her in action that I believed her but there was definitely recognition of her voice and presence amongst the sheep!
I must admit that I talk to my honeybees quite often but I’ve found that individual conversations are quite difficult and I have to rely upon a general chat with them about the weather and pollen prospects and things like that. However they do have communication running on pretty well all the time between themselves and the queen of the hive. It has been scientifically proven that Queen bees do emit a sound that only members of their own colony will respond too. Other colonies ignore her call and her own colony ignore the calls of other queens.
Voices and recognition are really important aren’t they but it takes quite a time before there is mutual confidence and understanding even between human beings, but what about when it comes to Jesus Christ? Well, our passage today from John’s Gospel goes some way to underlining the significance of hearing Jesus’ voice. The passage seems to be about a shepherd and his sheep but it is also about the importance of the security of the gate or door into and out of the sheep pen where the sheep are kept safe overnight.
Jesus goes to some length to explain that his role in respect of his followers and disciples is firstly in the guise of the gate of the sheep pen. This means that others who wish to enter into that community must pass through this gate, in other words through him. So the community is therefore protected from ‘thieves and robbers’; in other words those who might seek to tempt its members away by preaching false messages or making false promises. In terms of sheep these thieves and bandits would be seeking to rustle the sheep either to take them away and add them to their own flock or to sell them or even kill them for meat.
But then comes the most important part which is recognition of his voice by the sheep who are in the pen in other words by his own band or flock of disciples. Because his true followers recognise Jesus’ voice they will not easily be led astray and indeed will run away from those who seek to tempt them. So we suddenly realise that Jesus is also the shepherd as well and that the relationship with his flock or his followers is much closer and more intimate than we might have thought.
Because it is not just about security within the community inside the pen but Jesus followers have freedom to go out and find fresh pastures and live life to the full. In other words they won’t be constrained by the demands of others who seek to control them unnecessarily or who want to force monetary demands upon them or extort forced labour. As Jesus says his followers and disciples who listen out for his voice and trust what they hear will have life and enjoy it to the full. Amen.
