April 25, 2010: 4th Sunday of Easter

"My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me..."

Jesus said: My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me; and I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish, and no one shall snatch them out of my hand. The One who has sent me, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the hand of my Father. I and the Father who sent me are one. (John 10:27-30)

Do you know anything about sheep? Some people say they are dumb. I don’t believe they are dumb. I think they are just the way God created them to be. I have heard this though, and believe it is true: sheep recognize the voice of the shepherd. As a matter of fact, in some countries sheep graze with many other sheep. When a shepherd calls his or her sheep, they come because they recognize the voice of their shepherd. Isn’t that amazing? Sheep herding was common in Jesus’ time. Jesus speaking of himself as a shepherd is a great image. And, of course, we are his “sheep”. We trust our Shepherd, Jesus, for we know that we are safe in his care. We are safe in God’s care. We have nothing to fear.

Action:

We listen to Jesus’ voice when we read the New Testament and especially the Gospels. In the Gospels we learn what it is Jesus calls us to be and to do. As you pray, listen carefully to Jesus speaking within you. What is Jesus asking of you today?