Hearing the Shepherd
My sheep hear my voice; I know them and they follow me
Recently, while enjoying coffee, a friend and I began to reminisce - (Oh the joy of memories!) We considered ourselves fortunate to have experienced the 1960’s through our teenage years which we remember as a time of huge social change, a time of such hope and vision when with the passion and naivety of youth, we were going to transform the world! Yvonne recalled her days at university during the late ‘60’s and early 70’s when she was reading among other things, ethics and philosophy. She had spent some time studying in Paris and remembered with great affection the cafes where you knew other like minded people would gather and great philosophical debates and discussions would ensue, continuing sometimes well into the early hours of the morning, the smell of Galloise drifting through the air! Happy days!
Perhaps in every generation, in towns and cities throughout the world and throughout time there have been places where people gather formally or informally, and where the important issues of the day would be discussed with great passion and at great length. Historical documents and books indicate that there were several places in Jerusalem where philosophers and teachers could gather their pupils together for teaching or discussions, no matter what the weather. Solomon’s portico on the east side of the Temple, seems to have been one such place.
Jesus is seen walking though the temple, and the Jews, gathered round him. I can recall in those way off days of the ‘60’s, when we gathered for our deep and meaningful discussions, there would be people with open minds seeking understanding or new insight to the issue being considered, but there would also be the closed minds and the cynics. Such is human nature. And so, I suspect, it would be an equally mixed group that approached Jesus with the question - 'How long will you keep us in suspense'. If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly." Some may have been genuine seekers of understanding, but from our knowledge of the whole story, we may be sure that many others were far less sincere, nothing more than mischief makers, among them the Pharisees. For them, Jesus was a thorn in the flesh, a challenge to their teaching and their authority. He was a troublemaker and their hope as they question him is that he would make a declaration that would enable them to bring the full weight of the law to bare and so rid them of this threat to their power.
But Jesus refuses to be drawn. Instead, as he so often does, he turns the question back to them. “I have told you and you do not believe – the works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me but you do not believe”.
The life and work of Jesus demonstrate who he really is to those who are open and willing to see and hear. The Pharisees, so wrapped up in the narrow legalistic interpretation of their faith and religious rituals, fail to see in Jesus the fulfilment of their scriptures, the same scriptures they spend their life studying; fail to see the revelation of God himself in the person standing before them.
Time and time again, Jesus has explained that the work he does bears witness to who he is. And yet, the religious experts, continue to ask the same old question - they just can’t get it – they are spiritually as blind as bats! They see Jesus miracles, hear his teaching, even question those whom he has healed, and still they can’t grasp it.
Many religious people, then as now, manage to tame their vision of God, box him up to fit their model of who and what He is, to the point where he doesn’t make too much difference to their lives and their choices. They pay him lip service, and carry on regardless. The Jews were quite certain that they and they alone were God’s chosen people; but the scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders laid down hoops through which the people must jump - strict religious laws and codes - before they could be assured of God’s love. The very people entrusted by God to care for his people, his sheep, are proving to be untrustworthy shepherds, distorting his message of love and forgiveness, for their own powerful ends. And so care and protection of the flock has now been entrusted by the Father to the Son. My sheep hear my voice, Jesus says. I know them and they follow me.
Jesus turns all that had gone before on its head – God’s love is for all his children, - every sheep and lamb, and those children were not bound by law and ritual – but were given a new commandment – to love – love God, love your neighbour, love yourself. That’s it – no clean and unclean, no one was outside God’s incredible love; and more than that, all were equal – the kingdom of God was not about building a power base – his was a kingdom where the least shall be the greatest. No wonder he was a thorn in the flesh of many in Judaism.
Following his resurrection, Jesus entrusts to Peter the care and feeding of the flock – Feed my lambs; tend my sheep; feed my sheep. And through Peter, that awesome responsibility is entrusted to the Church. That does not mean just the clergy – Dominic, John and myself; it doesn’t just mean our Bishops and Archdeacons; it does not just mean the leaders of the world wide church. It means Bill, Sam; it means Frank, Doreen and Sybil; Andrew, Jackie and Martin. It means all of us. All of us throughout the world who make up the body of Christ must listen to that voice calling us by name - and then follow.
And yet it seems at times that we – the church - are in danger of becoming no better than the Pharisees - clearly not hearing our Lord’s voice - when we give so much time and energy arguing over who is in and who is out in terms of sexuality; when we become more concerned about architecture and ritual than we are of seeking out the lonely, unloved and fearful; when we abuse and damage the sheep and lambs entrusted to our care;
My sheep hear my voice and follow me. We are called to listen and then to follow our shepherd out into the world. In faith, have the courage to take risks and speak out against all that undermines the dignity of human life. In faith, challenge those who attempt to impose one particular world view across all nations and cultures and so destroy that wonderful richness of diversity from which we can all learn about the creative diverse nature of God. Our faith must not remain locked in our sacred spaces; nor is it simply a philosophy to be passionately debated in the Universities and coffee houses across the world; rather it should be allowed to flow from every fibre of our being out into the world as a force for life in its fullness, a life to be shared with generosity. There will be times when we feel vulnerable or unsure, but Jesus has promised us that if we trust and believe, no matter how fragile that trust and belief may be at times, He will never let us go; and that he will be with us even to the end of time with the power to bring something so special from our often inadequate though well intentioned efforts. The story of Tabitha reinforces that message – I give them eternal life and they will never perish.
Lesley McCormack, 25th April, 2010
