My students hear my voice John 10:22-30

John 10:22-30  Gospel reading for Sunday 25th April 2010,  "Good Shepherd Sunday"
First of all, some observations:
1. There was a high expectancy that the Jewish people had for the coming of a Messiah. It seems that they were continually on the look out. Jesus clearly must have been a candidate under serious consideration.
2. It strikes me that things were no different then to what they are now. Many people didn't believe he was the real thing then and still don't now. That's despite the world having since been witness to his resurrection and having also had access to his written Word.
3. Jesus the Master teacher once again uses imagery and metaphor to paint a clear picture in the sheep hearing and responding to the voice of the shepherd.

Unfortunately though, the strength of the rural / shepherd / sheep imagery is probably lost on the majority of today's society. If you have had the privilege to experience a rural upbringing and the opportunity to work closely with farm animals, you will appreciate the depth of relationship that one can build up with them. In searching for a modern day equivalent metaphor, it suddenly struck me that in schools we have this right under our noses in the classroom. I once based a devotion for young students on the concept of them recognizing  voices. The excitement generated for them in being able to recognize the hidden voice of  their  teachers from within their school community was quite astonishing. Not only do we recognize the voices of our students, but so do students come to know and hear our voice.

As one commentator noted, a key theological point here is that Jesus' sheep don't just hear his voice, they recognize it and respond to it.

What a privilege it is for us to be in a position of such significance, where we can mould and shape the lives of young people, as they hear and respond to our voice.

May God give us the wisdom that enables us to find the strategies to use, the words to say and the right time to say them, so that we can communicate the good news of Jesus in a way that will trigger not only a hearing but also recognition and response.

Nev