GOOD SHEPHERD SUNDAY, YR C
Acts 13:14,43-52; Psalm 100:1-2,3,5;
Revelation 7:9,14b-17; John 10:27-30
MY SHEEP HEAR MY VOICE, I KNOW THEM
Our gospel today follows immediately after Jesus declared himself the Good Shepherd at the hearing of the Jews. But they did not fully understand and asked him to tell them clearly whether he was the Christ? But why was Jesus not clear with them?
He was not clear with them because they came not seeking the truth, but rather looking for grounds to accuse him more. Jesus said, “my sheep know my voice, I know them and they follow me” (John 10:27). This is interesting because, it would have sounded normal to say that the sheep follow him because they know him, but instead he says that they follow him because he knows them.
All of us have a longing to be known—to be understood and accepted at the deepest levels. But we, many of us, are not that privileged; sometimes we are understood but not accepted or accepted but not understood. But true love is when someone knows us, understands us and accepts us. Only God can truly and completely love us in this way. This is the seed for intimacy and only God seeks this intimacy with us. This Gospel makes it clear that Jesus sees to the depth of the heart of those who hear his voice. It is a certain seeing into our whole being and he takes us as we are to make us new and renewed. His voice awakens in us a desire for him and his love. His voice within our hearts leads us to the objective truth and morality in this life.
But we must contend with other voices around us regarding God and objective moral truth. We can identify three:
The are voices today who are sceptical about morality and see it as a matter of private opinion. For them, what is right for one is wrong for the other. For this reason, there should be openness to different views on morality. But this is false when we probe deeper. Can we relativise the abuse of women or children? Certainly not. This is objectively wrong.
Another voice calls for cultural consensus. Something is wrong because we all agree on it. For example, there should be a cultural consensus on abortion by voting or opinion poll,then we should accept it. Sadly, this historically, has never turned out well for us. It has led to grave crimes against humanity. Remember apartheid and …?
Thirdly, there are those who describe morality as merely a by-product of evolution. That, moral codes arise in human societies by cultural evolution. For them, we naturally evolve to become altruistic in our sense of goodness, selflessness and of care for others and nature. The problem with this view is that it opens the door for the justification of every evil or sin.
All these views are false because our own conscience indicate to us that there is an objective truth and morality.
The voice of our Lord Jesus Christ is what guides us. To listen to the voice of God and to submit to him, is to recognise that morality is determined by God. Is it not true that when we’ve done something good, we have a strong sense that we have pleased someone beyond us?
Those who do not want to attribute it to God (like one of my friends) prefer to say supreme energy of the universe. That beyond is God; the one who knows us deeply but still loves us regardless. We must learn to listen to that voice, that divine whisper of love in our hearts and souls.
The reward for hearing and obeying his voice is peace and eternal life.
The voice of Jesus is nurtured and strengthened through prayer, reading the Bible, frequent and worthy reception of the sacraments, and keeping of good and holy friends.
My sheep hear my voice, I know them and they follow me.
The Lord Jesus knows you and his voice echoes in your heart for what is right.
May you hear always that whisper of love and follow him.
God bless you.
