May 8 – John
JOHN 10: 22-30
Today’s Gospel lesson is a continuation of the Good Shepherd discourse in the Gospel of John. Jesus and His disciples are in Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of the Dedication. Today the Feast of Dedication is commonly known as Hanukkah. It commemorates the triumph of Judas Maccabeus (Jewish) over Antiochus Epiphanes (Syrian) in 164 or 165 B.C. Antiochus tried to force Greek philosophy and religion on the Jews. Failing that, he attacked Jerusalem, looted the temple treasury, and desecrated the altar by sacrificing a pig on it. Judas Maccabeus and his brothers gathered an army, liberated Jerusalem, cleansed the temple, and rededicated the altar. The festival of Dedication, observed with the lighting of lamps and rejoicing, commemorates that rededication.
Now we know that John in is Gospel uses a lot of symbolism, and today’s lesson is no exception. John’s mention of the festival of Dedication has meaning beyond marking a particular time. The temple represents the presence of God with his people, and Jesus is the new temple. Just as Antiochus profaned the temple, the religious leaders are preparing to profane the new temple, Jesus, and we can hear it in the words they are using to question Him.
One other thing that I would like to Clarify is when they talk about “the Jews,” it is not the common people who oppose Jesus, but the Jewish Religious Leaders. The common people find it much easier to believe in Jesus, while those with power have issues believing Him.
But, my question to you this morning is, can you hear? I know some of you wear hearing aids, and I notice I need to turn the volume on the television up higher than I used to. However, that is not the type of hearing we are talking about today. In verse 27, Jesus says, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” So the question is, are we tuned in on a daily basis to listening for the quiet voice of the Holy Spirit.
Now you all know that I love to read stories on my computer. So, let me share this one with you. “Two men were walking along a crowded city sidewalk. Suddenly, one of the men remarked, “Listen to the lovely sound of that cricket,” But the other man could not hear the sound of the cricket at all.
He asked his friend: “How can you hear the sound of a cricket amid the roar of the traffic and the sound of the people.” The first man, who was a zoologist, had trained himself to hear the sounds of nature.
He didn’t explain to his friend in words how he could hear the sound of the cricket, so instead, he reached into his pocket, pulled out a half-dollar coin and dropped it onto the sidewalk. They both watched intently as a dozen people began to look for the coin as they heard it clanking amid the sounds of the traffic and the sounds of the city. He turned to his friend and said, “We hear ….what we listen for.”
We hear what we listen for. What is it that catches our attention? What sounds, noises and movements capture our interests or perks up our ears and gains our full concentration?
I think this is what makes part of our Scripture passage so powerful. Yes, we can focus on the process of studying God’s word and saying our prayers, but we can also be as aware of our need for listening to God?
Listening actually indicates that we need to concentrate on listening throughout the day for that quiet voice of God. There are many things that cause awe in life, and I am always in awe knowing that God is so attentive to us, loves us so much, that He listens to us and also speaks personally to us.
We can’t “put God in a Box” and think he only speaks audibly or through miraculous signs such as the “burning Bush” with Moses. God speaks in all sorts of ways. The more we listen the more we’ll become aware. The more we become aware the more we’ll see new dimensions to God’s loving communication to us.
Psalm 119 tells us, “I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. I meditate on your precepts and consider your ways. I delight in your decrees. I will not neglect your word.”
Hearing God through his word will guide us in every area of our life. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right. ”God speaks to us through the personal guidance of His Word.
As we leave here this morning to start our new week, let us remember Jesus’ words, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.” We can only hear Jesus’ voice if we choose to hear. Let us all tune our selective hearing to Jesus, taking time and concentrating on what He says. Let us give Jesus our undivided attention. Isaiah 30:21 tells us, “And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way, walk in it,’ when you turn to the right or to the left. Jesus’s words help keep us on the path of righteousness, and as Romans 10:17 tell us, “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ. Let us all open our ears and our hearts. Amen