Jesus' voice

Fourth Sunday of Easter-Year C

April 21, 2013

Year of Faith

First Reading: Acts 13:14, 43-52

Psalm: 100:1-2, 3, 5

Second Reading: Revelation 7:9, 14b-17

Gospel Reading: John 10: 27-30

Jesus, our Lord and Savior, asked Peter and the other Apostles, the previous week, to take care his sheep and lambs by feeding them of the Good News, tending them to their needs spiritually and physically, and loving them the way He loved them.  Afterwards, He said to them, “Follow me,” as He will continue serving the sheep and lambs entrusted to Him by God His Father and our Father until the end of time.  This apostolic ministry will not end until He comes again and claims all He owns.

 And today, Jesus explains to them and to us why these feeding, tending and loving are very important works  for Him.  He said, “My sheep hear my voice.  I know them, and they follow me” (John 10:27).  We are His sheep and He is our Shepherd.  He knows and understands each one of us through and through, for He scrutinizes us, dissects us, dichotomizes us, etc. – for He loves us inside out.  And as his sheep, we listen to His voice.  We are familiar to the intonations, volumes, softness, gentleness and tenderness of the sound of His voice.  We follow Him in every direction His voice leads us to and fro, for we know that we are safe with Him, that He protects us from all harmful elements in the surrounding environment, to the wild beast, weather, etc., and that He brings us to green pasture/field, on the one hand.  And, on the other hand, as our Good Shepherd, as He said, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish.  No one shall snatch them out of my hand” (John 10:28).  He is ready to defend us, by giving up His own life for us.  He showed this self-giving sacrifice on the Tree of life, as we have seen and observed in the last few days ago.  He offered His self in exchange for our salvation and forgiveness of sins, so that no one shall perish, except he who does not believe, trust and no confidence to Jesus’ saving act and undeniably everlasting forgiveness; that for Him past is past, everything is new and everyone has a new chance to live a happy life in His presence. 

Another reason for these works is this, “My Father is greater than all, in what he has given me, and there is no snatching out of his hand” (John 10:29).  God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ and our Father, does the same works His Son does for us.  Jesus imitates what God, His Father does for the good of His children and creatures.  When God creates something good, Jesus finishes it completely and perfectly.  When God hands over us to Jesus, Jesus makes sure that we ill become like Him, in His image and likeness, good, very good. (cf. Genesis 1:26-27, 31); and when He returns us to God, His Father, nobody will be lost or snatch out from Jesus’ hands.  For one thing is sure, as Jesus said, “The Father and I are one” (John 103), and the same, in loving us, protecting us, in shepherding us.

Therefore, as Jesus followers and Father’s children (sheep and lambs), we should listen to His voice attentively – with well-trained ears, attuned to the vibration of His speech, always awake to respond to His call, and ready to follow Him wherever He leads us, especially to His Father, for with Jesus we are safe and nobody can snatch us away from Him.

Questions for Reflection:

1.  Do we listen to Jesus’ voice, and follow Him? Or, are we listening to other voices?

2.  How do we know that it was and is Jesus’ voice?

3. What do we do to remain to His flock as sheep and lambs, so that nobody can snatch out us from His hands?