My Sheep Hear My Voice
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John 10:22-30New Revised Standard Version |
| 10:22 At that time the festival of the Dedication took place in Jerusalem. It was winter,
10:23 and Jesus was walking in the temple, in the portico of Solomon. 10:24 So the Jews gathered around him and said to him, “How long will you keep us in suspense? If you are the Messiah, tell us plainly.” 10:25 Jesus answered, “I have told you, and you do not believe. The works that I do in my Father’s name testify to me; 10:26 but you do not believe, because you do not belong to my sheep. 10:27 My sheep hear my voice. I know them, and they follow me. 10:28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one will snatch them out of my hand. 10:29 What my Father has given me is greater than all else, and no one can snatch it out of the Father’s hand. 10:30 The Father and I are one.” |
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v.27 My sheep hear my voice
Cross references:
John 10:4 And when he putteth forth his own sheep, he goeth before them, and the sheep follow him: for they know his voice.
John 10:8 All that ever came before me are thieves and robbers: but the sheep did not hear them.
John 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd.
John 5:25 Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.
John 8:43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.
Matthew 17:5 While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.
Acts 3:23 And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people.
Hebrews 3:7 ΒΆ Wherefore (as the Holy Ghost saith, To day if ye will hear his voice,
Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.
John 10:3 To him the porter openeth; and the sheep hear his voice: and he calleth his own sheep by name, and leadeth them out.
“One of the basic characteristics of a shepherd must be to love the people entrusted to him, even as he loves Christ Whom he serves. ‘Feed my sheep,’ says Christ to Peter, and now, at this moment, He says it to me as well. Feeding means loving, and loving also means being ready to suffer. Loving means giving the sheep what is truly good, the nourishment of God’s truth, of God’s word, the nourishment of His presence, which He gives us in the Blessed Sacrament.”
(Pope Benedict XVI during the Mass of inauguration of his Petrine Ministry five years ago, on Sunday, April 24, 2005, at the Vatican)
Today we are living in a culture that has lost its sense of hearing. We rather go by what we see, the visual. The reason may be because man is fed up with words. This is the negative consequence of the great and rapid progress man has made in mass communication, freedom of expression and technology. Today it has become more than easy for every one to say whatever he feels like saying to everybody. And the more you have of a kind, the less you appreciate it!
Today, the Word of God is just another word among the multitude of words pronounced all the time. And this without mentioning the dis-service render to the word by all those who lie and are unfaithful to their word even at the very moment the proclaim it!
Until few years ago, the Word of God could be found only in hands of priests. Now adays it is the Book most sold and even distributed for free! You can find the Bible everywhere, eeven in Hotel rooms. Many Christian denominations, groups and even sects who do not even deserve that name, preach the Word of God, and pester the homes of people quoting the Bible, and not a false one re-written by their founders – No! The very edition published by the Catholic Church, carring the signiture of some direct Successor of the Apostles! –
And yet, so many people are very easily led astray! Why? Is the problem with the Word of God that remains the Word of Truth, whoever proclaims it? Or is it with the Voice? There are still many many people, even amongst baptised Christians, who do not recognise the Voice of Jesus from any other voice. If you are one of “His sheep” you would be able to tell “impostures” approaching you with the Bible: “Yes, that is the Word of God, but yours IS NOT THE VOICE OF JESUS BECAUSE I RECOGNISE HIS VOICE!