I was given free tickets my first year living in Kansas City to go to the Royals baseball game. I grabbed a few friends and we headed for the game. The seats were great. They were on the third base side, about fifty feet out from the base, and they were on the field. We literally put our feet up on the rail of the field.
It was probably the best game I’ve been to. They were quiet possibly the best seats I’ve ever had. It was fun. We ate pop corn, watched the game and enjoyed our time together. About six innings in, I looked up at the Jumbo Tron and did one of those double takes. My head jumped from the Jumbo Tron to the batter back to the Jumbo Tron and back to the batter. As I made it back, the batter hit a double.
As he was running the bases, I began asking my friends what his name was. They didn’t know. And then all of a sudden – they announced it over the speakers. Eric Munson.
Eric Munson – I went to high school with the dude. I played basketball with him, I walked the halls with him. I knew Eric. I was caught off guard. I wasn’t expecting to see my old high school buddy, for one in the middle of Kansas, and two playing professional ball.
At the close of the inning – I ran over to the dugout and yelled at him to get his attention. I think it took me several innings, I think he was ignoring my voice assuming I was some annoying fan, before he looked up, recognized me and said “Timmy – what are you doing here?”
As I think about our day’s text, my mind is drawn to these stories of hearing.
We find in our Gospel Text today from John 10, Jesus telling the Pharisees a story about a shepherd and his sheep. It’s really a story about hearing or listening and location or entering. It’s about listening and entering.
I’ve always been pretty active. I started playing sports when I was young. I played baseball and soccer, and I’ve played basketball since I was in 5th grade.
Sports, like life, are interesting. There is always some sort of distraction. In little league, I think of the kid in the outfield… tossing up his glove, picking at the weeds, unaware of the fly ball coming straight towards him. In college, I think of the noise makers and toilet paper coming down from the stands at the Home Coming games. Distractions are all around us. As little kids we have to weed out the voice of our parents to hear the coach. As young adults we have to block out the fans and focus on the game plan. In sports, there are distractions all around.
When we think of athletics - you have to be able to hear your coach. You have to be able to hear your teammates. You have to be able to communicate with one another so you’re on the same page, striving toward the same goal.
I think of the Third Base coach in Baseball – giving the signs to the batter to swing away. I think of the Point Guard holding up his fingers to tell his teammates what offense to run. I think of all these aspects of communication as we look at hearing from the One who is speaking to us. As we strive to hear the One who is leading us.
When I was playing basketball in High School, my sister realized I would never hear her cheer for me among the voices of the crowd. I would never hear amongst all my friends. So, rather than calling out my name, which all my friends did – she began to yell “Go Brother!” Among the noise of the crowd and the rumble of the court, whether I had seen her come into the gym or not, I knew she was there supporting me and cheering for me as I heard those two words. Among the distractions of the game – I could hear her support.
We find in the tenth chapter of John Jesus telling the Pharisees a story about a shepherd and his sheep. In many ways it’s a story about hearing. Jesus says the sheep hear the shepherd’s voice. They follow him because they recognize and trust him. Jesus says if the sheep hear the voice of a stranger – they run. When there are voices and distractions from other sources – they run. They run from the unfamiliar.
Our task today is to hear the voice of the shepherd; the voice of Jesus – and focus upon it. Listen to it. Heed its message, and act upon it. It’s about listening and entering.
In John’s Gospel, we come to this story about the sheep and the gate directly after Jesus has healed a man of blindness. We come to this section about hearing immediately after a piece about seeing. Over the past few weeks we have been reminded about God’s interactions with us through our senses. And today is no different. Today we are reminded of the importance of hearing God.
Bree and I have a dear friend up in Seattle who goes to a mainline church. Their churches catch phrase or slogan, their denominational motto or statement is: “God is Still Speaking.”
God is still speaking. Do you believe that? If so – I think we had better listen! Which makes this passage about the shepherd that much more important! If he is still speaking, then we have the opportunity to hear from him. If he’s not, then why bother listening for his voice? Why bother listening for his directions or leadership? Our culture has stopped listening. They have filled their lives with all the distractions available and stopped believing “God is still speaking”
But if he is still speaking, which I believe he is, then we have this profound opportunity to hear him, listen to him, and interact with him. If he is still speaking – which he is – we need to figure out how to remove the distractions and noise around us and hear his voice.
As I think about this aspect of hearing and listening I think of my son. Phin is just barely two and he is in that strange place where he’s figuring out how the world works. His little mind is constantly moving and going, and he is learning and taking everything in and in that – he’s pretty easily distracted. Like the little two year old – we too are easily distracted!
When I need my son to stop doing something I have to really get his attention. I have to clap my hands or grab his arm. When I want him to do one thing over another I have to make sure he sees the two options and pays attention. I have to guide him and direct him to see the option he needs to take.
I think there’s often a difference between hearing and listening. I know Phineas hears me more often than he listens. He often hears me telling him to stop as he is running away, smiling and giggling. But I don’t need him to only hear me as he moves out the door and towards the street. I need him to listen to me.
I don’t know about you, but at times I’m a lot like Phin. At times I’m a lot like a two year old. When I have the computer on my lap and my wife walks in and says something to me… she can easily decipher if I’ve heard her or if I’ve listened to her. She can easily tell if I was paying attention, being a good listener.
How can she tell? Our body language, it gives it away. How? Our actions or inactions they give it away. Hearing takes nothing. Hearing takes no further action. However when we listen, we are called to action. When we listen we are called to participate.
That’s what Jesus was pointing out to the Pharisees here in John. They saw what he was doing and they heard the things he was saying. But there was a disconnect. They weren’t putting their knowledge of God and the things Jesus was saying together. They weren’t listening. They were caught up in seeing things only one way, through one perspective.
In the busyness of life, with all the competing voices of the culture – can you decipher the voice of your Lord? In the busyness of life, with all the tugs and pulls of our society – are you paying attention to the directions of the Shepherd? In the busyness of life, with all of the competing perspectives, are you obedient to the voice of Christ?
When we hear but do not listen; our faith is stuck, it is in active. It is stagnant. When we listen, we are called to action. When we listen we are called to participate. When we put action to the hearing – we are blessed with the freedom of moving in and out. When we listen – we put action to our hearing.
If we will start in the quiet places of life… slowly we will be able to hear God in the midst of the noisy distractions.
In our Gospel text this morning Jesus basically refers to himself as the gate. We could have a long discussion about what all that means. But in connection to the previous part about hearing his voice and listening, I think this section, for us, is a reminder that we are called to a relationship of action.
As the shepherd stands at the gate and leads us to green pastures. As the shepherd calls out our names and walks with us, he does so in an invitation to movement. We are not stuck in the sheep pen. We are not stuck within four walls of a building. We are to come and go. We are to listen to his voice and go where he leads. We are to listen to his voice and move beyond the confines and into the world.
What I feel the heart beat of Jesus’ ministry was and is – is a call to movement and action. The Pharasees had gotten used to hearing God’s words and his stories. But they had become content to sit and debate rather than move about and practice. As this parable is directed to the Pharisees, we can’t help but be reminded that God wants us to be active in his kingdom. He wants us to hear his voice and put action to it.
Studying Scripture is great. We need to study. But we cannot simply study and study and study it. We need to hear the word of the Lord. No doubt about it! But we cannot simply hear and hear and hear. We must listen. We must put action to our hearing. We must be willing to leave the sheep pen and move about. We must be willing to wander, allowing our ears to listen for the directions of the Shepherd, and follow!
I really believe this text is about sheep and gates. It’s about hearing and listening and entering. Gates are installed so they can be opened and closed. They are used in place of a solid fence so there can be movement. A gate opens and closes allowing us the opportunity to freely listen and obey.
God has given us free will. He describes himself as the shepherd and he is still speaking. He describes himself as the gate – and he allows us to hear to his voice and decide for ourselves if we will listen to his call of active faith.
Familiarize yourself with the voice of God. Hear his voice. Listen to his words, and actively follow his instruction. As he actively speaks his loving graces among you, familiarize yourself with the voice of God!
As you go, hear the voice of Jesus and be active in your listening. Go and Love!
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