“What wonderful, good news! We have a divine Shepherd who is always with us: accepting us, forgiving us, teaching us, guiding us.”
It was an introvert’s nightmare.
My coworkers and I were scheduled to attend a large conference in a neighboring city. Being a mom to three elementary aged kids, I had to bring my children to school that morning, and so I arranged to drive separately from my coworkers and to arrive at the conference later in the morning. As I approached the venue, I thought about how nice it would be to arrive after the conference had started. Everyone would already be in the auditorium, leaving the lobby wide open and quiet, a perfect way for an introvert to begin a day of learning. I would navigate the parking lot with ease, breeze through the check-in process, and walk right up to the coffee bar. It would be glorious.
The dream was short-lived. As I turned into the parking lot, there were dozens of people milling about the sidewalks. When I walked into the lobby, there were hundreds more. People streamed out of the auditorium. The coffee bar looked like Target on Black Friday. I had arrived during a session break.
My illusions shattered, I realized that there was no way I would be able to find my work group in such chaos. I pulled out my phone and texted a coworker: “I’m here. Introvert nightmare.” The reply immediately lowered my blood pressure: “I’ll come find you.” And a minute later, as I waited among the throngs, I heard the voice of my friend, a voice that I knew, say, “Holly.” All was well.
In John 10:14-15, Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know my own sheep and they know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. I give up my life for the sheep.” In Jesus’ day, it was common for multiple flocks of sheep to share one large pen overnight, protected by their shepherds who kept watch at the gate. In the morning, the shepherds would call out to their sheep, and their own flock would follow them out to pasture to graze. How did the shepherd remember which of the many sheep were his? How did the sheep know which shepherd to follow? The shepherd knew his sheep, and his sheep knew him. They knew the sound of his voice, a voice they could trust to lead them to safe pastures.
Jesus is our good shepherd. He knows each one of us by name, and his desire is for us to know and trust him. In the Hebrew language, as well as in Jewish culture, “to know” did not mean to “know about” or to “know of”, nor did it mean to have an intellectual understanding. “To know” meant to be in relationship, to have an intimate and personal connection. That is how Jesus and God the Father know one another, it is how Jesus knows us, and it is how we can know him. We can have a deep and personal relationship with Jesus, our good shepherd. We can trust him to watch over us while we rest, to walk with us through danger and darkness, to lovingly seek us when we go astray, to carry us when we are weak, and to lead us to good pastures and still waters.
Sheep learn the sound of their shepherd’s voice by being with their shepherd, by living with them and walking with them day in and day out. This is how we learn to recognize the sound of our Shepherd’s voice as well. Do you recognize the voice of Jesus? Can you hear him speaking your name through the chaos and fray of life? This week, set aside time to be with him. Pick up or download a Bible and start to read the book of John. Listen to music made for worship. Pray. If praying feels awkward, know that that’s okay. However hesitant or halting it may be, your voice is a delight to Jesus. He knows you, and he longs for you to know him more and more, too.
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