But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.
Jesus continues the parable about the sheep with this verse about loyalty. It seems to me that Jesus is talking about a level of relationship that is not intellectual. Sheep are not known for being deep thinkers. Can you imagine sheep thinking abstract thoughts? A sheep wouldn’t be composing Shakespearean plays or pondering mathematics. A sheep just is.
And yet, a sheep knows who to trust and who not to trust. Jesus said, ”Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” (Matthew 19: 14) There is a kind of similarity between sheep and little children. While neither one is going to have deep thoughts, they are clearly able to tell the difference between someone they trust and someone that they do not trust.
This weekend we are babysitting our youngest granddaughter. She is only about one year old, and yet she has the spirit of a Viking and a voice to match. She is not happy that Mom has left her alone for the weekend with someone who is not Mom. If a little child and a sheep can know who to trust, why should it be so hard for you and I to know the same thing?
Life as an adult is complicated. We sometimes listen to the wrong voices and think wrong thoughts. We move away from the simplicity of childhood and get lost in the cacophony of competing voices that surround us as we get older. Sheep and children don’t have that problem. Yet Jesus tells us that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who simply know.
Let’s Discuss: How do we get back to the simple loyalty of a child or a sheep?
I think when we seek after the things of God, we return to a childlike faith.
One thing that could help is keeping focused on Jesus and not being side-tracked by the latest and greatest in theological fads, etc. If we keep focused on the Shepherd, it certainly increases the likelihood that we will hear His voice.
Nice word call by the way – cacophony – I like that.