"Comforting Words" - John 10:11-18 - May 14, 2000

One evening I was attending a event at the High School and a woman overheard me speaking with a friend. She approached me and said, "Dr. Wagner, is that you?" I did not know the woman but she next said, "You must be Dr. Wagner, I know your voice." I gave her a puzzled look since she was a total stranger. Then she said, "I hear you on the radio every Sunday morning, I really enjoy your messages."

Of course I was flattered by the comment and also grateful that there are people "out there" who are actually listening to our church program. It was also a profound moment for me since a complete stranger recognized me, only because of my voice. I was familiar to her and she was able to pick out my voice in the midst of a crowd.

The voice of the good shepherd is known to his sheep. It is a familiar voice. It is a voice that can be heard in the midst of a crowd. The world we live in is full of voices. Just about everyone wants our attention. There are those who advertise to get us to buy. There are those who argue and persuade to get us to be on their side. There are those whose voices hurt, ridicule and take advantage of us. And there are those who mislead us.

No wonder we take the phone off the hook. No wonder we escape to a quiet place. No wonder we avoid certain places and certain people who drown us out with their dominating sounds. When we have a problem or we are contemplating an important decision it is difficult to know what voice to listen to. Which voice can be trusted? Which voice offers hope and assurance?

First, the scripture reads, "He knows them by name." In other words it is a voice that calls us by name, like the woman at the High School. God knows each of us personally. We are each unique and distinct from all others. In a crowd God can still pick us out. Every individual is important to God. We are known. We are not a number, but human beings, with an identity.

This past week I read an article in the sports section about Pete Rose. He said, "I feel like a non-person." He believes since he has been banished from baseball that he no longer exists. I would like to say to Pete, "God, has not forgotten you." My hunch is that Pete would not feel so forgotten if he would listen to different voices. He is allowing some voices to tear him down. At the same time, he is not validating those who are speaking good things about his life in baseball. To God, we are not non-persons. God knows every one of us by name.

Second, God’s voice is one that "leads." For me this implies a voice with experience. One that is credible. One that can be trusted and relied upon. I was contemplating a major purchase recently and in the process I consulted some close friends. Although they would have supported me in whatever decision I made I felt their input was important to me. They helped give direction because they knew me well and how the purchase might affect my future.

Third, the shepherd promised "pasture." He gives his followers something to look forward to. He/she gives them hope. My experience in counseling has taught me that most folks who are stuck are feeling hopeless. They are in despair because they see no light, no way out of their predicament. A shepherd leads the flock to water, to food, to rest and safety. The shepherd wants his followers to have "abundant life." He cares about them. He wants them to have happiness and fulfillment. The shepherd wants his people to be themselves. He wants them to be free.

One of the problems Jesus had with his listeners is that they did not always understand. His parables sometimes went over their heads. It is not always easy for us to know which voice is authentic. I think that too often we are impatient and therefore tune in to the first sound we hear. The image of pasture is helpful here. The pasture was where the sheep grazed. They didn’t leap through the fields, they nibbled their way, eating a little at a time. Occasionally they would look up to see if danger lurked near by. To be the kind of listeners Jesus wants us to be means we have to nibble our way too, testing each sound we hear.

The sound he wants us to hear from the voice of the good shepherd is a voice that comforts. The voice is like that of a mother who says to her young child during a storm in the middle of the night, "Don’t be afraid, it will be all right." Or, by their actions, tends to their wounds when they have stumbled or fall. And the voice of the good shepherd is not just a bunch of empty words and phrases, it is a voice that is accompanied by attending, nurturing and protecting.

Sometimes, comforting words can be no words at all. Last Thursday morning, my wife and I were on our way to the airport from downtown, Minneapolis. It was raining hard and the traffic on the interstate had come to a complete stop. I was nervous about the time, knowing our plane was to depart in less than an hour. I began to say things like, "This is hopeless, we should have gone a different way." My wife, however just sat there and said nothing. I sensed her patience and her refusal to panic. She later said, If we had to stay in Minneapolis another day I wouldn’t have minded spending more time at the Mall of America."

Just because no words are spoken does not mean that God is not present. God is always present, that is the point of the parable of the good shepherd. God is with us day and night, even as we sleep. Just as the good shepherd stays with us always, God is with us always.

God is the Great Shepherd who cares about us. God knows us and is watching over us. When a reassuring voice speaks, God speaks. The voices that reassure us in life are those who know us. They provide leadership and give us hope. They want the best for us and do not have their own self-interests in mind. At the same time, we have to listen. None of us can get through life and cope with our day to day problems and personal crises without hearing the reassuring voice of God. It always speaks, or is known by its presence of love and compassion.

All of us face moments in our lives when it is necessary to make a decision. And when the consequences are significant the choices we make can be a heavy burden. Fear and uncertainty grip us and we don’t know who to listen to. Those are the times we desperately need a reassuring voice, the voice of the good shepherd.

Dr. Keith Wagner, St. Paul’s United Church of Christ, Sidney, Ohio