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Morning Meditation for Eastertide
May 12, 2025
Reading: John 10:1-10
‘Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit. The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers.’ Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them.
So again Jesus said to them, ‘Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Meditation: Jo Ann B. Jones
I remember rather vividly when I was a child receiving instruction from my parents about my tone of voice. Perhaps I was unthinking or tone deaf or just young and unthinking. It was pointed out to me that being sarcastic or speaking harshly conveyed a lack of consideration or respect for another just by the tone of my voice. I became increasingly sensitive to how I used my voice and noticed with friends, family and even strangers how my voice, as well as others, had such an effect. Think how when one lowers one’s voice in the midst of a heated argument, often the other person lowers his/hers. Shouting “Calm down!” always has the opposite effect. Or when feelings are running very high, the person who speaks calmly often introduces a bit more peace into the situation. An unexpected compliment can brighten a person’s day, while a rebuke may cast a pall of gloom. I imagine most of us have entered a room where we anticipated being a stranger, how the warm words of welcome were such a relief , making one feel more comfortable and more able to navigate meeting so many strange people. And when one professes love for another, the voice is the first indication of the sincerity and depth of the love that is proclaimed.
One may think of the Bible as a book that includes aural imagery. This accounts for the frequency with which the term “voice” appears and frequently is associated with something spoken and in the form of language.
Hearing someone’s voice creates a personal connection with the speaker, for each person’s voice is unique to the individual. As John writes in this passage, “The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.” This underscores the unique quality of the voice of Jesus, for his voice instills safety and security in the sheep, and in us. The sheep are quite familiar with his voice and feel safe and secure in his presence.
One often can hear and detect in a person’s voice the emotions the speaker is experiencing, as well as that person’s character. Speaking in an unusually loud voice may suggest anger or desperation, while a soft voice may convey a gentle nature or patience. Such a voice encourages trust and entering into and maintaining a relationship. On the other hand, an elusive voice may have the opposite effect causing one to feel uncertain about the speaker and/or the speaker’s attitude.
In any event, voice is an integral part in establishing, maintaining, and deepening a relationship. Of course it may have just the opposite effect; one’s voice may put another person off and frighten one away, thus discouraging the development of any kind of relationship, let alone, one of intimacy.
It does seem that in this passage, Jesus’ objective is to point to the intimacy he feels for his people. How heartening it is to know that Jesus is intentionally seeking to establish such a relationship! And for him, to have the feeling reciprocated, in the trust and faith he hopes others will place in him.
The Voice
The voice in the waves as they curl ‘round the rocks
In a whisper both gentle and clear,
the voice in the clouds as they float in the dome
is the voice I continue to hear.
The voice in the sun as it burns through the mist
til it glistens an mottled grey sea,
the voice in the ancient, still barnacled rocks –
can the voice be the One calling me?
The voice in the waves, and the clouds, and the sun,
and the rocks, when I ask, “Is it Thee?”
replies in a whisper: My soul floats and burns.
In the stillness I hear: “Taste and see.”
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