Strange Voices

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. (John 10:4-5 NRSV)

This highlights the intimacy that is vital between the shepherd and his own sheep. But it also sheds light on something else not often noticed.

It is true that Jesus is speaking here of our need to know His voice while not becoming familiar with the voice of strangers who are not in tune with Jesus. And while genuine sheep will run away from strangers who do not reflect the tone and spirit of the true Shepherd, there is an inverse lesson that can be discovered in this passage. That is, if we think we are following the right Shepherd and yet we find ourselves chafing and resisting and wanting to run away, maybe it is because we really are not familiar with His voice but just think we are and claim to be.

I am becoming more aware of the danger of thinking I am a Christian, of acting like I am a Christian, of being able to look like I know Jesus personally and even spending time trying to know Him while all along my heart is still focused on looking out more for myself and maintaining a subtle facade. One of the most disturbing, unsettling texts that has haunted me over the years is where Jesus declares to those who present themselves as meriting entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven that He does not know them. This must be some of the most tragically sad words ever to be spoken – when people who have confidently lived their lives believing firmly that they were doing God's will, were furthering His kingdom on earth and were sure of their place in that kingdom suddenly learn that all their lifetime of self-discipline and religious accomplishments left out the most important element needed for living in the presence of Jesus.

What a shock to come to Jesus only to discover that He is actually a stranger to us. When we finally meet the real Jesus, the true Shepherd and have the urge to run away from Him even while deeply craving a place in heaven where we hope to escape all the discomforts of this world, we suddenly are confronted with the reality that we have been following a counterfeit shepherd all this time and have not really learned to discern the voice of the true Shepherd. We have been following a voice that was familiar to us but that voice turned out to be the wrong one.

What is the difference between shepherds? How can we know if we are listening to the right voice or not? How can we have any hope of not ending up with that group who are so certain they are on track as kingdom material only to discover that the real Jesus is a stranger to their form of religion?

There are some good clues right here in this passage. Jesus said that only He is the door through which all true traffic travels, both shepherds and sheep. He also notes carefully that He leads His sheep as opposed to forcing or driving them ahead of Him. This is all in addition to the emphasis He places on the fact that His sheep know His voice and willingly follow Him wherever He leads them.

If I find myself constantly resisting and distorting or reinterpreting the life of Jesus because I find it too disturbing to me, then I should be alerted to the fact that I may be very vulnerable to being duped by a counterfeit shepherd. Counterfeits are very common, so common in fact that they are widely viewed as the real deal. The vast majority of spiritual shepherds today operate using counterfeit principles foreign to the kingdom principles used by Jesus. These other principles are usually assumed to be valid and even godly, but nevertheless they are subtle imitations and mislead us to focus on external results and based on wrong motives.

Jesus did not employ fear, intimidation, threats, guilt, condemnation, shame or force at any time to get people to come to Him. These are all counterfeit elements introduced by Satan and widely accepted and often believed to originate from God. If these elements are seen in the methods of one seeking to lead others into religion, then I become very suspicious of the validity of their leadership. Those who claim to be under-shepherds must be motivated by the same Spirit that filled the heart of Jesus. Jesus was the perfect reflection of the Father and only those who are willing to likewise reflect only the principles of heaven in all their dealings with others can be trusted to help lead us into close fellowship with Jesus.

How tragic it will be if I spend my whole life trying to be a Christian, denying myself, working hard to keep up appearances and follow all the rules only to discover when it is too late that the real Jesus is a stranger to me. When I hear the true voice of Jesus, do I find it offensive to me? Do I prefer to listen to voices that are more in tune with my preferences, that lead me in directions that I want to go? How willing am I to test every spirit including God's Spirit against the infallible Word of God given for me for such purposes? Am I immersed in the Word of God and give it preference over all other supposed authorities, or do I allow others to interpret it for me and fail to let God's Spirit teach me personally? How willing am I to humble myself sufficiently to come to know the voice of the real Jesus in my own heart so thoroughly that when He speaks in unexpected ways or places that I can be assured that it is His voice speaking to my heart?

Abraham had very valid reasons for doubting the voice that instructed him to offer up his promised son as a sacrifice. This child sacrifice business was one of the worst pollutions of religions in his day. So for God to suddenly ask something of Abraham that was obviously so repulsive to God flew in the face of all logic and reason. But one of the reasons that Abraham was able to obey such a seemingly absurd command was because he had already spent so many years learning to discern the voice of God in contrast to counterfeit spirits. It was only because Abraham had such a long established relationship with God intimately that he was able to move ahead without wavering under such bizarre circumstances. As a result, his example of following the true Shepherd has been an inspiration for millions ever since that day and has brought honor and insight to the larger picture of how God feels towards sinners.

One reason that God waited so long to give Abraham the son of promise was his need to deeply establish his relationship of total trust in God and to know God's voice without doubt. If Isaac had come sooner when Abraham was younger, he would not have had all those years of experience with God and would not have been prepared to pass such an excruciating test of loyalty. Like all of us, Abraham needed time to become intimately familiar with the voice of God so he could follow the Shepherd anywhere he was led. The voice of Jesus was not that of a stranger to Abraham and thus Jesus was able to reveal profound things about God through the obedience of Abraham that day.

How is it with us? How is it with me? Am I willing to humble myself, to seek the truth about God at all costs and to be willing to come under the full authority of the true Shepherd? Is His voice becoming familiar enough for me to go places that frighten me as I trust in His wisdom and protection? Or is His voice still strange enough to me that I hesitate and resist and argue and make myself vulnerable to being deceived by other voices waiting to make me more comfortable?