LISTENING IS OBEYING

Tuesday in the 4th Week of Easter
Jn 10:22-30

“Shema” is the Hebrew word for “listen”. The word for “obey” in the same language has “shema” also as its root word. To listen is not only to hear, to know, or to understand. For the Jews – and Jesus is a Jew – listening flows into obeying.

As disciples of Jesus, we listen not merely for the sake of knowing. We listen in order to obey. We listen to Jesus because we want and we mean to obey Him.

We must always listen to the voice of Jesus. Otherwise, we will be lost. For like sheep, we are near-sighted creatures; we see only up to the tip of our noses. We need Jesus, our Good Shepherd to lead us. But the voice of our Good Shepherd will not bring us to green pastures or to safety unless we obey it.

It is always possible that while we do hear the voice of the Good Shepherd, we refuse to follow it. In such a case, there is nothing that awaits us but catastrophe in the jaws of beasts or in the hands of thieves disguised as shepherds. Let us, therefore, pray that we may always obey Jesus.

Listening needs not only our ears to hear and our minds to understand. Listening needs more than our hearts to ponder with. Listening demands our whole self.