Selective Hearing
John 10:7-16
Some people have trouble with these words from Jesus.
Photo by Patrick Schneider on Unsplash
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. "I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. The hired hand, who is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and runs away-- and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. The hired hand runs away because a hired hand does not care for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father. And I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that do not belong to this fold. I must bring them also, and they will listen to my voice. So there will be one flock, one shepherd. - John 10:7-16
What you believe depends on what you choose to hear in this reading.
If you focus on the role of Jesus as the gate, you may hear that Jesus is the only way to salvation.
If you focus on Jesus as the Good Shepherd, you may hear that his job is to protect his flock with his life, keeping them safe, keeping the wolves and thieves away from them.
If you choose to focus on his words about other flocks, you will believe that all are welcome to enjoy the safety and protection of this shepherd's domain.
Selective hearing is a gift we all have. It allows us to listen to a particular sound or conversation amid the din of a crowd or party to be alerted to a danger.
But we use it also to justify our position on a matter we feel strongly about.
Beware of people who selectively choose words Jesus spoke to justify their position, to try to convince you they are speaking the truth.
Jesus warned of these people in his day. The Pharisees and scribes used this tactic often to try to trap him.
The problem is Jesus said a lot of things. He taught using many examples and parables. In our day, with the ability to spread truths and beliefs in memes, it is easy to be swayed.
So, don't let others selectively hear for you. Do your own selecting. That way, even if what you select is our of context in the way you apply it, you know what you are doing.
God tried to give us a guide to living well in this world by giving his words to prophets, by giving Moses ten commandments, and by becoming one of us in Jesus. Some feel He continued to try to teach us through Mohammed and maybe others closer to our time.
But we select and choose. We have that ability. We have free will, and still, we look to give up that freedom based on the selective hearing of someone else.
More to come...