17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”
We never really ate out very much anyway. Dinner at home was almost always more peaceful, always less expensive, and always better tasting because my wife is an amazing cook. But then, they said we couldn’t eat out, and now I want to eat out more.
And going to the gym was often a chore. I did it because I knew it was good for me and I did feel better afterwards, but I won’t pretend the excuses I made to not go were sometimes pretty weak. But then they told me I couldn’t go to the gym and now I’ve never wanted to go more.
Laws don’t necessarily make willing hearts.
Being told we have to do something doesn’t make us want to do it. It in fact might make us want to do it more.
What begins to make us want to do something is not laws, but love.
We begin to want to do something for somebody we love, for somebody we know loves us.
Today, Jesus says that He is the Good Shepherd and we are His sheep.
Sheep don’t follow the shepherds voice because they have to, but because they love that voice. That is the voice of the one who feeds them and leads them and protects them.
They don’t follow a strangers voice because that stranger hasn’t been there for them the way their shepherd has.
The voice of their shepherd calms them and comforts them and soothes them. We want to hear His voice.
We know Him. He calls us by name. We are His.
Even as we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, we fear no evil, because the Lord is our Shepherd, we shall want.
He gives us His voice to lead us and protect us, and we know that goodness and mercy will follow us all the days of our life and we will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.
O, how we love our Shepherd, because we know His love for us.
It’s important that we understand that order. First we know His love for us and then we know His voice.
Because our Lord does give us laws to obey.
He does say, “You can’t do that, say this, or even think this.” He does say, “You have to, instead fear, love and trust, honor, love and obey.”
But laws don’t make willing hearts.
In our sin, there are times we only do what He says to do out of fear of punishment – either punish hear and now, or punishment in hell forever.
Other times, we don’t do what He says because we wrongfully love another’s voice more at the time – the voice of our sinful desires for pleasure or selfishness or the voice of the world.
To be a sheep is to also be tempted to follow the crowd, to cave under peer pressure, to think a certain way because everyone else thinks that way, and to say and do the same.
Sometimes, when Jesus tells us not to do something, sin in us seizes an opportunity to want that thing more.
St. Paul says that when the Law said, “Do not covet,” sin seized an opportunity in him and produced all sorts of coveting.
When God says, “You can’t have that and you can’t even want that,” I sinfully sometimes say, “That makes me want that all the more.”
Our Lord desires willing hearts and He too often finds unwilling hearts.
Jesus wished to gather Jerusalem as a mother hen gathers her young to protect them and save them, but He says, “O Jerusalem, but you were not willing.”
As Christians we know the Spirit is willing, but we also know the flesh is weak.
Today, Jesus says, I am the Good Shepherd, and you are His sheep.
He doesn’t have to be that. Our Lord makes up the laws and the primary thing He could say to us is “I am judge, and you are criminal.”
But His primary voice is not the voice of law, but of love.
Love for us.
I am the Good Shepherd.
Out of love, He promised that willingly. Out of love, He promises that willingly.
He is your Good Shepherd because wants to be – because He is good.
Even to the point to choosing to die for you – to declare you good, to make you His sheep,
Jesus say, “I lay down my life on my own accord. No one takes it from you. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again.”
That had to be out of love. No one made bleed and suffer and sweat drops of blood and be a sacrifice to protect His sheep from robber and thief and wolf.
He did out of love for the sheep. His flock. His one flock.
And the Father loves Him because of this willingness and He loves the Father.
When Father said, “Go,” He wanted to go all the more.
And now Jesus is here again, because He wants to be, because He is willing to be. We cannot make Him be here to give us His voice, or listen to ours, anymore than a sheep can make a shepherd feed them or protect them.
No, He feeds and protects us willingly, because He is good.
And that changes things in us too. We love Him again and we want to do what He says.
We become sincere and generous and eager to do what He says, not under compulsion.
Christ has given us an example to follow, an example of love and sacrifice, and by His voice and willing spirit we live to righteousness and receive healing from His wounds.
Laws don’t make willing hearts. Love does.
And we sheep who gone astray were loved, and are loved, and will be loved, so we willingly follow that voice of the One who loves us.