Contemplations on John chapter 10

Today, as I started out on my walk, I pondered which direction to take. I stepped out of my back gate and there was this small dog standing there. A lady pulled up and explained that he had tried to enter her gate as well and that he lived down at the corner. I shut my gate and called for the small dog to follow me in the direction the lady had indicated. He followed me obediently, though I was not his owner.

When another stranger walked up, he started to follow the other stranger, no longer heeding my voice. I stopped just outside of what I thought must have been his gate, only to discover that he had decided to stop and visit with another dog. He was only a few houses from his own, so I felt safe in leaving and going on my way, in the direction that I had taken to try to lead the dog back to his home.

Just as a hired hand is not as interested in the sheep, I cared about the dog, but was not interested in having him follow me for too long, only in him getting back to the gate which was his. Additionally, though he initially followed my voice, he got sidetracked and because I was not his owner (shepherd), he was under no obligation to listen to and follow my strange voice. Were I his owner, he would have followed me, even being sidetracked, much as we follow Jesus’ voice because we recognize Him as our shepherd, as the one who cares for us.