Which voice are we listening to? Which gate are we entering through? Sometimes in life, we may be tempted and lured to listen to the voice of the world and all the splendour it appears to offer. But what we see is merely an illusion, something like an advertisement to make something appear greater or better than it really is. When we fall into listening to such a voice, we may find out that we have been duped. What we heard may not quite turn out to be what we expected. If we are not careful, we may even lose our lives just for the sake of something which is temporary and not up to expectations. Why do we allow ourselves to go astray and end up in a mess?
In contrast, Jesus in today’s Gospel is reminding us that He is the shepherd and the sheep follow Him because they recognise His voice. Jesus also reminds us that He is the gate of the sheepfold. As long as the sheep go through the gate of Jesus, and follow His voice, the sheep are safe. The other voices are thieves and brigands, who come only to steal and kill and destroy; but Jesus has come so that we may have life and have it to the full.
The question is: are we still trying to trust in our own abilities and intuition, thinking that we can make our own choices and continue listening and being influenced by other voices? Or are we willing to be cared for and protected by Jesus by listening to His voice and going through His gate. The choice is ultimately ours to make, but let us be aware of the consequences of our actions, as it could be a matter of life or death.