This Sunday’s sermon examines the value of gates and gatekeepers, inspired by a recent experience with theft. Join us as we explore the symbolism of gates in relation to Jesus’ teachings and how it challenges our understanding of grace and welcome. Discover how Jesus himself is the gate, and how his approach to admission is open to all who are in need. Don’t miss out on this inspiring message of hope and inclusion……..I never expected to drive a car that came in first in anything, but low and behold we hit the lottery. Our Mitsubishi Outlander is number 1 in the category of cars most likely to have the catalytic converter stolen! We drive a desirable vehicle, sort of. Well, we’re not driving it right now, because the catalytic converter has been stolen, which means that someone did not watch the VeggieTales Golden Ruler episode and do unto others as they would have them do unto you. So we got home after church last Sunday and got one of the choice spots in our parking lot. It’s on the sidewalk walkthrough, right in the middle of everything, probably 60 to 80 feet from our door and in front of our neighbor’s sliding glass door. We went out Tuesday to go somewhere, put the key in and it sounded like the “start your engines” moment at the Daytona 500 and scared us to death. The seats were vibrating. Pam ducked and then had an almost instantaneous realization. She yelled, “Someone stole our catalytic converter.” I’m in a little denial, surely not right here. I got out and looked under the car and sure enough it was gone and that cash register sound went off in my head. Not only was the car parked in a great place, but our apartment community, like most of the communities in Pembroke Pines, is gated. The irony is palpable. The week of “Very truly, I tell you, anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief and a bandit.” and our car gets stripped. As crummy as it is, it does offer a unique viewpoint. It really makes you think about the value of gates and gatekeepers, how they work and don’t work. This particular passage falls right after Jesus had healed the man born blind. The leaders are up in arms about the healing and the man’s family are worried about getting kicked out of church and the man is kicked out. Jesus is telling this story in response. Jesus is using this particular set up to prove some points and I notice that some of his points are inaccurate, and I think that that is on purpose. The one part that sort of stuck me as funny is the part where the bandit would come in another way. Think about that for a moment. If it was jewelry…Ok. These are sheep and a fence. I guess you could destroy a section of fence, but I think that would alert the gatekeeper. It could be wolves or animals seeking to destroy a sheep right there, but otherwise I am stuck with this amusing Wile E. Coyote episode of trying to carry off a big sheep over a fence. Jesus’ focus for this part of the discussion is the gate and gate keeper. This Sunday is known as Good Shepherd Sunday, but that part of the narrative isn’t til later. So this Sunday, it’s gates. Think about our gate, believe me, I have. There are some things that make for good gates and good gatekeepers. At the top of the list, they let the right people in and keep the wrong people out. It’s also important that they are well constructed and function correctly. I saw a Youtube video the other day. The guy was showing off the fancy keypad lock on the walkthrough gate to his neighborhood. He punched in his number, went in, closed the gate and said, “Let me show you that again.” He walked about 5 feet around the end of the fence and opened the gate again. Our gate is often broken as are many community gates and it, to Jesus’ point, needs to be a good gate and a good gatekeeper. What Jesus is doing is pretty crafty. He’s going up to the edge of the line and maybe a little over to criticize the leaders. To the leaders who are possessed by their own power and position, control and authority he is saying that there is a gate to the kingdom of God where God’s sheep are assembled and protected but you aren’t it and your efforts are sad, selfish and misdirected. Remember, we have just witnessed a child of God, a lamb of God’s own flock being gatekept out by those to whom Jesus is speaking. Here’s something I thought about. Think about Jesus’ way of keeping the gate. Jesus exercises grace and welcome. He’s not stopping people and issuing a test and the nth degree for entry. He’s healing, protecting and welcoming against many of the current community standards. It seems that all of those that come to the gate are admitted, because nefarious characters try nefarious backdoor entry. Jesus is saying that they don’t know what’s what and that he is the gate and he makes that decision and he is admitting all in need. Actually, this is when Jesus is very explicit. It’s unfortunate that we aren’t reading this in the language Jesus actually spoke or are in the culture in which he said it. We’re at a little bit of a disadvantage here. Jesus says, “I am the gate” and I think we are sort of unfazed by it. Ok it’s a metaphor, no big deal, right? Not so much. This is one of the “I am” statements in the Gospel of John. Remember when Moses was fishing for God’s name? Moses wants to know who to tell the people sent him. They felt it was important to know the name of a god to get what they wanted, and God doesn’t play by those rules. God responds, “I am who I am, tell them I am sent you.” In our language and culture no one would bat an eye if I said, “I am Jonathan, I am the pastor, I am a father.” That way of phrasing was not used that way. Jesus is making a very specific and a very inflammatory statement here. I am the gate. Here, he is equating himself with God. We do that all the time with respect to Jesus, but this was a new thing and was considered blasphemy. Jesus is speaking with authority and proclaiming Good news to the oppressed and to those who have been shown the door. “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me WILL be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” It was really cool in our Wading in the Word discussion this week about the scripture when we were talking about sheep dogs and how they form the bond between sheep and dogs and how different types of dogs had different jobs. That’s when my friend Reggie told us about his family’s dog when he was growing up. Now my first dog was part German Shepherd and he was protective of me and he had some interesting behaviors, but Reggie’s dog took the cake. He said that he and his siblings were notorious for getting into it with one another, but when they did start to get too serious the dog would get between them, put its weight against them, show its teeth and growl. Their junk stopped right then. In the narrative following this one, Jesus tells everyone that he is the good shepherd, and we can see that get in between and growl protectiveness of the sheep. You are not the gate and arbiter of salvation. You don’t get to decide who is left out of the Kingdom. In Christ the gate is open. God’s decision, God’s mercy and grace opens the gate and shelters God’s sheep. Jesus, much like the guardian dogs, puts himself in between as we find out all the way to the cross. The resurrection makes apparent that Christ the gatekeeper the Good Shepherd will not be denied and has opened the way open to all. So we are called to be open in that way, to welcome and to trust the power of the resurrection and place ourselves in between for the protection of the oppressed and to make a stand much like Reggie’s dog and say, “That’s enough of the foolishness.” No, lie, it made me mad when I realized my catalytic converter had been stolen, my car damaged, we would have to find another way to get around for awhile and that it was going to cost me. But there is a better way, helping others to see that the gate is open to them. Theft and crime is not a simple thing. I’m not naive, but it would be a shame if someone was excluded by prejudice or a lack of a welcoming spirit and never got to hear the Gospel proclaimed and the call of Jesus to do unto others as we would have them do unto us. Let our prayer be the words of that hymn Fling Wide the Door: Come, Lord, our Savior, Jesus Christ; our hearts are open wide in trust. Oh, show us now your lovely grace, upon our sorrows shine your face, and let your Holy Spirit guide our journey in your grace so wide. We praise your holy name, from age to age the same! Amen
Leave a Reply