Jesus the Gate
John 10:1-10
May 15, 2011
In our gospel reading today, we encounter Jesus speaking to a crowd of people. The crowd is made up of individuals from different backgrounds. Earlier on in John the Jews question Jesus about who he actually is supposed to be. A bit later, Jesus tries to explain to his own disciples who he is. Then, when Jesus returns sight to the blind man, the Pharisees question his true identity. The group gathered to listen to Jesus represents all of those people who want to know who Jesus really is.
Jesus is again attempting to answer that question because the people still do not understand. More than that, though, Jesus wants to show all of the people that he and they are in relationship with each other, that he is part of their lives and they are, in turn, a part of his. All of them are children of God. Their relationship is a divine one blessed by God, and Jesus tries to make this point clear to the people.
In the first part of our reading Jesus compares himself to the noble shepherd who provides for all the needs of his sheep. Jesus, as the Good Shepherd, cares deeply for his flock. He is more concerned about providing for the well-being of his sheep than he is for himself. In his explanation, Jesus points out that the shepherd is truly devoted to his flock, and has no ulterior motives. He loves them simply because he loves them. He loves them unconditionally.
Sheep tend to generally be quite defenceless animals. They are really not very good at defending themselves, which can make them an easy target for predators. In addition, sheep are quite directionally challenged, and can get lost very easily. When they realize they are lost, sheep begin to panic. Gripped by fear, the sheep falls to the ground and bleats loudly in the hopes that the shepherd will come and save it. Sheep, it appears, require a shepherd who is devoted to always ensuring that they are cared for and protected. Being a shepherd, a good shepherd, is not an easy task.
Human beings, for all of our strengths, can become easily distracted from what we may know is right. Our predators may be of the two-legged variety, but they may also include those things that we feel we must have – material possessions, money and power. When our lives are not providing us with what we want, we may fall prey to alcohol or drug addictions. We may become totally absorbed in our job or become abusive toward others as a way of escaping our anger and disappointment as we search for the good life. We fall and we cry out, and we want someone to take our pain away. We want someone to find us – just like the sheep that wanders away from their shepherd. We need someone to love us as we are and bring us back home, too.
When the Good Shepherd arrives at the gate of the sheepfold where the sheep are held, the gatekeeper, without hesitation, allows him to pass through the gate. Jesus points out that less-than-honourable characters, such as a thief or a robber, would not be permitted through the gate. However, because of their ulterior motives, those individuals would not ever consider entering through the gate. Their interests in the sheep would be less than benevolent and the thief or robber would attempt to sneak in to the sheepfold in a more covert way. Whatever their motives, it would not be to care for and protect the flock.
The good shepherd possesses the gift of responsibility to ensure that the sheep are loved and protected. The lives of the sheep are placed in his hands. The good shepherd stands at the gate, calling to his sheep. They recognize his voice, he calls out their names because he knows who they are and they move toward the shepherd. The sheep know the shepherd, and they put their faith and trust in him. They will follow the good shepherd where he leads them, even though they do not know where their journey will lead, or where the next pasture will be.
The Good Shepherd ‘speaks’ to his sheep, and they recognize and follow him - in the same way that Jesus speaks to us - offering everlasting love and comfort if we choose to follow him.
For all of the effort Jesus put into this story in order to help those gathered in the crowd to understand his identity, and to understand how their lives are intertwined with his, there is not a positive outcome. The crowd still cannot understand that, in this story, they are the sheep and Jesus is their Good Shepherd, the Son of God.
Jesus patiently tries to answer their question about his identity in another way. This time he says, “I am the gate for the sheep.” As the gate, Jesus is the protector of the sheep who are in the pasture, and he makes them his responsibility. Jesus tells the crowd, “anyone who goes through me will be cared for, will freely go in and out, and will find pasture.”
Our lesson today ends shortly after Jesus makes this comment to the crowd. The question, “Who is Jesus?” may still remain. The people who have been listening to Jesus, as well as us, are left to make sense of the relationship we have with Jesus and what that means for us in our lives. Even if we are able to understand that in his story Jesus is the noble or Good Shepherd, and the sheep are really each of us, we may still be left with a question about the meaning of “pasture.” Jesus is telling us that to find pasture is to find life, to find salvation and to find everlasting love. Those who seek pasture through Jesus will find life – life as it can be if we have faith in him.
Once we understand who Jesus is to us, who we are in relationship with him, and what living as a Christian means, we have a faith that we can count on in times of change. We have Jesus to count on. Knox-Metropolitan is now in a time of change. Jesus is in us and around us. Jesus is guiding those who are on our Future Planning Committee. Jesus is in the consultant and all those who will become part of this exciting process. As the world changes and the role of the church changes we need to change, too. Jesus is not only our friend and saviour and our shepherd. He is also the role model for us of how to live out our faith, and how to continue to be church even in the uncomfortable and uncertain times.
Faith in Jesus changes us. Our visions change. We hope for greater changes in our lives, our church and in the world. Through our faith we are able to believe in ourselves and in what needs to be done – even though change is difficult and the unknown future can be intimidating. Many of us feel some uncertainty about the changes that our church, Knox-Metropolitan, is exploring.
However, there is Good News for us today and the grace of God can be found in the assurance we have that Jesus Christ is always with us. Jesus` message is that anyone who goes through him, anyone who believes in him, will “find pasture,” and those who follow him will find life. Jesus is in the lead on this new journey. As we continue to follow him, we will find the church we are called to be in the future. We will discover who we are meant to be as Christians. Through Jesus our Gate, we will find pasture. Amen.
Preached by Heather Rogers
Knox-Metropolitan United Church
Regina, Saskatchewan