John 10:1-10 (NRSV)
Read John 10:1-10 on biblegateway.com
Chapter 10"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. Verse 2The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. Verse 3The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. Verse 4When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. Verse 5They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Verse 6Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. Verse 7So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. Verse 8All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. Verse 9I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. Verse 10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.
Devotion
I suspect we have all known many gates in our lifetime. There are gates to our yards; farm yard gates for all the animals, gates to keep our pets in or out. There are gates for arrival and departure at the airport, gates that allow water to flow for irrigation, gates to keep us in or out of places we must not enter. Our lives are filled with gates: large, small, open, closed. So how can we possibly imagine a person as a "gate?" But that is how Jesus wants us to picture him.
The revelation in John is that the picture of Jesus is always as an open gate. Jesus, the gate, is open so we can all come in and go out. It is not about gathering us all in the safety of a fenced in area to keep us from harm, to keep us nice and clean and unadulterated by the world. In contrast, Jesus the gate leads us out—to follow him. Too often the church's image is of the fenced in yard. It becomes a place where we can see and decide who should be inside with us and who is on the outside. So the picture used can be that of a closed gate where we will be safe, gathered with only with those who look like us, think like us or believe like us. But in John there is a new picture. Jesus is a gate that is open into the world. Jesus, the gate, swings WIDE and calls us by name to follow him. We are called to follow him and find "pasture" where he is and always was.
Prayer
Dear Lord, what surprises will you unfold for us today? Where will you lead us to follow? Just surprise us Lord and open the gates in our lives so we can follow you. Amen.