Text: John 10:9
“I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” -Jesus
Prayer: from Psalm 19:14
May the words of my mouth, and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer. Amen.
In one of my previous parishes we had an associate minister who was called to visit the sick and the infirm of the congregation. He also participated in the Sunday services. He was a wonderful older minister (probably as old as I am now). He had a heart of gold and people loved him dearly. He had one problem, however. He didn’t know when to stop talking. He didn’t know how to end a sermon. He would say, “And in conclusion” several times and still not conclude. He was equally long-winded in talking to God. His prayers had no end. People complained. One elder said to me, “He doesn’t have an exit line. We’ve got to give him one.” We decided that our associate minister’s role in the worship service was to do those parts of the worship service that had a period, an amen, an end. He would offer the call to worship, the prayer of confession, or read scripture, but nothing that was open ended.
It’s good to have boundaries. That’s true of sermons and worship services as well as in other areas of life.
It reminds me of a sign in the pulpit of the chapel in the Veterans Cemetery in Arnystown, NJ. It reads: “We are on a tight schedule here. Please restrict your service to 15 minutes.” I conducted many committal services there and I always wondered what would happen if I exceeded the allotted time. I had visions of the color guard lowering their weapons and aiming them at me. I never tempted the fates in that place.
It also reminds me of the story told by Bishop William Willimon. He tells of leading a worship service in a chapel in a resort area. There was a sign there as well. It was posted in the vestry where the clergy robed. The sign read as follows:
"To the preacher: The Gettysburg Address is one of the greatest speeches ever given. It can easily fit on one page. Jesus' great stories of the "good Samaritan" or the "prodigal son" take only a few paragraphs. If Abraham Lincoln or Jesus Christ can convey such depth and truth in so few words, surely you can too. For God's sake, keep it short!"
It’s easier said than done. I try to keep the boundaries of my prayers and sermons clear. But some scripture passages are so full of content and meaning that it’s hard for the preacher to select and stay on topic. Take this morning’s gospel lesson for example. It’s from the gospel of John, a scant 18 verses of scripture. These are words of Jesus and I think there are at least a year’s worth of sermons in them.
The main theme of the passage is about the Good Shepherd. It’s a familiar metaphor. It reminds us of the 23rd Psalm and is most appropriate for this Sunday of the year which is called the Good Shepherd Sunday in many churches. We know about the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd is celebrated in art and music. There are probably more musical settings to the 23rd Psalm than any other passage of scripture. There are books written about the metaphor. One of my favorites is “A Shepherd Looks at the 23rd Psalm”. It helped me to understand shepherding in the ancient middle-east as opposed to the way it is done in western Europe and America. For example European and American herders drive their sheep with dogs and a whip. Ancient middle-eastern sheepherders led and the sheep followed the voice of the shepherd. That makes a huge difference in picturing the metaphor and applying it to the relationship between Jesus Christ and his flock. Most of us don’t know very much about sheep and shepherds. In our urban and technological setting we are far removed from the agrarian culture of another time and place.
But you know, we’re not the only ones who might have trouble understanding our Lord’s metaphor. The disciples of Jesus didn’t seem to understand either. Listen to this portion of today’s gospel reading:
The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep hear his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes ahead of them, and the sheep follow him because they know his voice. They will not follow a stranger, but they will run from him because they do not know the voice of strangers." Jesus used this figure of speech with them, but they did not understand what he was saying to them. So again Jesus said to them, "Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.
The disciples did not understand what Jesus was saying to them. So Jesus changes the metaphor. He says, “I am the gate for the sheep,” or in the older translation, “I am the door for the sheep.”
For a few minutes I want to talk with you about the meaning of doors, and what it says about Jesus and his relationship with us.
Doors have meaning and implications for us. I remember the 7th floor of a hospital I used to visit as a minister. It was known by the staff of the hospital as the flight deck. The 7th floor of the hospital was a locked ward for patients with psychiatric problems. It wasn’t simple to get in or out of the place. I would come to a large metal gate and have to ring for a guard. I would prove my identity and state my business. Then the large gate would slide open. After I entered it would slide shut with a loud clang. But that was only the half of it. I was now between two gates in no man’s land. Then the guard had to open the second gate with the same scary noises. When I was on the inside I offered a prayer not only that my visit would be of comfort to my parishioner, but also that the guard would let me out of the place when I was done.
Some gates and doors are scary. Remember when you were called to the principal’s office in school? It was scary going through the principal’s door. Other doors are inviting. Remember the open doors of the school when you were leaving the last class on the last day of the school year? How exciting it was to see the wide world beyond those doors, to go through them and savor a taste of freedom from school!
The main door to the fellowship hall of the church I last served, the door that nearly everyone used to come into the church facilities, was made of metal, had no windows and was painted a dark brown. It wasn’t very inviting. Someone had an idea. The door was replaced. The new door was made of clear glass and opened automatically whenever someone approached the building. It was a symbol that the church welcomed all who came.
Doors are important. Jesus said, “I am the door. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
Doors open and doors close. We’ve stood before open doors, and we’ve banged on closed doors. We’ve been kept out and we’ve been welcomed in. We’ve been spurned by people. We’ve been welcomed by people. Jesus said, “I am the door. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
Doors are entrances and exits. We enter though doors. We exit through doors. Sometimes there are revolving doors and we go round and round going nowhere. We’ve entered doors to find shelter and warmth. We’ve entered doors and found hospitality and love. We’ve entered doors and found friendship and comfort. Jesus said, “I am the door.”
We’ve exited through doors and found fresh air, new sights and sounds. We exited through doors and explored the world beyond our horizons. We exited doors and found inspiration, and food for the soul. Jesus said, “I am the door. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.”
I am the door. I will not lock you out. You can enter through me and find safety, and hospitality, and comfort, and rest, and friendship and love. I will not lock you in. You can leave and find pasture and come back again.
But more than that, much more than that, Jesus is the door of salvation. “I am the door,” said Jesus. “Whoever enters by me will be saved.” Jesus is the door of salvation. We confront many doors during the course of our lives. Some are open. Some are closed, but the door that really counts is the door of salvation, which is Jesus Christ. That door will never be closed to you.
I conclude reading a portion of Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the hills— from where will my help come?
My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth. He will not let your foot be moved; he who keeps you will not slumber. The Lord will keep you from all evil; he will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.
Thanks be to God. Amen!