Sunday 30 April 2023

Background

Verse 7 of today's reading where Jesus says “I am the gate for the sheep” is the third of seven “I am” sayings in John’s Gospel.

Here in Wythenshawe, Manchester, I don’t have a great deal of experience of sheep farming, let alone sheep farming in Palestine at the time of Jesus. However, even a cursory Google search shows images of shepherds leading, protecting and welcoming. Those practices fit Christian culture better than actions such as pushing, forcing, controlling and boundary-keeping. Yet some of the practices in the Church ostensibly based on this teaching that I’ve experienced don’t seem aware of this and have been destructive, dangerous and hurtful.

Beyond cultural and historical differences, I’ve highlighted verse 10 as a guide to understanding what comes before. If an interpretation of the shepherd, sheepfold, gate and sheep does not lead to abundant life, then it is not a good interpretation. 

I’ve experienced churches and Christians who position themselves as the gatekeeper, and who have told me that I’m not allowed in. I still see my friends being turned away by those who believe Jesus, the gate, can’t be trusted to protect the sheepfold. 

But fortunately, my overwhelming experience of Christianity is of people pointing me to Jesus as the one who opens the way for me. I’m grateful that for every time someone has told me that I’m not good enough, not got the right experiences, the right education, that I don’t use the right words or come from the right place, there have been many more times where I’ve been welcomed for who I am.

I remember the first time I met the Revd Dr Inderjit Bhogal. He was giving a powerful lecture about the numerous Scripture calls to welcome the stranger. It has stayed with me and I wonder how different things would be if we could see Jesus as the gate calling out a welcome to strangers to come, be known, be welcomed and find abundant life. If we seek to be his disciples, we can see our role as part of that process rather than of guarding Jesus from those people who don’t pass our tests.

To Ponder:

• If you drew a picture of this image with Jesus as the gate, where would you place yourself? Why? Where is Jesus wanting you to put yourself?
• What good experiences have you had of people living out this passage?
• Where might we find abundant life now?

Previously published in 2020.