The contemplation of the stars was the noblest of all sciences for the ancients. The result of their study of the night sky was to see clusters of stars as images, and then tell a story about that animal or person as the constellation moved across the night sky. For us, the contemplation of the Bible is a noble task. Contemplating the people and stories that have come down to us from our spiritual ancestors is gratifying as they chart the work of God across the ages.
This Advent at Saint Luke, we the gazers of 2022, contemplate the names used in the Bible for Jesus. We will gaze upon the texts and share our insights about what we see. Just as with constellations, as we share our reflections, questions, and thoughts with one another, our light shines brighter and we see things that we never would have discovered on our own. Join us as we cast our Advent journey to Christmas in a new and rewarding light.
Today’s reflection is from Heidi Romeiser. Heidi has been a Saint Luke member for 32 years. She directs our Sunday School program and teaches the 3rd Grade Sunday School class. She is also a Stephen Minister.
THE GATE
“So again Jesus said to them, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep.” _ John 10:7
Does a gate allow things in or keep them out? Well, both, depending on perspective. My first thought about Jesus as the gate is about what He let in to the world. He brought a new way of looking at the world, and it revolves around love, acceptance, and the grace of God. I’m reminded of a sermon that Pastor Sue offered. Do you remember those commercials for inversion-therapy tables? You know, the ones that flip upside down after a person is strapped in so that they can hang upside down? As I recall, Pastor Sue likened Jesus to inversion therapy for the world in the sense that He turned the world on its head – in the best of ways. So that’s where my thoughts go first – to Jesus, the gate, turning the world upside down and allowing in love and acceptance.
But what else did Jesus, the gate, allow to come in? He created the way to a deeper relationship with God. In John 10:7, Jesus says that He is the gate for the sheep. Just as the shepherd is the gate through which the sheep enter the sheepfold and find safety, so too, do we, find salvation through Jesus. The shepherd is willing to lay down his life to protect his flock, and Jesus did precisely that to provide salvation and life eternal for us.
We had a neighbor years ago with whom we would chat at the fence between our yards. This neighbor became a good friend over the years of fence chatting. However, it wasn’t often that either of us would walk around to the end of the yard and walk through the gate. What if we had used the gate more often? Our friendship would probably have deepened while sitting at the kitchen table in each other’s homes. A closer proximity. More personal. More intimate. Isn’t that what Jesus provides for us? He is the gate to our relationship with God. There is nothing between God and us. No fence keeping us at arm’s length. Jesus is the gate, always open, who connects and leads us to God and through which we receive God’s grace and ever-lasting life.
Dear God, thank you for the gift of your Son, Jesus, in whom we find love and acceptance and through whose sacrifice we are blessed with life eternal. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen