In today’s scripture from John, Jesus makes it clear that one of his roles is to protect believers. He says, “Very truly, I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who came before me are thieves and bandits; but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”
Jesus is setting himself up as a gatekeeper to protect those who follow him and to prevent them from falling victim to thieves and bandits. It’s an endearing image- a nice lovely hedge with a gate and happy white fluffy sheep safely tucked within.
This is an image of Jesus as a gatekeeper where being a gatekeeper is a good thing. In Jesus’ context, keeping the sheep safe is the priority. And yes, in this context being a gatekeeper makes sense. Gates were the means of protection for people within towns and cities, keeping at bay those who might attempt to attack from the outside (Deut 3:5; Ps 146:12–14); they were also the route by which faithful people could access the holy place of the Temple (Ps 24:9; 87:2; 100:4; 118:19; 122:2. Gates were functional and about safety.
And, truly, gates can and do have that function today. Gates and fences protect our livestock. Gates protect entrances to schools and homes. But, I think gates are about perception.
Gates and fences provide the perception of security, safety, and privacy But at the end of the day, do they actually protect anyone or just act as a slight deterrent?
But instead of focusing on the gates themselves, let's focus on the gatekeeper. What is the role of the gatekeeper? In today’s scripture, the role is simple- to make sure that thieves and bandits don’t get in to harm the sheep. The gatekeeper is an added layer of protection.
But in today’s more modern context, gatekeeping occurs when someone takes it upon themselves to decide who does or does not have access or rights to a community or identity. That’s not a good thing. Not at all.
While Jesus may have been the gate? He was NOT a gatekeeper in that sense of the word. In fact, Jesus was the opposite. As we have discussed again and again, Jesus was about inclusion. He didn’t try to keep people away from himself, away from God, or away from faith. Jesus was radical in his departure from social norms, and again and again, we have named and celebrated Jesus’ expanding definition of love and acceptance.
Jesus tells us and shows us again and again that his ministry is about love and acceptance. And when asked about laws and rules- the things that operate as Gates most often- Jesus says what?
“‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the greatest and first commandment. And a second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” Matthew 22: 37-40
Jesus intentionally dines with tax collectors. His birth was announced to lowly shepherds. He called fishermen and women and children. And he reminded us that whenever we do for the “least of these”- the poor, the imprisoned, the hungry, the hurting we are serving Jesus and serving God.
He healed on the sabbath because he loved. He broke the rules because he loved. He angered the authorities because he LOVED. I don’t know how to make it any clearer that the only thing we are called to do is to love God and love each other. We are not called to decide who is worthy of love. We don’t get to decide who God loves. We do not get to decide that God’s love is pie and only certain people are allowed a slice. God’s love is bigger than that. Jesus’ love is bigger than that. And it’s ok if that doesn’t make sense- it’s not our job to make sense of it.
Sadly, many churches and many Christians do exactly the opposite of what Jesus did. They are obsessed with gatekeeping. They use the bible as a weapon and take it upon themselves to decide who does or does not have access to the church, to belonging, to communion, to worship, to the community, and even to the name Christian. Quite frankly? I find that sinful at best.
There are those who sincerely believe that women shouldn’t be allowed to preach. Those who think they have the right to choose which books other people's children are allowed to read. And those who think they have the right to dictate what consenting adults do in the privacy of the bedroom. They want to legislate who we can love and how we love all under the guise of “protecting” something when what they are protecting is their own prejudice and ignorance. These kinds of people are Gatekeeping God’s kingdom. And here’s the part that makes me angry- NO ONE ASKED THEM TO.
God didn’t ask.
Jesus didn’t ask.
No one asked for some middle-aged bible thumper with an AR-15 to decide who is and isn’t worthy of God’s love or acceptance. No one asked for there to be protests against Drag queens or laws against children figuring out who they are. No one asked for legislation against medications or reproductive care. And yet, some folks have decided that it is their job to defend territory that isn’t theirs to defend.
Christianity doesn’t belong to anyone exclusively. God doesn’t belong to anyone. Jesus doesn’t belong to anyone. That self-created gate and those keeping it “safe” aren’t protecting anything but their own prejudices and hatred. And that ain’t love. And that certainly ain’t Jesus.
No, Jesus wasn’t a gatekeeper. And we are not called to be gatekeepers on his behalf. We are called to be welcoming and loving and to protect those who need protection. We are called to challenge rigid structures and keep those safe who need it most. Who needs it most? The most vulnerable among us.
I remember one Sunday, at a former congregation, a very drunk very smelly man showed up at church. He was obviously struggling and probably didn’t have a home. It was a gross day outside weather-wise, and our building was open, dry, and had coffee and snacks and plenty of space. So what did the well respected good Christian men of the church do? Did they welcome this man and get him help or food or give him time to collect himself or sleep off the alcohol?
Of course, they didn’t. They physically removed him from the building and called the police.
They gatekept the church from someone who needed shelter and help because it was a Sunday morning and he was disturbing worship. Y’all? That ain’t Jesus. Would Jesus have turned someone away from a building because they were drunk or disheveled? Would Jesus have called the cops on someone?
No.
Jesus may have been a gate, but he wasn’t a gatekeeper.
We are neither gate NOR gatekeeper when it comes to God’s love. We don’t get to decide who gets in. We don’t get to make any decisions about who is worthy of God’s love, who is worthy of prayer, or who is worthy of communion. That’s not our job. Our job is to love people for who they are, how they are, and where they are. And if we cannot do that? Our job is to get out of the way so someone else can.
Amen.