The Sheepgate (John 10:1-10)
Rev. Bart Cochran
April 7, 2017
If you had a hard time following the parable that Jesus
talks about in today’s gospel reading, don’t feel bad…
because the disciples also had a hard time understanding
what Jesus meant. They were so confused that Jesus had
to break the story down for them and in doing so, maybe we
too can have a better understanding. So let us begin this
morning with some analysis of this somewhat confusing text
and get some things straight.
First, let’s talk about sheep. We of course are the sheep.
Believe it or not this is not an insult; even though sheep are
considered to be fairly stupid creatures. By that I mean that
sheep are woefully unequipped to take care of themselves.
Sheep may be loveable creatures, but they seem to lack
independent spirit. They amble along relentlessly seeking
grass. They are relatively defenseless against wolves and
coyotes. They easily lose their way.
It’s because they are dumb and defenseless that they
need a shepherd and a sheep dog. In today’s world being
called a sheep is an insult and many would protest! I can do
perfectly well on my own, thank you very much. I don’t need
looking after, I don’t need a shepherd. I am not defenseless
or stupid! The analogy is not popular with some.
That is not what Jesus means; he is certainly not calling
human beings stupid! Rather, Jesus refers to us as sheep
in order to illustrate our fragility. Without God’s love and
protection; without God giving us what we need to survive
and live and prosper… we would be lost; we wouldn’t even
exist. Being God’s sheep is not a put down; it is an
awareness that we need God… and that is one of the points
of today’s lesson.
There is something lovely about the imagery of sheep
that trust without fail. About a shepherd who cares without
ceasing. About a bond which words cannot fully express. For
millions of us who have never seen a sheep except in a
petting zoo, the Biblical imagery is not too much of a stretch
for our understanding. In today’s text, despite any fear about
surrendering too much of our independence, we can
appreciate some of the profound meanings of Jesus.
Let’s try to retell this parable in plain language, shall we,
and see what we can come up with.
As I have said, we are the sheep and we are in the sheep
pen. Now the sheep pen could very well mean the church.
Many, many scholars have said that the sheep pen IS the
church and if that is what you think… that’s fine, it very well
could be. But I see the sheep pen as something larger, I
see the sheep pen as the world. And the sheep represent
ALL of humanity.
Again, on these points, feel free to use your own
interpretation. So the sheep pen is either the church or the
world and the sheep pen contains God’s beloved sheep
flock.
The sheep pen has a gate… and the gatekeeper lets in
the shepherd to take the flock outside of the pen into green
valleys of lush grass and clear running streams… I see this
as heaven. “The Lord is my Shepherd, he maketh me to lie
down in green pastures; he leadeth me beside still waters.”
Paradise. Heaven…. That picture of heaven could mean the
heavenly realm after death… it could be the heaven of belief
right here and now… the point is… it is the place of God’s
love and care.
So, we have the sheep pen inside and the heavenly
realm on the outside… how do we get from the inside to the
outside… that’s easy, the sheepgate. And Jesus Christ
says, “I am the sheepgate.” “Very truly, I tell you, I am the
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gate for the sheep…” Jesus is the portal to that world of
God’s grace. Jesus is the avenue for God to enter our world
and for us to enter God’s reality. This is Christian belief.
human heart. This is not to say that we cannot call out evil
when we see it, but we… or I… should be careful about
labeling groups of people in this way.
We could stop there. As followers of Christ, we could be
content in this reality. But there is a darker and more sinister
side to this story. “…anyone who does not enter the
sheepfold by the gate but climbs in by another way is a thief
and a bandit.” Uh oh, that doesn’t sound promising. Who
are these thieves and bandits?
Here is something that Christ teaches us about the
thieves and bandits… they will destroy Chaos, destruction,
pain and vainglory is what they leave in their wake… as sure
as the graves of the People’s Temple.
Have you ever heard of a man named Jim Jones? He
was minister in the Disciples of Christ Christian
denomination from Indiana. But at some point, Jones broke
with the church and formed a cult called the People’s
Temple. In 1978, media reports surfaced of human rights
abuses in the Peoples Temple of Jonestown, Guyana.
Democratic Congressman Leo Ryan led an investigation
into the commune and was murdered while boarding a
return flight with defectors. Jones subsequently committed a
mass murder-suicide of 918 of his followers in Jonestown.
Including three hundred children, almost all of them by
cyanide poisoning via a Flavor Aid mix. This historical
episode gave rise to the ubiquitous American-English
expression "drinking the Kool-Aid".
Jim Jones was someone who climbed the fence into the
sheep pen. Now, Jones is a very easy and clear example.
Not all thieves and bandits are so apparent. Over the
centuries, Protestants have accused Catholics of being
fence climbers and vice versa. Christians have accused
Jews and Muslims of being fence climbers and vice versa.
How are we to truly recognize the fence climbers? I will
admit right here and right now that I have my own prejudices
when it comes to fence climbers… namely television
evangelists. But, hopefully, I know enough about the
teachings of Jesus Christ to admit that I cannot see into the
Now, it’s easy to look back at an event like Jamestown
and say. “Oh, those people were SO foolish for following that
wolf in sheep’s clothing.” But we must also recognize that
those people’s deepest needs were not being served by the
TRUE church of Jesus Christ. Failure by one of us is failure
for all of us in this context. If we do not take care of one
another, we are all doomed. Good sheep stick together.
We have a duty. We have a duty to learn the sound of
our master’s voice. We have a duty to know our master’s
voice and to respond to it and to KNOW where the
sheepgate is and indeed lead others to it. I would like to tell
you that this is an easy thing to do, but I cannot. In fact, it is
a lifelong learning endeavor.
You know, just when I think that I have a handle on my
faith; just when I think that I have learned all the paths and
trails that Jesus wants to show me… he leads me over the
next hill… to the next valley… to the next adventure of the
spirit. And without his voice to guide me, I am lost…
susceptible to wolves and bandits and (yes) my own
reckless ways.
God calls to us. God calls to us on a quiet summer
evening. God calls to us in happy celebration and in silent
grief. God calls to us when we are fulfilled and when we are
desperate. Our savior has laid down his life to open the gate
so we can hear and respond to God’s love. Learn the call…
and answer the call.
AMEN
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