Hello friends,
This is Mark Gladman,
Also known as Brother Frederick James,
Your friendly neighbourhood monk in docks.
Thank you for joining me again for another day as we continue through Lent reflecting on the I AM statements of Jesus in the Gospel of John.
And always,
I invite you to let your mind settle as you sit,
Take a deep breath in,
Slowly exhale,
And imagine a walled enclosure,
A place meant to keep the sheep safe.
And at the entrance,
There are gatekeepers,
People who decide who may enter and who must stay outside.
And now listen to Jesus' words.
Very truly I tell you,
I am the gate for the sheep.
Whoever enters by me will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.
Notice that Jesus is not the gatekeeper.
Jesus is the gate itself.
He doesn't restrict but welcomes.
Jesus doesn't control access to God.
Jesus,
Rather,
Is the way to God.
Throughout history,
Religious leaders and institutions have sometimes acted as gatekeepers.
They've taken it upon themselves to decide who's worthy,
Who belongs,
Who's in,
Who's out,
Who gets to experience the fullness of God's grace.
And even today,
We may encounter voices,
Whether from others or within ourselves,
That tell us we must prove our worth before God.
That we're not ready to enter or we're not pure enough or good enough or holy enough.
But Jesus offers us another way.
His invitation is simple.
It's just,
Come to me.
No prerequisites,
No barriers,
No gatekeepers standing in the way.
Just come to me.
Take a moment and think about this.
Are there gatekeepers in your life?
People,
Beliefs or fears that create obstacles to experiencing God's love?
Have you ever felt like you needed permission to fully step in?
To fully step into God's grace?
And what might it mean for you to trust Jesus alone and only Jesus as the gateway to peace and belonging?
If your eyes aren't closed,
Close them now and imagine standing outside a great stone wall.
You see a heavy wooden gate,
But in front of it stands a group of people.
They're asking questions and they're raising objections.
They say,
You're not ready.
One says,
You've got to fix yourself up first.
Another says,
You don't belong here.
And now imagine Jesus appearing beside you.
He looks at you,
Not with judgment,
But with deep,
Deep love.
And he speaks.
He says,
Come,
I am the gate.
You don't need anyone's permission to step through.
And now in your imagining,
Take a step forward.
And as you do,
See the gate open.
And as the gate opens,
All of the voices fade.
And as you pass through,
You find yourself in a wide open pasture.
A place of peace.
Belonging.
And abundant life.
And Jesus is standing with you.
You are home.
My friend,
You are home.
As we come to the end of our session today,
As always,
Let's pray.
Jesus,
You are the gate,
The way,
The path to true life.
Help us to recognise and release the barriers that keep us from fully embracing your love.
Silence the voices of fear,
Doubt and shame.
And give us the courage to step freely into your grace.
Trusting that we belong.
Not because of what we have done,
But because of who you are.
Amen.
Breathe in deep,
My friend.
And out.
And as you go forth today,
May you walk with confidence.
Knowing that Christ himself is your gateway.
May no human voice,
No past mistake,
No fear that you have,
Keep you from the fullness of God's love.
Step forward,
My friend.
The gate is open.
Go in peace to love and serve and be loved by God.
Amen.
And until tomorrow,
May all grace be abundant for you.
Amen.
