Pentecost Tuesday - 6-2-09 - Circuit Winkel

The Church Season of Pentecost
The Tuesday of Pentecost, One Year Series
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (June 2, 2009)

“The Gate”

Readings:
Psalm 85
Is. 32:14-20
Acts 8:14-17
John 10:1-10

Sermon Form Deductive

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Grace, Mercy, and Peace be to you from the Father,
and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The text for today’s message will be from the Gospel lesson, from the Gospel of St. John, the 10th chapter, especially the following verses:

John 10:1-10 (NIV)

1 “I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. 2 The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. 3 The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. 4 When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. 5 But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.” 6 Jesus used this figure of speech, but they did not understand what he was telling them. 7 Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. [Jesus said]9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

We all know that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness,”(1 Tim 3:16) We especially hear that point in the Gospel lesson for Pentecost Tuesday, in the words from Jesus Christ. And today as we gather together in the fellowship of the brethren and of the breaking of the bread, we especially hear that message pointed to the under-shepherds and their flocks. The image of Jesus Christ as the Good Shepherd is probably the most deeply engrained image that people have of Christ. That is, for the people who have been to Church and Sunday school from their youth, that picture of Jesus Christ smiling with the small lamb across His shoulders that’s the one they would remember the most. Jesus Christ the Good Shepherd.

But today outside of this small gathering few would know who a good shepherd is or what a good shepherd does. But you do. You know full well, the Good shepherd was the one who cared for His sheep. That type of imagery connects with all that you have read and all that you have been taught. The shepherd is the one who built the sheepfold or the pen. And that pen was made up of a high stone wall to keep out wild animals and other intruders. You know that there was one only one way into the pen. One gate. The shepherd had to open the one gate. Oh, several shepherds may have used the same sheepfold or pen. And in the morning those shepherds would call their sheep and they would follow their shepherd. You know these things, they’re common knowledge, you’ve heard them all before.

But, today, for most people, unless they’ve lived on a farm, all this would probably be strange sounding information. Shepherds and walls, sheep and gates, and even knowing, hearing, and following the voice of a master, let alone following anyone. There is just so very little knowledge in the world of these things. It would seem that the people of this world haven’t heard these things, and so that means they can’t get the analogy, they don’t understand them. So how in the world can they relate to this person unknown to them, this man Jesus Christ? It would seem these words relate to worn out imagery, from a unknown or worn out lesson, for worn the down people of this world, about someone way back when a long time ago, in a far, far away place.

For many of the people of this world have not heard of the voice of any Shepherd. Rather they’ve been taught from their youth to hear the voice of their inner self. That would be the one where their heart leads them. Work harder, do better, and all these worldly things will be given to you. You don’t necessarily have to listen to a leader, just hear your own inner voice. There was a song that said, “You can get it if you really want it.” Or maybe you would know it better if Shakespeare defined it for you, “Why then the world’s mine oyster, Which I with sword will open.” I can get it, I will open it.

But let’s get real, nobody has heard of any of those sayings either. And those walls around those sheep pens? Well those don’t connect either. But, walls are okay if that’s what you’re into. In fact, everything is okay, if that is what you do, building walls, well then that’s is okay with me. In fact, if you want to build a big stone wall around that church yours, I’ll help you build it as long as it doesn’t hurt me. I’ll listen to you as long as you don’t offend me, but if you do offend me, then I’ll be out of there and I’ll find my own path again.

So then, what is it a shepherd of this world is compelled to do except to build a new and better sheep pen. Would it be one built with stones that reflect a global initiative, or a global perspective? How about one with many gates? One gate those who are only old, one for the young, one for the tall, one that is short, one that is round, and one for only those who would be square. Many ways, for many people. Yeah, that’s the ticket, an indefinite amount ways in so that no one is left out.

And that is where the undershepherd is drawn to failure. Quite frankly it is all right there in the lesson, in fact right there in the grammar of the Gospel lesson. Whether you know sheep or shepherds, the definite or indefinite articles tells it all. “The man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate… is a thief and a robber.”(v. 1) Jesus Christ is the gate, and there is none other. Whether we say it in terms of sheep and shepherds, the salvation which Jesus Christ won is the Gospel, by which the Holy Spirit calls a sinner to faith. In contrast, Jesus Christ describes false shepherds, false teachers as those who would deny the person, the Word and work of Jesus Christ. These false shepherds actually know neither Jesus nor their sheep. They come to serve only themselves. They steal away, kill and destroy the Gospel. These shepherds are inclined to walk on eggshells so they do not offend anyone. They do not offend by proclaiming the Law. They do not offend by proclaiming that there is only, ”one Lord, one faith, and one baptism”(Eph 4:5)

But the things of this world have always caused us to sway. Yet Jesus Christ forgives us and reminds us that He, “Is the only door.” For He says, “Through Me if anyone enters he will be saved and will go in and out and will find pasture." True shepherds preach only Christ and Him crucified. True shepherds are servants, not masters. They simply want to teach and preach Christ, the Way, the Truth, the Life. They point to Christ, who offers and gives all mankind salvation, whether they are sinner or saint, whether young or old, whether they are sheep or shepherd. He gives them salvation, which is freedom from sin, death and the devil. Jesus Christ is the great Good Shepherd. He gives the sheep eternal life (v. 28) and so these sheep will never perish. The Father and the Son gives them that promise by sending forth the Holy Spirit to work faith. Faith in the knowledge that Christ is crucified and has won for them the forgiveness of their sins. Forgiveness sealed in baptism, renewed and refreshed in the sacrament of Holy Communion.

Those words and pictures of sheep and shepherds may not a first blush, seem to resonate with this world. But the words and things of this world are not the gate to eternal life. Jesus is the gate, and he overcame the world, so that all “may have [eternal] life, and have it to the full.”(v. 10) Amen.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all.
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