ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
March 8, 2023
In John’s Gospel, we find what are often referred to as the “I AM” Statements offered by Jesus. To the ears of those who would have known the Exodus Story, there would have been recognition that Jesus was echoing the divine declaration from the burning bush, “I AM WHO I AM.” With that in mind, one of the I AM Statements in John’s Gospel is found in chapter 10:
“So again Jesus said to them, ‘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” (vs.7-9).
So often, the “gate” referenced here is thought of as the doorway to heaven, and the word “saved” is understood as salvation after this life. Yet we need to read those words in light of the Exodus Story, where the gate would be the pathway from slavery to freedom, or the dry land through the Red Sea. And the word “saved” can reference a post-death heavenly experience, but it also describes someone being rescued or liberated from a literal bondage. For John, the life of Jesus offers a radically different vision of life, not simply a glimpse into some other reality beyond this life. When you do not assume John’s Jesus was only pointing to a heaven beyond this world, then you begin to see the life and teachings of Jesus, alongside his death and resurrection, as an invitation to walk through the gate and join in a new reality of abundance of love, mercy, and justice.
Wherever assumptions have limited my capacity to perceive, O God, I ask for a revelation by which I will see the depth of faith to which I have been called to live. Amen.
