"I am the Gate"

During training week, years ago when I worked at camp, was the time when names would be given to new staff. Each staff member would be given a name based on either an attribute or an earlier event which had taken place. This particular summer, there was a new staff member named Matt. Matt was a big guy at 6'3" and 195lbs of muscle. When you stand out as much as Matt, names are easy to come by. The obvious names were however not given and instead he was given the name skid and not because he came from Keswick.

One night, Matt decided he would go for a bike ride; no helmet and no light and this on one of the camp bikes. Riding as fast as he could, he left the camp and headed towards the conference grounds about a kilometer away. When Matt approached the beach area, still traveling as fast as he could ride, he did not know that at night they put a chain gate across the road to keep vehicles from coming in during the night. It apparently could also stop a bike pretty fast as well. Matt hit the chain just below his handle bars and flew over his bike onto the gravel road on the other side, landing on his face. To give you an idea of how hard Matt hit the chain, the forks of the bike bent almost in half. When he returned from hospital, Matt looked like the scariest man I had ever seen. Children were terrified of him for the first three weeks of camp and in our compassion we thought it only appropriate to name him skid, in memory of the "skid mark" his face had left on the road. Matt would be fine!

It always amazed me that the chain never broke. Such a simple gate, but yet so strong. When Jesus said "I am the gate", he was telling us that while under his care nothing could get past him and get to us. It was the job of the shepherd to lie across where the gate was, so that nothing could get in unless he first allowed it. This meant risking much, against a hungry bear or lion as in the case of David the shepherd boy; but Jesus was willing to offer us this protection while in his care. To carry on this example, one must wonder what awaited a sheep who were not under the shepherds protection.

It was also the job of the shepherd to inspect the sheep as they entered the pen to see if they had run into thorns and needed attention, or perhaps were simply thirsty. The shepherd would clean their wounds and offer fresh water so that they could find rest and heal while he kept them safe from those who would wish to do them harm. Jesus told us that he is that shepherd who will do more than lie across the gate for us, instead he became the gate, so that we can find protection and rest in him. Rest, heal, and drink and know that you are loved by the one who was willing to lay his life down for his sheep.