The Ninth Day of Advent

The Ninth Day of Advent

Monday, December 11, 2017

Then said Jesus unto them again, 
“Verily, verily I say unto you, 

I am the door of the sheep. 

All that ever came before me 
are thieves and robbers, 

but the sheep did not hear them. 

I am the door: 

by me if any man enter in, 

he shall be saved.”

John 10:7-9a

Charles Dickens opens his great novel, A Tale of Two Cities, with these words: “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times; . . . it was the age of wisdom; it was the age of foolishness; . . . it was the spring of hope; it was the winter of despair.”

I read these words many more years ago than I want to admit, in a far-off course, probably in high school, and I was forced by some unreasonable teacher to commit them to memory. At the time it seemed so foolish to me. Reading the tome was bad enough; why did I have to remember certain passages verbatim? Maybe it was for today. Somehow in many ways these words seem to depict our world, and so we paraphrase them. Times couldn’t be better; they couldn’t be worse! We are surely smart; how foolish we are! We have great hope for the future; the future looms dark!

We could have great discussions about the wisdom in Dickens’ words, but one thing I am sure we would have to admit: The words convey a sense of despair. Which way will we take? Good or bad? Foolish or wise? Hope or despair? In the conclusion of such a thought, where do we find the answer?

I had such a time recently. I was discouraged with the tragedies that I see in the world. I was disheartened with man’s inhumanity to man that daily fills our papers. I am disgusted with the way greed and self-gratification have become the motivation of many of our public officials. I woke in the wee hours of the morning, about 3:00, and I basically said to God what I have just written here.

That’s when I was reminded of Jesus’ wonderfully encouraging words: “I am the door,” along with his further words to “enter and be saved.” Such simple words. Such a simple thought. I could lie in the bed and worry and wonder, or I could open that accessible “door,” I could enter that place where my Savior is and be saved – not just for eternity in heaven, escaping hell. I could be saved right now from despair, from foolishness, from hopelessness.

Because of Jesus, God with us, I could enter the door to good days, wisdom, and hope. Emmanuel! God with us! God with even me in the middle of the night!

Father, I praise you — that you have given us a door, even Christ Jesus, through whom we can enter into your presence — not just in original salvation but in everyday salvation — not just at Christmas, but all year long! Amen.

The Light of the World
prepared for Homosassa United Methodist Church, 2008,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator.