May 3, 2020
John 10:6-10 … “I am the gate. Whoever enters by me will be saved, and will come in and go out and find pasture.” vs. 9
For the people of Israel, the Shema prayer “Hear, O Israel: The Lord is our God, the Lord alone” was the core of their faith and was to be recited every morning and evening. Many put a parchment containing this verse from Deuteronomy 6:1 in a little cylinder called a mezuzah (מְזוּזָה) and placed it on the doorposts of their homes and on their gates. Whenever they went out from their home or came in, they would touch the mezuzah and remember the Shema prayer. In this passage from John, Jesus tells his disciples that he will be their mezuzah, that he is in fact the gate through whom they pass every morning and evening of their lives. In him they find salvation and in him they will be fed. That good news continues to be the by-word of our lives in every circumstance and it has had special meaning for us as we’ve “sheltered in place” these last months. Often we’ve gone out with a prayer on our lips and returned giving thanks, always looking to Jesus as our guide and strength through uncertain times. That Christ center is the one thing we can count on when we lose faith with the pronouncements and promises of politicians, when no one seems capable of providing sound guidance and direction. Jesus is not only our Shepherd, he is the Way!
Thought for the Day: What verse would I put in my mezuzah?
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