John 10 Warriors Standing in the Gap
---------
Jesus said again,
“Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture."
"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it abundantly. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.”
---------
It must have caused a few eyebrows to raise when Jesus put “good” and “shepherd” in the same sentence. To this day the shepherds of Palestine live as nomads--outcasts on the edge of society.
But Jesus knew those shepherds used stone circles as sheep folds. If you visit Israel today you may still see structures like these in use. There is a gap in the wall to let the sheep in. After every sheep is counted, the shepherd lays down in the gap. His body becomes the gate for the flock. He literally lays down his life for the sheep. The good shepherd stands in the gap for those that cannot defend themselves.
In Native American culture, this is called the warrior spirit. Being a warrior does not mean looking for a fight. Being a warrior means standing up for the weak so they do not have to fight to survive. It means being ready to lay down your life to protect life—for there is no greater love than this.
That is why Native people have always known that women are greater warriors than men. Women can give life through their blood. Men can only take life by shedding blood.
Jesus was the ultimate warrior. He gave you life through his own blood. He laid down the gift of love—even to the outcasts. And he turns sheep like us into loving warriors who stand with him in the gap.