(un)Invited?

Scripture: John 10:2-10

Preached 06/01/2014

Weddings have certainly changed over the years.  They used to be small, private ceremonies often conducted in the living room of the local pastor.  And somehow, over the years, they have grown into events.  And not just small events, huge ones that can cost on average $30,000 with guest lists soaring into the hundreds.  Even the way we alert people to weddings has changed dramatically over the years.  First we had formal wedding invitations.  Then pre-invitation “save the dates” became trendy.  Now, even emailed e-vites are becoming mainstream.

So, what’s the newest wedding alert fad? The “You’re Not Invited” alert.  Yes, really.  With the growing influence of social media, there is so much information about weddings available beforehand.  Brides and Grooms to be, as well as their family and friends, post about wedding times, dates, locations, and so much other information that some acquaintances and friends are simply assuming they’re invited, and showing up on the big day.  The unexpected guests are making for some pretty awkward moments when there are no chairs, no name cards, and no meals for them.  And, those extra people are translating into unexpected and unbudgeted costs and fees for the hosts.

So, to stem the tide of uninvited guests, couples are now sending out “not invited” alerts before the big day.  Some are going as far as sending formal un-invitations via regular mail, and others are sending out email blasts and Facebook group messages.

Most are carefully crafted with gentle and even unapologetic wording, but as gentle as they may be, if you get one, you’ll probably still feel the sting of rejection.  Better prepare yourself now- because one day soon YOU too may find yourself being un-invited.

It’s easy to read this scripture passage and feel like here, too, we are in danger of being un-invited.  I for one find myself getting nervous.  We hear the language of thieves and bandits sneaking in, and it’s easy to worry that we might be among the thieves and bandits that are supposed to stay out.  Jesus uses three different metaphors in these few short verses.  He is the shepherd, the gate, and the gate-keeper.  All these metaphors can conjure up images of Jesus the ultimate un-inviter, whose job is to keep the uninvited and unwanted guests out.  A shepherd can be seen as some guy with a club keeping the rif-raf away from his sheep.  A gate can seem like an obstacle, something that gets closed to keep unwanted visitors away.  And a gate-keeper can really seem like a heavenly bouncer telling us to go away. 

But here’s the good news.  This passage is not our “You’re not invited” alert.  In fact, it’s just the opposite.  It is our invitation, and a re-iteration of the many invitations that have been given to us throughout our lives.  This passage isn’t about a closed gate with a heavenly bouncer.  Instead, it describes an extravagant welcome.  This passage is Jesus, standing at the gate that is open for us all,  and calling to us sheep and bidding and guiding us to come in through him to something even more lavish than the most extravagant wedding we’ve ever seen. 

Just remember with me the most incredible event to which you’ve ever seen.  And then, prepare yourself for something much better.  Because Jesus isn’t inviting us into a fabulous wedding.  Jesus is inviting us into much more.  As we read, Jesus says he “came that we may have life, and have it abundantly.”  Abundant life.  That’s what this passage is all about.  Not about the shepherd, the gate, or the gate-keeper, but the abundant eternal life to which all those metaphors guide and welcome us, the sheep.

As you might know, wedding invitations usually give certain clues about the wedding.  They let you know when and where it will be held, sometimes they let you know or pick what kind of food will be served, and they can even tell you how to dress for the event.  And the invitation we find to abundant life in this scripture passage gives us clues about the abundant life to which we’re invited. 

Let’s start with the shepherd metaphor as our first clue.  That image does more than comfort us with something familiar and beloved.  It may not tell us what kind of food to expect in abundant life, but it does tell us that there will be food and water- what the shepherd provides for the sheep.  And not just food for us, but enough food and enough drink for everyone.   In abundant life, all have their needs met.

What else do we learn about abundant life from this invitation?  Well, both from the shepherd and the gate metaphor, we learn guests in abundant life are also given protection from those thieves and bandits mentioned in this passage.  Thieves and bandits that seek to keep the sheep out of abundant life, or lure them elsewhere.  These thieves and bandits can be sin and death, or materialism, idolization, poverty, oppression, or anything else that robs us or anyone else of the abundance and fullness of life Jesus offers us.

This passage also clues us into the fact that we don’t have to earn our invitation to it.  There is no mention here of good sheep and bad sheep, no mention of separating out those who can come in and those who have to stay out.  This invitation is freely offered, without a un-invitation following the news.  In other words, you may be surprised at your fellow invitees and who ends up sitting next to you at dinner, and they may be equally surprised by your presence.

There is so much more we could say about this abundant life to which Jesus invites us.  It includes physical and spiritual wholeness, and intimate encounter with God, knowing God deeply and being in deep relationship with God.  It includes joy, and love, and gentleness.  And, very importantly, it has already started.  Abundant life isn’t just about what happens when we die.  Jesus is inviting us right now, and the party is already going on.  You’re invited.  So what are you waiting for?  Get in there and have the time of your life.

*Opening illustration courtesy of Sermon Illustration Exchange*