The Gatekeeper

When I was a little girl, a trip into the city was truly an excursion.
Not much grass, not much sky, so many people, so many pigeons.
Walking over the metal grates on the sidewalk was always a bit scary for me.

What if I dropped something down the grate?
Why did it smell funny below the city streets?
Why did warm air come out of the grates even on the hottest days?

What was this subterranean world that I walked over but never entered?
I remember seeing a workman in a hard hat coming out of a manhole in the street.
What kind of work did her do down there, in the dark, in the heat, with the smell?

The city buildings seemed to touch the clouds.
No matter what building you entered, you needed to use an elevator.
I remember in some of the buildings, there were elevator men.

Men dressed in crisp black suits and white shirts.
Men with dress shoes so shiny that they could actually see themselves.
In fact, one elevator man even wore white gloves.

You waited for the elevator after pushing the button for your floor.
You looked above the closed doors to a floor indicator that resembled the hand of a clock.
The large doors would open only to find a metal gate.

The elevator man stood at attention.
He waited for the large doors to open and then he opened the metal gate.
The people on the elevator got out before the ones who were waiting got on.

Going up, he called with the same inflection every time.
He waited the appropriate amount of time for the people to reach the elevator.
Then he closed the gate.

His white glove pushed the buttons coinciding to the floors you mentioned.
The main doors closed.
The elevator went up stopping many times along the way.

I had a name for the elevator man in the crisp suit and the white buttons.
Gatekeeper.
The one who stood guard behind the metal gate.

I loved riding the elevator with the elevator man.
I imagined all he saw each day as he stood guard at his post.
I imagined all he heard as he patiently waited for the people to enter.

Sometimes, he would let me push the button.
I didn’t have white gloves; I couldn’t call as loud as he could.
But he praised me all the same.

Want to do my job for me? he asked one day, not really expecting an answer.

Only he was allowed to open the metal gate.
Only he could let people on and off the elevator.
Only he could get the people where they wanted to go.

I tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in some other way, is a thief and a robber. The man who enters by the gate is the shepherd of his sheep. The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice. Jesus used this figure of speech but they did not understand what he was telling them. Therefore Jesus said again, “I tell you the truth. I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before Me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved. He 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 to the full.
(John 10:1-10)

Jesus, the Gate for the sheep.
Jesus, the Gatekeeper.
Jesus, the one in the white robe, with the words, King of Kings and Lord and Lords.

Going up.
Shiny shoes were replaced with bare feet, which bore the scars of the nail holes.
White gloves were absent and in their place two nail-scarred hands.

The Gatekeeper.
Only Jesus is able to open the gate.
Only Jesus can bring people with Him.
Only Jesus can get the people where they need to go.

Jesus will wait until His Father says it is time.
Going up! He says with authoritative inflection.
There is only one way onto Jesus’ elevator.
Once on, you never get off; many will never get on; it will be too late.

Jesus is Gate for the sheep.
Enter through His narrow gate; you will see Him there.
Going up, He calls.
Once on Jesus’ elevator, there is no stopping; you go right to your Destination.