12022020 – Keepers of the Door
Remember back in the day before Covid-19? Can you remember back that far?
Well, back in the day, when you came to worship…you were usually greeted by someone who would actually reach out and take your hand. Yep, back in the day, people used to shake hands.
They physically TOUCHED!
None of this WAVING or BUMPING ELBOW business…no flashing PEACE SIGNS, either there was physical contact, baby!
They would actually WELCOME you.
Like they were GLAD you came.
Like they were HAPPY to see you.
They may even exchange pleasantries.
There were NO MASKS…
And no one went running off in search of HAND SANITIZER either…
The very next encounter was with these MEN usually in shirts and ties and jackets and they too, actually “HANDED you” a bulletin for the liturgy…
Again, you were GREETED warmly.
In CLASSY places, they would actually ESCORT you to your seat…and wait until you were actually SEATED, before returning to their station.
It is these guys – that I would like to talk with you about tonight.
Did you know they were actually called the “KEEPERS OF THE DOOR?” (THAT, was their title.)
To further set the context here-
The first thing we should probably do is “get a little acquainted” with the house of a person like “the MASTER” that Jesus refers to in his parable.
While the homes of “ordinary folk” were very simple and plain, the house of a person who could afford SERVANTS would be a lot like the houses of EXTREMELY RICH and FAMOUS people today — more SPACIOUS, more ROOMS, more SQUARE-FOOTAGE…maybe even, ON DIFFERENT LEVELS.
TYPICALLY, houses of the first century were WALLED COMPOUNDS with a front entrance usually closed with a SECURE outer doorway.
Outer doors also referred to as GATES, could be barred with crossbars, securing the courtyard from any and all UNWELCOMED intruders.
So, the SERVANT who would WATCH for the master’s return would WATCH at the front gate, or “the outer door.”
Because first-century homes did not have RING VIDEO SURVEILLANCE, or DOORBELLS, or exterior CAMERAS to alert the homeowner inside of APPROACHING guests or potential troublemakers, the “keeper of the door” had to be ATHIS POST.
The keeper-of-the-doors job was to monitor the door, open it for WELCOMED guests, and to SECURE IT against UNWELCOMED intruders. He was always the FIRST LINE of defense. He was considered SECURITY personnel. (AN ESSENTIAL WORKER!)
The keeper of the door is referred to in Psalm 84:10 where the psalmists say —
“Better is one day in YOUR courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God
than to dwell in the tents of the wicked.”
The KEEPER OF THE DOOR was a servant’s job and therefore, not considered to be a “privileged position.”
Unlike the DOORMEN in famous Hotels or Apartments of New York City, the KEEPER of the DOOR was NOT particularly rewarded for his work — he was EXPECTED to DO his job.
Often when the master of the house was GONE activity at the house SLOWED DOWN A BIT!
The servants went about their CHORES, it was a good time to PAINT, and take care of other ROUTINE MAINTENANCE, and there was still LIVESTOCK to be looked after, and HOUSEHOLD BUSINESS to attend to.
But when the MASTER returned, he returned to a house “READY to come alive again.”
READY to throw a PARTY, to tell all the neighbors that he was HOME, READY to CELEBRATE his homecoming.
We are to be the KEEPERS-of-the-door of ADVENT. We are the ones who are to remain DILIGENT. We are the ones who are to KEEP AWAKE. We are the ones who are to WATCH for the return of the MASTER. We are to be looking for JESUS. Not getting so DISTRACTED by all of the CRAZINESS in our busy lives that we FAIL to keep LOOKING. Keep HOPING, keep WAITING. Keep WATCHING.
For you never know WHEN he will return!