Enter by the narrow gate

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it. 

 

 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know the by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them. 

 

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  

 

- Matthew 7:13–21 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 - 7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 

  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study Bible comments that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17), and also in early Christian writings, such as the Didache and Barnabas (esp. chapter 18).  St. Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) has a more eschatological focus, referring to the end of the age.  My study Bible says that because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

 

  "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study Bible notes that because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  So, therefore, we need to be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  We are to observe their fruits.  Note the continuity of the gospel;  Jesus here uses the same words as taught by St. John the Baptist when preaching repentance in preparation for the coming of the Lord:  "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

 

 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  Here Jesus begins a testimony to His own deity.  He calls Himself Lord.  My study Bible says that this name refers to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testament.  Moreover, He speaks of the will of My Father in heaven, which He fully knows and shares.  In the verse that follows (verse 22), He refers to the final judgment; perfect judgment is only possible for God.

 

  "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  In these words, Jesus lays out the true test of what it means to be His disciple, to call oneself a Christian.  He often speaks of our faith as creating family.  In chapter 12 of St. Matthew's Gospel, we read that Jesus is told that His mother and brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with Him.  Jesus replies, "Who is My mother and who are My brothers? And He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother" (Matthew 12:46-50).  We are understood to be children of God by adoption, as He is eternally-begotten Son.  But here He gives us the thorough grounding in what it means to be His brother or sister or mother, our requirement for belonging in this Kingdom, and there are no shortcuts.  There is one way to enter.  In today's reading, Jesus makes this very clear.  He tells us, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  "The way" is His way (as in "I am the way, the truth, and the life" - John 14:6).  Indeed, the early Christian movement was called the Way.  Lest we confine the "way" to a method, we need to understand this word in Greek.  It is ὁδὸς/odos, meaning "road" or "path" (in modern Greek it's commonly used to mean "street").  This path, we tread not simply by mental understanding or belief, but by doing something, by living our faith, embodying it throughout our life.  This is what it means to bear good fruit.  This path of faith, this road, is doing the will of Christ's Father in heaven.  He is the way because, as He has put it, "He who has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9).  He is that narrow gate that the devil, the evil one, does not want us to find or follow, and tries to obscure.  On its surface the language here sounds extremely restrictive.  But in effect, it's quite personal.  We each have the way we are called, and as contradictory as it may seem, in that path is our true freedom, the way we find who we are called to be and to become.  But this is why we're not to judge, and only God can be the true judge.  As Christians, we're to understand that the devil will throw in our path obstacles to this faith.  We'll have hurdles to overcome, sometimes requiring discipline, separation from things we think we love or can't do without.  Sometimes, like an addict in recovery, we might need to change the company we keep in order to find and stay on that path and limit our obstacles on it.  But He is also the Light, the beam of light we both need to follow, and which shows us the way, His Way.  In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has laid out His gospel for us, given us the righteousness of the Kingdom, and its blessings, given us an idea of what it is to dwell in this Kingdom and what it means for us.  He's laid out a kind of roadmap, in which we know we must pay attention to what is ours to focus on, find His way, practice our faith in prayers and almsgiving and fasting not to be seen by others, but knowing we are seen by our Father who sees in secret and is in the secret place.  Let us hold fast to what He teaches on this journey, including His warnings to be alert for false prophets, for we're responsible for the fruits we bear.

 

 

 

 

Enter by the narrow gate

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 7:13–21 

 

In our current readings, we have been going through the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5 - 7 of St. Matthew's Gospel).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."   My study Bible informs us of the "two ways" that was widespread in Judaism (see Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17) -- and also in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  Luke's version of this teaching (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, as it refers to the end of the age.  My study Bible explains that because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), entering the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study Bible notes that because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  So, therefore, we need to be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  In Matthew 3:10, John the Baptist preached the same statement, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."

 

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  My study Bible calls this a threefold testimony to the deity of Christ.  First, He calls Himself Lord -- a reference to the divine name "Yahweh" (YHWH) of the Old Testament.  Second, He speaks of the will of My Father, which He fully knows and shares.  Finally, as judge, Christ is revealed as God, as only God can execute true judgment.  In that day is a reference to the final judgment.  

 

 In today's reading, Jesus teaches, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study Bible commented that this saying is also found in St. Luke's Gospel (Luke 13:24-30), but it notes that there the saying is placed in an eschatological context.  However, reading through the verses that follow here in the Sermon on the Mount, we see that indeed, Jesus also has hints of "end times" considerations here, and especially of the judgment at the end of the age.  He warns us and teaches us how to discern false prophets.  They're people who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  For the early Church, it seems quite likely that this is a warning against false teachers, which would become an essential concern in the Church -- and remains so.  But Christ teaches us that by their fruits you will know them, so essentially this teaching becomes useful for many circumstances, and even discerning what effect behaviors and doctrines carry over into practice.  He says, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit," again teaching us to use discernment and to be wise, and giving us a hint of the judgment to come.  He says, in an echo of John the Baptist, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."  As He does so, this brings in the eschatological element of judgment that is in St. Luke's Gospel.  "Therefore by their fruits you will know them," becomes the warning and teaching to all of us, for all time about who we follow and who we might trust.  Finally, He teaches, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  This not only teaches us more about wolves in sheep's clothing, but about hypocrisy -- a focus in the Sermon on the Mount, and Christ's greatest critique of the Pharisees and scribes to come.  Moreover, He again brings in eschatological elements of judgment.  He reminds us that He's not looking for statements of faith, He doesn't want us to swear to anything to try to prove something.  He's looking for faithful behavior -- those who seek the will of God and live it, who do it.  Let us understand that the focus on eschatology is meant to give us a solemn note to emphasize the importance of the teaching, for it is not in another time -- at the end of time -- when all of this matters, but each day we live this reality is with us.  So let us find the narrow gate, the way that is not easy, because after all, in the end it's all that really matters.  It's the way which leads to life.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.  

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 7:13–21 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught, "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."  

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  There is a long history of the "two ways" in Judaism and in Christianity that followed.  See in the Hebrew Scriptures Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Wisdom of Sirach 15:17.  In early Christian writings both the Didache and the Epistle of Barnabas speak to these two ways.  Luke's version of this statement (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological in nature, and refers to the end of the age.  My study Bible comments that, because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study Bible comments that, because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  So, therefore, we must be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  Regarding the statement, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire," John the Baptist said the same in Matthew 3:10.  

 

 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."   This verse coupled with the next (which is not included in today's reading, but will be in tomorrow's lectionary reading) makes a strong testimony to the deity of Christ.  Here, Jesus calls Himself Lord.  This refers to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testament.  He also speaks of the will of My Father, which He fully knows and shares. 

 

 The "two ways," as my study Bible indicates, is an important concept in Christianity, and follows on the strong evidence in the Jewish tradition.  Jesus gives us a vivid and lasting image in encapsulating this idea when He says, "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  That "broad way" might be something our modern Western societies can easily image in the cornucopia of real or imagined spiritual ways that fill up our various media, and all the options that seem to be out there, with new images every day of possible paths to spiritual enlightenment.  There seems to be no end of systems people can invent, combine, or imagine based on the fragmentary ideas of spiritual systems of the past that seem to be offered through what might be euphemistically called multiculturalism.  A real multiculturalism is an idea of pluralism.  That is, cultures well-developed and whole, internally cohesive and sensible.  But what happens with a smorgasbord of choices whose origins are not completely clear and may be obscured by popular myth or cultural references isn't the same.  There is a way in which the thread of faith in Christ can lead us through all kinds of things to come to Him, and many can testify to this.  But those individuals would say the gate is narrow, and the true way is the more difficult -- the broad assortment of pickings from here and there, from one aspect of one thing to another, is a misleading attribute of what does not lead us to the place of true freedom, the Door who is Christ.  In a cacophony of choices, we find misleading answers that can temporarily dazzle, we find cults that offer us indulgence but capture us in a kind of slavery or worship to a human being, and we find destructive ideologies that proclaim to be ideals but offer little in the way of true compassion and the practice of mercy.  What we need to think about is how our choices can in fact reflect a responsible freedom, one that reflects what Christ teaches:  our own capacity for self-discipline and self-knowledge, and the cultivation of acts of mercy which come from a loving heart devoted to God, and putting the Kingdom first before our own selfish desires.  This is the way He gives us, the one which goes through that narrow gate He offers, and leads to His life for us.  For false prophets and bad trees are still with us and they proliferate; but the good tree that bears good fruit is what we will find through His narrow gate.

What is the kingdom of God like? And to what shall I compare it? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches

 

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."  And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I will say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.   They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."

 

- Luke 13:18-30 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

 

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches.  And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  My study Bible comments that in Palestine, the mustard plant grows to a height of about ten feet.   It notes that the mustard seed and the leaven represent the disciples.  According to Theophylact, they began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."  These also stand for faith which enters a person's soul, which causes an inward growth of virtue.  This soul may become godlike and can receive even angels (the birds of the air).

 

 And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I will say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."   In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus contrasts the narrow gate of salvation with the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction.  This description of the two ways was widespread in Jerusalem, my study Bible comments (Deuteronomy 30:15-20, Psalm 1: Proverbs 4:18-19, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17), and also figures prominently in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  Luke's version, in today's reading, is the more eschatological, and refers to the end of the age.  Because we wrestle against sins and human weakness, as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), entering the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'"  My study Bible comments here that neither verbal confessions ("Lord, Lord"), nor sacramental experiences ("We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets") avail anything unless we also do the works of faith (see Luke 6:46-49).  

"There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.   They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."   We see the clear eschatological reference to Judgment.  My study Bible cites Theophylact, who sees the first who becomes last as not only faithless Jews, but those in the Church who "from infancy have put on Christ and have been taught the Word, but who become last by transgressing against it."

In the middle of eschatological warnings about the time we have in our lives before we all face Judgment, Jesus gives us two famous parables about the Kingdom.  One of them is similar to the agricultural parables He gives, about the growth of a tremendous shrub, with all kinds of potentials (including providing a home for birds of the air, akin to angels), that grows from the tiniest of mustard seeds.  In the middle of warnings about what can go wrong when we're on the wrong path, Jesus gives us a couple of examples about how the path of the Kingdom works.  It's like the tiniest mustard seed -- the tiniest bit of faith or trust in God -- that has the capability for tremendous growth.  In today's reading, there is the very important theme about the "two ways."  One way is narrow and difficult, and this is the way of the Kingdom.  The other way (as described in the similar passage from Matthew) is broad and wide.  But if we take this "gardening" metaphor a little ways, in the theme of the mustard seed, we can see for ourselves how we need to tend our own garden of this narrow and difficult way.  To make a garden fruitful, to grow sturdy bushes with beautiful flowers and branches, takes vigilance.  We have to find ways that shoo off the pests without harming the good growth and potential of the mustard plant.  We need to trim it when it needs trimming, and remove the dead growth that takes up the energy of the plant.  We need to make sure it's nurtured with water and good soil, assisting that soil and its nutrients at regular intervals -- and we also need to weed out the plants that might harm the good growth we want.  This is similar to the narrow and harder way than the broad way of easy access where anything goes.  Then there is the parable of the leaven, which also teaches us about the "little bit" of faith we need -- and to allow that to permeate the rest.  If we extend this leaven metaphor to the garden, we know what beautiful things can come from effort that is continual, work that tends and nurtures, and does not give up nor allow things to go to seed.  This is the work that needs doing continually, the fruitful way we use the time of our lives as good servants and stewards of what we're given.  We stick with what we need to do, and let go of what is not our concern, not part of this narrow path.  Jesus gives stark warnings once again (as He has in the past several readings) about how we use the limited time of our lives, and the extreme consequences of neglect.  Let us use our time as we would in tending a good garden, being vigilant, and remembering what we are to be about.  This is what it is to be a good steward, to remember what it is the Master asks of us, and to be His good servants. 

 

Not everyone who says to Me, "Lord, Lord," shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the  way that leads into destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 7:13-21 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads into destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, there are few who find it."  This description of the "two ways" was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28, 15:21; Wisdom of Sirach 15:17), and also in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  My study Bible adds that Luke's version (found at Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, as it refers to the end of the age.  It says that because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses, as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), entering the Kingdom is the more difficult way. 

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study Bible comments here that, because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  Therefore, we need to be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  How will we know these false prophets and wolves in sheep's clothing?  By the "fruits" they produce.  John the Baptist made the same statement, that every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, in Matthew 3:10.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."   My study Bible notes that Jesus makes a testimony regarding His own deity here:  He calls Himself Lord, which refers to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testment; He speaks of the will of My Father, which He fully knows and shares; and finally, as judge, He reveals Himself as God, for only God can execute true judgment.  

What is judgement?  How can we understand it?  The ultimate judgment, of course, comes from Christ, as is indicated in today's reading, which my study Bible points out to us in these last verses.  In this sense, judgment is a discernment about who may enter the kingdom of heaven.  According to what Christ says in the final verses of today's reading, those who may enter are the ones who do "the will of My Father in heaven."   Here we must note that when Jesus gave us His model prayer earlier in the Sermon on the Mount (see this reading), it was a prayer to "Our Father," and included the pleas, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."  Therefore, through this prayer, we plea for participation in our Father's will also; we ask that God's kingdom be manifest here, and that God's will be done here.  It is a way in which we may also reinforce the idea that this is what we want to serve in our lives, just as Jesus serves the Father's will as divine Son and as human being.  So, we might ask, what is this divine will?  How does this work that we may participate in God's kingdom here, and that our Father's will can be done on earth as it is in heaven?  Jesus tells us in today's reading that the gate to this kingdom of life is narrow, while the way to destruction is broad and its gate is wide.  This is a specific instruction, making a specific claim of one way to find the life in abundance He wishes to offer, this kingdom of life.  It enforces that our job in the world as disciples is to seek our Father's will and to do it.  This is the basic requirement, so to speak, of a follower of Christ.  This is not an abstract statement about principles.  It is a specific direction that is given, a direction towards participation in a deep relationship, one that permeates all things, both in heaven and on earth, one that comes before all things.  And this is a personal relationship.  That is, our Father in heaven may not be a person who is exactly like our earthly father, or anyone else we know.  But God the Father is, nevertheless, a Person, and One with whom we are not simply capable of having an intimate and personal relationship, but One with whom Christ says we must do so in order to enter the Kingdom of which He preaches.  This intimate and personal relationship is not a mere set of belief statements, of value judgments, of rules, but rather a relationship of the same type we understand as personal in the world with those whom we love:  it is a way of coming to know Someone, of dwelling in a give and take of love with that Person, a way of growth in relationship, something intimate down to our core, because this Person also is present deep within ourselves.  This we know from Christ's teaching regarding St. Peter's confession of faith that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, which will come in chapter 16:  "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven" (see Matthew 16:15-17).  What Jesus implies is that God the Father may reveal within us the realities of this Kingdom, from a dwelling space we can't perceive but which nevertheless is within us so deeply that we're unaware of exactly how and from whence this comes.  Jesus also teaches that "The kingdom of God does not come with observation; nor will they say, 'See here!' or 'See there!' For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you"  (Luke 17:20-21).  In the Greek, this language can mean both "within you" and "among you" but that makes little difference in terms of the implication of the presence of God and God's kingdom to us.  What is not necessarily seen nor observed is nevertheless here with us, within us and among us and in our midst, and it is this presence to which Jesus directs us, and which plays a role in the judgment about how we enter that kingdom of life.  So when we pray, let us think about an intimate communion that asks us for our attention, that is that "narrow gate" among all the rest of the things that vie for our attention and for our loyalty.  Let us understand that there is more to this Kingdom than simply rules or prerogatives, but that the word of God comes to us in person -- in the person of Jesus Christ, fully human yet fully divine, and as such our invitation to participate is personal.  We are invited in to grow and to learn, so that we may dwell with God.  St. Paul asks the Corinthians, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16).  At the Last Supper, Jesus assures us of this relationship and its basis in love:  "If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him" (John 14:23).   Like a truly loving relationship between human persons, this relationship transforms us -- but in the process of helping us to find who we truly are, in ways only God can reveal to us.   For today, let us consider what it means to be in a deep and loving relationship, one from which we constantly learn, within which we change and which will transform us, a relatedness that gives life, a blessed home -- a narrow gate through which Jesus Christ invites us to be with our Father.

Enter by the narrow gate

 

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

 

- Matthew 7:13-21 

 

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  Yesterday, we read that Jesus taught:  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.   Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want me to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets." 

 

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study Bible comments that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28, 15:21; Wisdom of Sirach 15:17). and also in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).   Luke's version of this statement is more eschatological, and refers to the end of the age (Luke 13:24-30).  As we wrestle both against sins and human weaknesses, as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit."  Jesus speaks here of spiritual fruit.  My study Bible says that because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  Therefore, it says, we should be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  John the Baptist made this same statement about fire in Matthew 3:10.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  My study Bible points out that here Jesus testifies to His own deity (and continues in the following verse, which will begin tomorrow's reading).  He calls Himself Lord, referring to the divine name "Yahweh" of the Old Testament.  He also speaks of the will of My Father in heaven, which He fully knows and shares.  As we can see from this beginning statement regarding who shall enter the kingdom of heaven, this is ultimately a theme of judgment, and Himself as true Judge.

What does it mean to bear good fruits?  In John the Baptist's statement found in Matthew 3:10, the phrase refers to the good fruits of repentance.   In 3:8, he tells the Pharisees and Sadducees to "bear fruits worthy of repentance."  Then he goes on to elaborate that they can't just tell themselves that their father is Abraham, because "God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones."  (In context, see Matthew 3:7-12.)   What that means is that, if we are to be children of Abraham in the sense meant here, then we are to be "like Abraham."  Like Abraham, that is, in the sense that Abraham responded to the will of God, and was willing to understand and follow and live within this understanding.  Abraham bore the fruits of obedience and loyalty, of hospitality, of the love of God.  And what is repentance but a return to the love of God?  We so often focus on repentance as some sort of negative action, but this is not really the case at all.  It is a "change of mind" (literally in the Greek word for it), a return to the love of God, illustrated in Luke's parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32).  It is just that simple, a return to God's love -- whenever we are stuck, or we've come to a dead end, or even when we think we've got the world by the tail.  This is why Jesus teaches that His is the narrow way.  It's the devil that tempts with "all the kingdoms of the world and their glory" (Matthew 4:8).  But it is Christ who offers up that narrow way that says, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (in Monday's reading).  It is Christ who reminds us that there is one place to find that love and that guidance for our lives, and the discipline that goes with them, a lifelong journey of learning.  We can see all kinds of "good fronts" in the world, those with a great image, who take great care to cultivate that.  But we also might know the sharp sting of the same people and their priorities which exclude God's love, true charity, a place at the table for those who can't repay.  The world is filled with false compassion and ravenous wolves in sheep's clothing who simply seek their own ambitious and very self-centered ends.  St. Paul tells us that the fruit of the Spirit is "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control," and adds that "against such there is no law" (Galatians 5:22-23).  So where do we go to bear such fruit, to be watered and nourished in order to do so?  To whom do we go?  Are there people you know who bear those fruits?  Are you called to do so yourself?  Jesus doesn't mince words nor deceive about the narrow and difficult way, but He does call each one of us, and that is the real call of love.

They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last

 

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."  

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last." 

 

- Luke 13:18-30 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite!  Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.   

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."   My study bible comments here that the mustard plant grows to a height of about ten feet in Palestine.   Up until now, in recent readings, Jesus' focus has been on our loyalty to God before all other things, and on seeking the Kingdom first in our worldly lives, and participation and communion in that Kingdom.  But here, Jesus gives us a great parable, in so few words, about the explosive growth that happens.  It is, in fact, in the context of yesterday's reading (above), a testimony about grace and how grace works.  Just as God's mercy is not limited or measured in response to our own investment of faith, so is the growth of the Kingdom in this illustration.  This parable can be understood as the small amount of faith, invested in the soul, becoming a tree of virtue so great that even angels can come and nest in it.  Theophylact has understood the mustard seeds as representing the disciples, who began as just a few men, but "soon encompassed the whole earth."

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."   There are many occasions in Scripture in which leaven is used as a metaphor for a bad influence (such as when Jesus tells the disciples, "Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy"; see Luke 12:1-3).  But here, Jesus uses "leaven" as an image of the kingdom of God and the way that it grows in us and among us, in the same way that leaven (or yeast) permeates the whole.  The previous parable of the mustard seed teaches us about great and unexpected growth from the tiniest source or influence;  here Jesus speaks of the grand influence on the whole of a person the small amount of faith has to "leaven" our entire lives, to permeate our souls.

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."  In Matthew's report of this saying (Matthew 7:13-14), we get a description of the two ways or paths from which we choose, for life or death.  This was common in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20: Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28, 15:21; Wisdom of Sirach 15:17).  But here in Luke, the saying is once again, like so much in our recent readings, given by Jesus in the context of the end of the age.  It is a warning about the time of judgment.  My study bible comments that because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult, narrow way.

"When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God."  Jesus clearly My study bible comments here that neither verbal confessions (Lord, Lord) nor sacramental experiences avail anything unless we live the works of faith (see Luke 6:46-49).  That they will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, together with all the prophets gives us the eschatological understanding of Jesus' preaching.

"And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."  My study bible cites the commentary of Theophylact, who sees the first who becomes last as not only faithless Jews, but also those in the Church who"from infancy have put on Christ and have been taught the Word, but who become last by transgressing against it."  

Today's reading again gives us the context of the final judgment, of the eschaton.  This is apt, one feels, as Jesus is now clearly headed to Jerusalem, and preparing His disciples for the time that is to come, the time of the Church, which is also the time of the end.  In fact, in the historical tradition of the Church, all of the present time in which we await the return of our Savior is the entire "end time."  And so, as Jesus is clearly journeying toward Jerusalem, as the text tells us, He continues to prepare the apostles -- and by extension, their successors -- who will rule the Church in His absence.  In Luke's expression of His teachings, it is the eschatological emphasis that is significant, as He prepares His followers to think in terms of the primary importance of thinking about serving God in light of the judgment that is to come in fulfillment of all things.  Let us remember that this is not something to think of as far, far into the future, but rather something present and real as it awaits all of us at the end of our worldly lives, and is clearly linked and based upon how we live our lives and what importance we attach to living the life of the Kingdom while we dwell here in this world.  If we keep in mind this overarching power of God, and the awareness of Christ's promise regarding a greater judgment that comes to the entirety of all those who live or have lived in this world, then we keep in mind a perspective necessary to exactly how we live our lives in this world.  The explosive and permeating growth of the Kingdom teaches us also about the choice to live this awareness of the Kingdom, and of the overarching understanding of our participation in it, and God's participation and grace in our lives.  It magnifies the importance of our choices, the essential quality of each moment of time and how precious our lives in this world are, for all is intermingled and tied to one another.  The eschatology speaks of the "time" when time itself will end, but it also reflects upon and magnifies the importance of our time in this world as well.  It means that what we do and choose, how we live in this world right now in our earthly lives, is also tied to the arc of an entire cosmos, to all of creation and God's action in it.  Christ reminds us that His plan for the salvation of the world, culminating in the Cross at Jerusalem, and His Resurrection and Ascension, is essentially a plan that magnifies and creates meaning for each moment:  nothing is wasted and all is precious.  Let us keep in mind just how precious our lives and our moments in time really are.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

- Matthew 7:13-21

Yesterday we read that Jesus taught (as we read through the Sermon on the Mount):   "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do for you, do also for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

  "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study bible says that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28, 15:21; Wisdom of Sirach 15:17).  It prominently appears also in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, set in reference to the end of the age.  My study bible says that as we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses, as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), entering the Kingdom is the more difficult way.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  My study bible comments here that, because they can easily deceive others, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are evil outright.  So therefore, we must be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous!  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire:  John the Baptist made this same statement in 3:10.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  Jesus here calls Himself Lord, which refers to the divine name "Yahweh."  He also speaks of the will of My Father in heaven, and thereby refers to Himself as Son.  He openly speaks of His identity as Son and therefore divine, in context also referring to Judgment at the end of the age.

In today's reading, Jesus warns us to "Enter by the narrow gate."  What is this narrow gate?  Clearly it is the gate of His word and teachings, and also the gate of His Person.  Jesus teaches elsewhere, "I am the door" (John 10:9).  Although there is a difference between a door and a gate (and the words are different in Greek), their function is the same.  Both indicate entrance, and both have been translated as entrance as well.  A gate is often used in the ways that there were gates to ancient cities meant for protection.  In this case, this "narrow gate" is the way into Christ's kingdom.  He contrasts this narrow gate with the wide gate and broad way that leads to destruction ("for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction").  Let us note that the entrance to destruction is not only a wide gate, and a broad way, but also there are all kinds of people crowding into that entrance, for "there are many who go in by it."   Again, let us turn to John's Gospel for His affirmative words regarding Himself in this context:  "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6).   Jesus is not just the door or entrance to the kingdom of heaven, but He is also the way (again, in contrast to the broad way that leads to destruction).  Let us note, for the sake of understanding, that this word in Greek for way can literally mean "road."   So we're given a picture of a narrow city gate, which is a metaphor for His teachings and His Person, and that is in contrast with the wide gate and broad way the general public seems to take.  Then He gives us another image:  "Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  Not only is the gate He offers to us narrow, but the way is difficult which leads to life.  Moreover, in contrast to that broad way of destruction which is filled with so many people, there are few who find this narrow gate and difficult way.   This is not a picture of the whole world crowded in under a wide umbrella of Christ, regardless of how many will be saved (or even if all will be saved), for we can't judge that.  Instead, this is rather a picture starkly painted for our own understanding and experience of our faith.  We'll be called upon to find a narrow gate, that the whole world that we know doesn't necessarily want or clamor for.  We may find times of loneliness and great difficulty on Jesus' path.  And we will certainly be subjected, if we're truthful, to times when we will face a choice of separation from things or people we love, because that is the nature of this narrow gate and difficult way or road.  This path doesn't invite us with easy blessings and casual invitations.  It asks something of us.  We may, at times, even feel ourselves compelled forward, even against our will or better judgment (just as Jesus was "thrown" by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil; see this reading).  Jesus does not promise us nor His early followers a great deal of popularity or social acclaim.  In our current media-driven lives -- and especially now when so many of us are online all the time -- we may find this even hard to comprehend.  But in the very next sentence, He begins to warn us about false prophets.  Those are the ones who lead us to destruction, the great hypocrites who look good but are inwardly ravenous wolves.  They want to eat us up, there is an ulterior motive.  They promise us a lot, but in the end we are the victims of their manipulation.  He calls us to discernment:  by their fruits we shall know them.  Beware of those who promise a broad easy way, where we don't need to make tough choices, and all we need seek is social approval of a group.  Collecting "Likes" on Facebook seems to be the opposite of what Jesus intended for us to seek for and to value.  He wants us to find so much more, but we must treasure what He offers.  It's a narrow gate and difficult way for a reason, "for a worker is worthy of his food" (10:10), and "the laborer is worthy of his wages" (Luke 10:7).  Jesus says, "He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me.  And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me" (10:37-38).   Just like Jacob who wrestled with the angel for a blessing, this struggle depicted is a positive image for us, full of meaning (Genesis 32:24-32).   We are meant to be worthy of our wages, to become gold asks a refining fire, and thereby we are precious in God's sight.  Jesus did not come into the world to live an easy, carefree, blameless life. If that were the model we needed, so that we would have given -- and in the ancient world there were plenty of such models.  Jesus was called to a difficult choice for life.  Let us consider how we are called through this narrow gate and difficult way, the one that few seem to follow.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it

Lamb of God, Euphrasian Basilica, 6th century, Poreč, Croatia

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears  good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."

- Matthew 7:13-21

We are currently reading through the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5 -7).  In yesterday's reading, Jesus taught:  "Judge not, that you be not judged.  For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.  And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?  Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?  Hypocrite!  First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.  Do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces.  Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.  Or what man is there among you who, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone?  Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent?  If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask Him!  Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets."

 "Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it.  Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."  My study bible tells us that the description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deuteronomy 30:15-20; Psalm 1; Proverbs 4:17-18, 12:28, 15:21; Sirach 15:17), and also found in early Christian writings such as the Didache and Barnabas.  Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) has a more eschatological focus, which refers to the end of the age.  My study bible says that because we wrestle against both sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Ephesians 6:12), to enter the Kingdom is the more difficult way.  One could say that what Jesus describes in the way of taking up one's cross daily.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.  You will know them by their fruits.  Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?  Even so, every good tree bears  good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.  A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.  Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  Therefore by their fruits you will know them."  As it is easy to deceive others, my study bible says, those who put on a show of virtue or religion are more dangerous than those who are openly evil.  Therefore, we must be that much more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous.  But Christ says that we should watch instead, not the outward behavior, but for the fruits produced; that is, the outcomes or actions.  This is a frequent theme, as Christ has taught before about the effects of what is truly in the heart.  He calls us to discernment and watchfulness.  Verse 19:  John the Baptist made the identical statement in 3:10.

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven."  Here, Christ affirms that His way must be chosen although it is the more narrow or difficult.  It is also a statement of His divinity, as He both calls Himself Lord, and the Son of His Father in heaven.  It is this will of God the Father that Christ knows and shares as Son.

With this final statement, Jesus is teaching us that an outward declaration of worship or honor to Himself as Lord isn't enough.  Rather, His real disciples are those who do the will of God the Father in heaven.  There our deepest loyalty must lie.  How do we do this?  How do we know God's will?  In this context, I think we mustn't forget the statements in yesterday's reading, so affirmative and emphatic in their direction to us:  "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you."  In the sense of the Greek verbs, this is a command to keep asking, keep seeking, and keep knocking.  My study bible says that we ask through prayer, we seek by learning God's truth, and we knock by pursuing God's will.  In other words, there is an implied effort at continual discipleship through sincere faith practices.  We must keep it in our hearts that what we really pursue is the knowledge of the will of our Father in heaven, and the capacity to do it, to live it.  This implies both a sincere desire and an effort, and would include a capacity for repentance when there is something we need to walk back, to turn away from, to "change our minds" about.  This is an integral and holistic process, starting from deep within ourselves, in the place that in the language of the Gospels is called "the heart," our very center which unifies us as who we are.  It's there that Christ begins with the concept that the fruit of the tree is borne according to the state of its heart.  But it would be a mistake to think that Christ speaks as if what we are is written in stone.  Instead, He's asking us to follow His narrow and difficult way -- that the focus on the heart, the inside, is the way for those who would follow Him.  This He contrasts with hypocrisy, pointing out that there are false prophets who hide behind a mask of piety.  His active way for us is to "make the tree good," so that we will bear good fruit.   He calls us to this "narrow way" through which we are willing to actively face honestly our own flaws, find true discernment, to find the true life of the Kingdom.  This comes in small steps, through time, when we often feel as if there is indeed a very "narrow way" through which to proceed, even a difficult choice -- when it be so much easier to follow the crowd.   It is easy to be fooled by appearances, by "false prophets."   Jesus gives us a continual way to develop our own purity of heart, our capacity to discern our own flaws, so that we may in turn be able the better to discern those who might lead us astray.   As His sheep, we seek to enter the Kingdom His way, through His narrow gate.  He is the true Lamb of God whom we seek to follow, rather than the wolves in sheep's clothing.  Let us focus on the narrow and difficult path, the way of the Cross, so that we may be the followers He asks us to be.

What is the kingdom of God like?

 Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened." 

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."

- Luke 13:18-30

Yesterday we read that Jesus was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath.  And behold, there was a woman who had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years, and was bent over and could in no way raise herself up.  But when Jesus saw her, He called her to Him and said to her, "Woman, you are loosed from your infirmity."  And He laid His hands on her, and immediately she was made straight, and glorified God.  But the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation, because Jesus had healed on the Sabbath; and he said to the crowd, "There are six days on which men ought to work; therefore come and be healed on them, and not on the Sabbath day."  The Lord then answered him and said, "Hypocrite! Does not each one of you on the Sabbath loose his ox or donkey from the stall, and lead it away to water it?  So ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan has bound -- think of it -- for eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath?"  And when He said these things, all His adversaries were put to shame; and all the multitude rejoiced for all the glorious things that were done by Him.

Then He said, "What is the kingdom of God like?  And to what shall I compare it?  It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and put in his garden; and it grew and became a large tree, and the birds of the air nested in its branches."  My study bible says that in Palestine the mustard plant grows to a height of about ten feet.  Let us note that Jesus says that the birds of the air nested in its branches.  This is an allusion to the angelic ministers who may make a home with us; but it all begins with a tiny seed that grows through faith.

And again He said, "To what shall I liken the kingdom of God?  It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened."  First Jesus gave us the image of growth of the tall mustard tree, which begins with a tiny seed, but can provide a foundation for the nests of birds of the air.  Here Jesus adds to our understanding of the growth of this Kingdom; it can also grow by permeating and enfolding, transforming the nature of whatever substance with which it is mixed.

And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.  Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?"  And He said to them, "Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able.  When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and He will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are from,' then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.'  But He will say, 'I tell you I do not know you, where you are from.  Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.'  There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.  They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God.  And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last."  Note the juxtaposition; the Kingdom is energetic and expansive, transforming whatever it enters.  But here, as Jesus goes about His mission through the cities and villages, He gives a caution to all, and the emphasis is on judgment, discernment, awareness.   In Matthew's Gospel, He contrasts the narrow gate with the wide ("wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it" - Matthew 7:13).  There, the description of these two ways reflects a widespread teaching in Judaism, which would also carry over into early Christian writings attributed to the apostles.  But here in Luke, as Jesus has already set His sights on Jerusalem, the perspective is more eschatological.   Put together with the parables about the growth of the Kingdom, it strikes a warning note, that this gracious gift is open to those who will take it as seriously as its true weight and value is worth.   Its growth and its transformative properties are a part of the process of repentance and awareness.  They also require of us the discipline of good servants, responding to His commands in living lives of faith. 

The "two ways" are an important theme in both Jewish tradition and early Christianity, as mentioned above.  In the Didache, they are referred to as the way of life and the way of death.  There is a sense that one is either going in one direction or another -- on the path toward a fullness of communion with Christ, or not.  In today's reading, Jesus stresses an urgency to making this choice for life, for the gift of the Kingdom.  We're first given descriptions of what this Kingdom is like and what it does.  Jesus describes a tremendous and mysterious growth from something very small, but which produces great branches that can even host new life, a foundation for the nests of "the birds of the air."  Then there is the enzymatic growth of the fermentation of leaven, which works mysteriously as an ingredient which transforms everything from within.  But when, as He teaches in the cities and towns, He warns that this opportunity for participation in the Kingdom is a narrow gate, He gives us the perspective not only of discipline and making astute choices, but also of a limited time in which to do so.  He gives us a sense that this gift of the Kingdom is rare and precious, and that it takes a kind of awareness and alertness to enter.  A narrow gate implies a limited sort of a choice, one which we must choose deliberately.  We can't just go along with the crowds to enter into a narrow gate.  We must seek it out, we must truly want that particular entrance.  The narrow gate brings to mind Jesus' statement regarding the difficulties with which a rich person enters the Kingdom:  "It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (found in Luke 18:18-29).  In one interpretation of this statement, the "eye of the needle" is understood as a particularly narrow gate of the city, for which a camel loaded with baggage would have to be unburdened altogether in order to pass through.  However we look at Christ's statement, it is clear that He is demanding of His listeners the proper attention necessary to their salvation, an urgency they don't seem to grasp.  His warnings take on the familiar sense that our time is shorter than we think, and life more urgent in its call of what we are to be about, and the particular things that require our attention.  Our complacency with what we already have and know, and particularly with an assurance that we are doing all we need do, seems to be particularly emphasized here.  What our ancestors in faith have done before us is not enough, if we wish to join them in this Kingdom.  Where is your narrow gate?  Is there a particular choice you need to make?  Are the great gifts of this Kingdom something you take for granted?  The nests of the birds of the air await the root of the tiny seed He offers us.