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

 "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 reading through the Sermon on the Mount, given in Matthew chs. 5-7.  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 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 notes here:  "The description of the two ways was widespread in Judaism (Deut. 30:15-20, Psalm 1 . . .) and in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, referring to the end of the age.  Because we wrestle against sins and human weaknesses as well as spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 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."  My study bible tells us:  "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.  Thus, we must be all the more cautious among those who are outwardly virtuous."

"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."  The statement, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire," was also made by John the Baptist.  See Matthew 3:10.

Once again in today's reading, as in yesterday's, Jesus is calling us to discernment.  What is this narrow way?  How do we make good choices, and avoid the wide and broad way that leads to destruction, into which so many apparently go?  Jesus warns us, gives us a preview, that this way He is teaching is not only through a narrow gate but it is difficult - and there are few who find it.   So He is giving us warning, telling us to pay attention:  His way is one that requires our attention, our active discernment, our constant effort.  This is not to say we are on our own, but that our true job is our faith and engagement with God (seeking, asking and knocking was the way He characterized it in yesterday's reading).  Above all things, there is our effort to engage with God, to desire that intimate relationship.  This is how we find the way.  This mystical reality requires active engagement on our part, a way of being awake via constantly seeking.  And then, there comes this warning:  to beware of false prophets.  Let us not look in the wrong direction!  Let us remember our own asking, seeking, and knocking and the power that has to find the way, to engage in the reality of God, to seek first this Kingdom -- and the way will be made known to us.  How do we avoid false prophets?  We will know them by their fruits.  Once again, Jesus is calling us not to be sleepwalking through life, but just the opposite:  we are not like the blind leading the blind -- we are called to wisdom, to understanding, and especially to alertness while we seek His way and engage in all the practices included in the metaphor of asking, seeking, and knocking -- of seeking first the Kingdom.  We would do well to remember that, as He sends out His apostles on their first mission, He says they must be "wise as serpents and gentle as doves."   This is the discernment, awareness, and active intelligence, alertness, that He asks of His servants and followers.  And finally, there is this warning:  "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."  It's a reminder, begun in yesterday's reading at the beginning of chapter 7, that there is one Judge, and He is in our presence.  He's not just teaching, but He is also the place of real Judgment, a place we can't know of ourselves, someone we can't fool, who knows everything about us.  It's a reinforcement of discernment and alertness, reminding us to "keep it real" all the time, not to fool ourselves or be fooled by others -- to seek Him and His Kingdom first. 

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 god 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 the Lectionary cycle, we are reading through the Sermon on the Mount.  We have read  The Beatitudes;  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven;  Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven;  I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment;  Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect; Do not be like the hypocrites; Our Father in heaven,  Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also; and Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.  Yesterday, 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 says here:  "This description of the two ways is widespread in Judaism (Deut. 30:15-20; Ps. 1; Prov. 4:18-19, 12:28, 14:24; Sir. 15:17), and in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas).  Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, referring to the end of the age.  Because we wrestle against human sins and weaknesses, as well as the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), entering the Kingdom involves difficult labor and struggle (11:12)."

 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves."  A note says, "Jesus charges us to beware because it is possible to be deceived by those who wear a mask of virtue but are false prophets (24:4, 24), or wolves, who live corrupt lives (10:16; Zeph 3:3; John 10:12; Acts 20:29)."

"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 god 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 tells us, "As long as a person is living in wickedness, he will not be able to bear good fruit.  But Jesus does not say that there is no way for the wicked to change, or for the good to fall away.  (See also 12:33-35)."  It adds of the last verse here that John the Baptist made the same statement (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 Jesus testifies of His divinity here, first by referring to those who call Him "Lord, Lord", secondly by speaking of the will of His Father in heaven, which He fully knows and shares.  In tomorrow's reading, this theme expands to more clearly indicate that Judgment is in His hands.

In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (which we will read in Matthew's 13th chapter), Jesus presents a picture in which the good wheat grows side by side with weeds (or tares) that resemble the wheat, but are not the true good grain.  In this picture, Judgment is the harvest that comes at the end of the age.  But in the meantime, "good" and "bad" live side by side.  Jesus' healing mission assures us also that we may become either one; we have the choice offered to us throughout our lives.  (A good reason why Judgment belongs to Him, and at the end of the age.)  In today's reading, Jesus emphasizes our own work in this respect.  What do we choose to be?  In emphasizing the "narrow gate" Jesus is trying to get us down to brass tacks.  We devote ourselves to the will of His Father.  This is the narrow gate.  What's our real intention in making decisions?  Where do we plant our feet in life?  And in that spirit, He teaches us to beware, to be awake and realize that some of that "false wheat" may be among us as well.  It's part of our job to be aware of what is going on around us.  He doesn't say it's our job to judge, but it is our job to be aware, to be the rational sheep.  Here He tells us about fruits, and bearing fruit.  He speaks of the inside of such a person who would falsely lead as like a ravenous wolf.  We get the picture of the predatory, the selfish and greedy, those who don't love the sheep as He does but wish instead to prey on them for their own selfish or material-minded ends.  When He tells us that not everyone who calls Him "Lord, Lord" will enter into His kingdom, it expands on this teaching but also brings it home to us.  What do we choose?  What's our true intention?  What are the fruits we produce?  It goes back, in some sense, to the speck in our neighbor's eye, which Jesus spoke of in yesterday's reading.  Unless we work on the plank in our own eye, we can't really help others to work on the speck we notice.  Here, He addresses our own understanding of this narrow gate, that we watch where we step, how we follow Him.  And at the same time, we're to be fully aware of what's going on around us, who we follow in His name, and not be misled.  As He does elsewhere, Jesus calls us to be more aware of ourselves, and aware of what is going on around ourselves.  We're to be self-responsible on this road; we're not blind sheep.  He's taught us His precepts, we are to hold them in high honor, to understand them and take them seriously, and to evaluate our lives by them -- and not to live by mere appearances (such as "wolves in sheep's clothing") and be misled by them.  Our Lord throughout this Sermon has called on us for a high level of accountability and self-awareness.  Let us see today how He extends that to our awareness as deeply as possible to what is within us, and also to what is around us.  We are the rational sheep, and our Teacher prepares us for His narrow gate, and the good fruits He wants from 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

"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

Over the course of the readings of the past two weeks, we have been reading Jesus' Sermon on the Mount in Matthew. We began with The Beatitudes, in which Jesus taught the blessings of the life of discipleship. Next He taught the value of such lives, in You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world. Then He began to teach about the Law, saying "Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill." He then expanded His teaching on several statutes in Mosaic Law; the first against murder: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder;'" then, against adultery: "You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not commit adultery;'" and finally regulating vengeance: "You have heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.'" His expansion includes the inner life of the heart, not merely outward acts. Next He began to discuss spiritual practice (in almsgiving, prayer and fasting) - forbidding hypocrisy and again emphasizing the inner life, in "Do not be like the hypocrites." During the discussion of prayer, Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, teaching Our Father in heaven. He then taught that we cannot serve both God and mammon, that we need to make a clear choice in No man can serve two masters. Then He began to teach about how we look at life and what we value. Over-worry and anxiety over the material things we need in life are not for the life of discipleship. He said to observe the birds, and the wild lilies -- none of these work to sow, harvest and store, or spin, endlessly worrying about the future, yet they are cared for by the Father. The Father knows what we have need of, we are to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." He said, "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." In yesterday's reading, finally, Jesus taught about the life of discipleship and its righteousness, especially in congregation. He taught us not to judge or condemn, and repeated His teachings on reciprocity: "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you." He once again repeated His warnings against hypocrisy in this context. We are to be aware of who we are, our own flaws and faults, before we can helpfully correct anyone else. "First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye." He then warned against giving pearls to swine, or giving what is holy to dogs: we are not to seek to create discipleship in those who do not value it, cannot appreciate it, may in fact despise it. And all things are open to those who do want these pearls, disciples in sincerity and faith who are always to be asking, seeking, and knocking: "for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened." Summing up the Law and Prophets, He taught once again the reciprocal principle, active in our lives as disciples: "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 points out that this description of two ways is widespread both in Judaism and early Christian writings. It adds, "Because we wrestle against human sins and weaknesses, as well as the spiritual forces of evil, entering the Kingdom involves difficult labor and struggle." I believe also that this description of discipleship is a precise warning about developing "the ideas of man" in substitution for the teachings of God. It also speaks deeply about our personal relationship to God. It is there that we find righteousness with one another. We may have all kinds of good ideas that seem very positive in our own sight, but humility asks that we defer to that which will lead us on this path and through the gate, step by step, and through confrontation with our own weaknesses and struggles -- things that human nature seems generally to prefer to avoid! (I speak, of course, from my own personal experience in this!)

"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. " What is a false prophet, or a wolf in sheep's clothing? If we think about it, it's someone who professes discipleship but who yet fails to try to do as Jesus teaches. A false prophet or wolf in sheep's clothing is first of all a hypocrite: acting one way and inwardly another. It is someone who fails to find discipleship in the inner life -- a practice which sums up the whole of the Sermon on the Mount, and Jesus' emphasis on our inner state of being and relationship to God and neighbor. This is especially a warning about leadership: humility is an exceptionally important quality in a leader, otherwise he may actually be seeking to prey on the flock, after some ambitious prize of his or her own. A ravenous wolf is predatory, seeking his own gain, rather than a good shepherd who helpfully guides the flock. Without facing our own weaknesses in humility before God, the power of leadership easily corrupts. He teaches us all that by their fruits we shall know them. And there is a kind of assurance here: "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." My study bible points out that Jesus does not say here that people cannot change: we infer that it is possible for those living corrupt lives to change, and also those good disciples to fall away. Again, it is a prescription for awareness, especially of the true state of the heart, a right-relatedness to God and neighbor.

"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." Again, this is a supreme teaching against hypocrisy, one that resounds over and over again in Jesus' Sermon. And He has explained to us the reasons that His disciples must emphasize the inner life, and not merely outward acts: "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit." This is a warning to all who would be His disciples, and especially leaders among them. We are to seek first the will of "My Father in heaven." It is about attitude, the way we face life and our own decisions about what we do with our lives. In this we will have the attitude of discipleship.

Let us think about good sheep and good shepherds. In the tradition of the Church, we are also called the "rational sheep." But discipleship involves humility, seeing first the kingdom of heaven. We don't know everything, and we need good teaching, leadership, and relatedness to our Father in heaven in order to find the Way. This, to me, is the whole point of a Christian life -- that we first of all accept that we are not born knowing everything, we need help along the way, and that Our Father, Christ, and the Holy Spirit give us as gifts the tools, discipleship and love needed to nurture and grow who we are in God's image. Good leadership, therefore, must also have this same attitude about their own spiritual lives; they are also disciples. We are all in this together. Jesus' teachings against hypocrisy are constant reminders of the need for self-awareness; we have to remove the plank in our own eye before we can help anyone else with the speck that is in theirs. If we take His teachings seriously, we come to a conclusion about what it means to be a rational sheep: we are to be aware of ourselves and our inner lives, but also our leadership and the fruits that may be produced. What He gives us then, is His Way, through the narrow gate, and through the struggles worthy of this pearl of great price. Discipleship makes us grow, gives us our awareness, asks of us to grow in the good, steadfast love of God, for His love endures forever. Discipleship takes in the whole of us, all our hearts and minds, and makes of us those capable of discernment and choice, awareness and responsibility. It is truly the gift of life, and life in abundance.

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. 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

Jesus has been preaching His Sermon on the Mount, in Matthew's Gospel. We have been through the Beatitudes, the teaching that His followers are to be the salt of the earth and the light of the world, His expansion on the law against murder into thoughts that lead to conflict, His teachings about what we dwell on and what we are better off without, teachings on the laws of justice, and on spiritual discipline and prayer - including the Our Father. Jesus then taught about the importance of what we choose, what we love; and that we cannot serve two masters - God and mammon. Finally He taught about our relationship to God and to our neighbors, the holy mysteries, and the Golden Rule as the summing of the Law and the Prophets - see Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.

"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." To enter by the narrow gate is to teach us that we must take great care of how we go forward in life. To take seriously the teachings we are given - and especially the relationship to God within our hearts - is the way to go forward. This is not, however, a relationship of fear but a relationship of love, and we seek that loving guidance in how we approach life. This is the kind of attention Jesus is teaching us to pay. We really don't know, of ourselves, what is the best course forward - what we may need to change in our thinking, how we go forward toward a goal that is not truly in our sights. Only the perspective of a God who is love - and all that belongs to that kingdom and its grace - can lead us there.

"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. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them." Jesus expands here on teachings that intertwine the truth about the "narrow gate" and His many teachings against hypocrisy, and trying to serve two masters. False prophets are those who are hypocrites - "actors" - who pose as one thing but are truly another. And He is teaching His followers that even those who claim to come in His name may fall into this category. As His sheep, we are to be intelligent and awake, vigilant. Not only is the way narrow and we need to choose our steps with care in this relationship of love, but we must also watch for false prophets - and who we put our trust in. We are to be discerning, and look for the fruits of a "bad tree." So, in all that Jesus teaches, He builds up our own internal reality and the powerful presence of God and the kingdom that must be with us and in our hearts, and cultivated through the relationship of love.

"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 this is a part of a testimony to His deity (the rest will come in tomorrow's reading). But what is essential here is a great summing up of Jesus' teachings against hypocrisy of all kinds, especially with regard to religious practice -- and the need for us to choose carefully what we will serve. Most powerfully is the understanding that we are to seek to do "the will of My Father in heaven." To pray, then, to cultivate that relationship within ourselves, is essential in this context. How else do we face with vigilance the ways we may be led astray by "false prophets?" How else do we guard ourselves against "acting" if our hearts are not there in prayer, without that basic loving relationship? It is for this, after all, that He has left us with Himself, a Companion and Comforter, a Spirit of truth. It is this we cling to, to help us understand the narrow way. All these gifts teach us that we are blessed with help for the fullness of true life, and to be the ones He asks us to be -- the salt of the earth, the light of the world.

There are many deceptions in life, I have found. There are many who are wolves in sheep's clothing, whose fruit is the fruit of greed and selfishness, of chaos and slavery and not peace and the fruits of spirit. What sees us through it is what we choose to bear in our hearts, what we choose to serve. A loving relationship to our Creator belongs in us and with us and among us -- and it is this that truly builds His church and teaches us where to go in life, how to choose. I have found that the grace of God's gifts to us has helped me to have an abundant life, to feel more fully life itself and the individual gifts He has given me, how to use them and how to go forward. In today's reading, Jesus teaches us further about making choices - about the narrow gate we walk through each day, the steps God would ask us to take. And that narrow gate excludes those seeking the easy way, who will come to us posing as something that is good but are too selfish to bear good fruit. Finally, we remember His teachings on hypocrisy, and when we cry "Lord, Lord" we must know it is all about guiding our footsteps into that relationship of love, so that we too may be a part of that kingdom. What does God teach you today, and how do you go forward into that gate? How do you remember His teachings?

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 into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven."

- Matthew 7:13-21

For nearly two weeks, we've been going through the readings of Jesus' Sermon on the Mount. Those readings include The Beatitudes, Salt and Light, Till heaven and earth pass away, You shall not murder, If your right eye causes you to sin, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth, Your father who is in the secret place, Our Father in heaven, No one can serve two masters, Solomon in all his glory and The plank in your own eye. In today's reading, Jesus begins the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount.

"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 notes, "This description of the two ways is widespread in Judaism (Deut. 30:15-20; Ps. 1; Prov. 4:18,19; 12:28; ...), and in early Christian writings (Didache, Barnabas). Luke's version (Luke 13:24-30) is more eschatological, referring to the end of the age. Because we wrestle against human sins and weaknesses, as well as the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), entering the Kingdom involves difficult (v. 14) labor and struggle (11:12)." Jesus has been teaching, throughout all of these readings of the Sermon on the Mount, the ways of discipleship . They are many in this long sermon, but with a common theme of dedication, choice, and the need to adhere to a way of life that promotes love in action. That includes our own sense of ourselves and our flaws, and our willingness to cast out that which is a part of our character which has to go. This is a process of discipline, growth and change - and transcendence of a more worldly notion of justice to one which is merciful and requires forbearance. Not an easy task! But his words here indicate that the choice is ours.

"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves." Again, I'll quote a helpful note: "Jesus charges us to beware because it is possible to be deceived by those who wear a mask of virtue but are false prophets (24:4,24), or wolves, who live corrupt lives (10:16; Zeph. 3:3; John 10:12; Acts 20:29)." As one can see from the note, Jesus repeatedly uses this image of wolves in sheep's clothing. It is a warning about those who would deceive - who would devour the flock they are supposed to lead and guide. Jesus calls himself "the Good Shepherd" in John's gospel, who "lays down his life for the sheep" and "whose sheep know him, and he knows his sheep." To be a ravenous wolf is to take advantage, to be predatory. He will also warn that there will be those who come in his name who are false prophets as well, and will do the same. Here, his warning is to beware that his words in the Sermon are true. Don't be fooled by those who would lead astray for their own gain. Remember his words and his teachings on love and love in action - they are the ones that his disciples - and their leaders - should live by.

"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." Again, another note is helpful: "As long as a person is living in wickedness, he will not be able to bear good fruit. But Jesus does not say that there is no way for the wicked to change, or for the good to fall away. (See also 12:33-35)." I've had the misfortune to be in a church where the pastor fit the description of a wolf in sheep's clothing: he was far more interested in his remuneration - what money and other goods were available to him - than the spiritual welfare of his flock. This, in turn, created dissension and strife in the church. At several successive churches, the strength of the congregation's faith fortunately saved their own churches from his behavior, but not before damage was done. Clearly, there are fruits by which we can know what is within. We could also apply this teaching to any form of cult behavior, wherever it may be found, and the damage done by bad teachings - often, again, designed to enrich the leader's pocketbook. It is the predatory nature described by the "wolf in sheep's clothing" that will create the bad fruits that we will come to know - that Jesus is warning us we must beware of.

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." The judgment that must come will deal with the branches that bear bad fruit. My study bible points out that John the Baptist makes this same statement in Matthew 3:10: "The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."

"Therefore by their fruits you will know them." As in other teachings in the gospels, Jesus tells us we are to watch - we are not blind sheep, but rational, intelligent sheep. So, an important part of the teaching of discipleship in the Sermon on the Mount is about our own responsibility for remaining aware, awake, not sleeping complacently - but knowing and understanding his teachings, and the good fruit they bear. It is a strong emphasis here on discipleship among all the followers; it is we who must watch anyone we call a leader or choose to follow. Jesus wants, if you will, an educated, intelligent following of his flock, in which his sheep are fully formed spiritually, and through this sermon (and of course, the spiritual help that will come with the Comforter) he gives them the strength and the ability to think for themselves and to understand his teachings. In this way, too, he is the Good Shepherd who gives everything to his flock.

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father in heaven." Jesus here testifies to his own deity, referring to himself as "Lord, Lord" and teaching about judgment. Today's reading finishes on this note of warning and of choice - these are the tools of discipleship. To vary from them, to produce false fruits not of these teachings of love in action, is to withdraw one's citizenship in this kingdom. Ultimately, it is also testimony to Jesus' relationship - as "Lord" - to his Father in heaven. The Father's will is the ultimate arbiter of these teachings, what he seeks to impart to us, and what will determine citizenship and participation in this kingdom.

So, what we choose is all-important. We read the words of the Sermon on the Mount, and we come to understand what it is to live our discipleship. It is love in action, and we cultivate the virtues of that love: humility, self-knowledge, mercy, peace and righteousness. We live with the justice of right-relatedness. This is the narrow gate, we are not to abuse it. And we are to be aware of abuse in any of our leaders, anyone whom we would think to follow. We are to be rational sheep, good disciples, to remember his words and to follow them. Above all, and in all, we are related to God the Father, through prayer and active seeking. We live in relationship, as he would have us relating to one another, with the will of the Father as guide to living life in that kingdom - on earth as it is in heaven. This is the narrow gate - and we are to beware of those who would lead us from it.