The Narrow Door

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.  For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  Luke 13:24

A man asks Jesus the question, “Lord, will those who are saved be few”?  Most likely, this man has been following Jesus and has heard Him teach that the salvation is not going to be automatic or based simply on genealogy as some had thought.  The rabbis had taught the people that God was offering salvation to all those who had been born as a part of the Jewish race, that this gift was confirmed by the symbol of circumcision and maintained by the works of the Law.  The average Jew took heaven for granted because they held the view that all Jews were saved and a few Gentiles would be saved by becoming Jews.  But then Jesus came along and taught over and over that God the Father offered salvation only, exclusively, by grace through faith in Him as the promised Savior, the Narrow Door.

           

Whether you are aware of it or not, the prevailing theology of our culture today denies judgment.  Some are nihilistic who believe that when you die you cease to exist.  Some are optimistic believing that since God is love He will let everyone into heaven.  And some are fatalistic believing that if there is a hell, it can’t be that bad because they’re friends will be there with them.  Is salvation necessary?  If so, from what must I be saved?

Jesus declares the Law: The door to the banquet feast of heaven is a NARROW door, and MANY will not fit through.  So how does one fit through?

Martin Luther quotes on this text: “Why, for what reason can they not enter?  For the reason that they do not know what the narrow door is; for that is faith in Jesus, which makes a person small, yea, altogether nothing, that he must despair of his own works and cling only to God’s grace, forgetting all other things because of that.  But the saints of Cain’s kind think that good works are the narrow door; therefore, they do not become humble, do not despair of their works, yea, they gather them with great sacks, hang them around themselves, and thus endeavor to get through; but they have as little chance to go through as the camel with its great hump has to pass through the eye of a needle.”

Faith in Jesus makes us small.  John the Baptist was the first to say that as he saw Jesus and said, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  Jesus would later say, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow door.  Our striving has nothing to do with earning a right to enter through the narrow door.  The Greek word for striving is an athletic term which literally means, “passion for only one alone.”  It’s how the athlete trains - with passion for only one goal alone.  The follower of Jesus strives with a passion for only one alone - Christ - for with faith in Him, the Narrow Door, we have all we need for eternity!

Imitating Grace

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  Ephesians 5:1-2

It’s been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery.  I can remember many times as a child when my brother and I would imitate our favorite athletes and even go through pretend seasons and win championships together.

Now, when I think of imitation, my thoughts go immediately to my daughter, Olivia.  From time to time, Olivia will pick up on and imitate things that are said around her.  There are times when I leave for work and my wife will say, “Bye Honey”…almost immediately afterwards, there will be Olivia waving saying, “Bye Honey”!

           

Paul directs us to think of imitation in this way in Ephesians chapter 5:  We are to be imitators of God – as His beloved children.  We are to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us!

As children imitate their fathers, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father.  But how can we be imitators of God if God is perfect and holy, and we are imperfect sinners?  According to our sinful nature, we tend to imitate things of this world that really aren’t worth imitating at all!  We imitate the images of what the world sees as popular and acceptable rather than listening to God’s Word.  So once again – how can we be imitators of our holy and perfect Heavenly Father?

           

Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 4:24 when he says, “And put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”.  This new self was created at our Baptism, as our old sinful nature was drowned and a new self emerged.  This continues for us each and every day!  2 Corinthians 4:16 tells us, “So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day”.

           

With that in mind, I think we could also say that if imitation is the highest form of flattery – that imitation is the highest form of worship!  Our daily lives of worship center around letting the love of God show through us – His grace show through us – His forgiveness show through us! 

Yes, our imitation of God gives Him the glory.  As Paul reminds us, one of the chief ways that we imitate God is by walking in the way of love and forgiveness that was shown to us by Christ Himself.  Christ was not only the perfect example of love and forgiveness, but He was also the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection has given us complete forgiveness for our sins – and along with that, the ability to imitate that love and forgiveness to others.

           

Paul gives us some ways that we are to be imitators of God.  He says, beginning in verse 26: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, and fits the occasion, that is may give grace to those who hear…Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

Like a child who is eager to imitate everything their parents do – we are to be just as eager to imitate the love, grace, and forgiveness of God.  What a difference this imitation will make in our lives – in our families, our church family, our workplaces, our communities.

The way we witness about Christ in our everyday lives, and the imitation and example that we show by our love for our neighbors, show that our lives are truly shaped by Christ living in us.  One of my favorite Bible passages, Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in us.  And the life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  That verse is another reminder of how we can be imitators of God in our lives. 

Grace truly has its effect in shaping our lives.  There are many familiar examples from scripture that we listen to every week about the changing power of grace.  In the story of the prodigal son, the father showed grace to his son after his son had wasted his inheritance.  He even threw a party and killed the fattened calf.  Jesus showed grace to the adulterous woman who the people were going to stone to death.  Jesus also showed grace as he was suffering on the cross.  The criminal on his right asked Jesus to remember him when he went into his kingdom.  The criminal realized he was getting what he deserved, but Jesus gave him the grace his actions did not deserve and said, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. 

Through what Christ has done for us – not only are we made God’s beloved children – but we are also clothed with Christ’s righteousness and equipped to imitate the love, forgiveness, and grace of God!

Something Good out of Nazareth?!?!

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46

Today is the day the Church has set aside to honor St. Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael in the book of John). Bartholomew’s road to becoming a disciple of Jesus first included some doubts. Bartholomew was one among many who seems to have expected that the Messiah would come from somewhere a little more highly regarded than Nazareth. “Can anything good come out of Nazarth?” Bartholomew asked Philip. Bartholomew would soon find out that indeed the very Son of God would come out of Nazareth!

We too, may have doubts about the ways of God from time to time. We often times think in the ways of the world, which are completely opposite from God’s ways. True glory is not found in wealth, riches, status, or hometown. True glory is found in humility and service – which is exactly what Jesus came to do. In humility Christ came to serve as the once and for all perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.

God’s ways are not our ways and sometimes this causes us to lose heart. But may the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen and nurture our faith that we can boldly confess of Jesus along with Bartholomew, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.”