The Narrow Gate

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23)”

This penultimate section of the Sermon is, to me, the scariest passage in the Bible.  

Are they sheep or wolves in sheep’s clothing?  How can we tell the difference?  By their fruit we will know them.  In Galatians 5, Paul describes the fruits of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.  And the fruits of the flesh: “sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like”?  

I am reminded again of Tim Keller’s book Prodigal God.  The younger son’s lifestyle was reckless, but his debauchery landed him in a pigsty, perhaps the worst job a Jew could have, and he had to turn his life around or perish.  The older son’s apparent goodness led to a much less obvious kind of sin: self-righteousness.  He was wrapped in sheep’s clothing, appearing humble, obedient and faithful.  But the moment things went wrong for him, he became resentful to both his brother and his father.  I believe the Church today is full of “older brothers”.  Judgmental.  High and mighty.  

If you’ve seen Chariots of Fire, you know Eric Liddell’s story.  The gold medal he won in the 400 meter echoes through the ages because he refused to run on the Sabbath and missed his race, the 100 meter.  For him, that was against God’s Law.  Years later, when he was in a Japanese internment camp in China during WWII, some boys in the camp broke into the equipment closet to play field hockey on a Sabbath and some got injured in the unsupervised game.  Liddell decided that it would be alright for them to play on Sundays in the afternoon, after church.  In fact, he, himself, was the referee for their first game.  

Some might accuse him of lowering the standard.  I believe he was simply loving his neighbor.  He was quite clear that he would keep the Sabbath.  But for a group of teens in an internment camp, he realized that holding a hard line on the Law would make those boys resent God.  I am talking about the Sabbath because it is both a non-controversial Law and yet one that most Christians ignore, in whole or in part.  But we could substitute any Law for that one.  

“I desire mercy, not sacrifice.”  “Judge not, lest ye be judged.”  “If anyone causes one of these little ones—those who believe in me—to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.”  Or read the entirety of Matthew 23.  The parable of the four servants in Luke 12 or Matthew’s version with two in chapter 24, as well as the parable of the sheep and the goats in Matthew 25.  All are examples of Jesus warning us to keep the Law, but watch for hypocrisy, to be merciful and forgiving, as we have been forgiven.  

The younger son knew he needed forgiveness.  The older son was in a much more perilous place, thinking himself righteous, but becoming self-righteous.  I am not saying we should set aside or change the Law.  Our goal is perfection (Matthew 5:48).  But every one of us is at a different stage in our journey.  Who am I to condemn others when I am being forgiven so much?  

Have you looked at the fruit your life is producing?