Author: Wade McRoberts

“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  (Matthew 7:13-14,NASB)

The passage above is from the Apostle Matthew’s account from the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus tells His disciples (and us!) to “Enter through the narrow gate.”  In another gospel account, Jesus uses the term “door,” and identifies Himself as the door.  He’s speaking of THE way to get to heaven, and that’s through Him!  But why enter through the narrow gate?  Because “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.”

Jesus is telling us that the only way to get to heaven is by Him.  He elaborates further:  “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.”  To me, this means again, that there is but one way to heaven, and that’s through Jesus.  We can’t just go through this life doing what we want (the broad way), because “that leads to destruction.”  Jesus tells us that “there are many” who take the broad way.  It leads straight to hell.  

If we want eternal life, and fellowship with God forever, we must choose the narrow path and gate:  Jesus!  Few of us will choose this gate.  The rest will choose the wide gate, and “destruction.”  The choice:  Life or death.  Which gate do you choose? 

. . . Jesus was walking in Galilee, for He was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him. Now the feast of the Jews, the Feast of Booths, was near. Therefore His brothers said to Him, “Leave here and go into Judea, so that Your disciples also may see Your works which You are doing. For no one does anything in secret when he himself seeks to be known publicly. If You do these things, show Yourself to the world.” For not even His brothers were believing in Him. So Jesus *said to them, “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune. The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil. Go up to the feast yourselves; I do not go up to this feast because My time has not yet fully come.” Having said these things to them, He stayed in Galilee.  (John 7:1-9, NASB)

Sue & I lost a great friend the other day.  John Davis passed away this past Saturday, and reported to his final assignment, heaven.  Our prayers are with Jane and family, that God would send them comfort in the midst of their grief.  Well done, good and faithful servant!  See you soon! 

More words from Jesus, this time from the Apostle John’s Gospel.  Jesus, as John says, “was unwilling to walk in Judea because the Jews were seeking to kill Him.”  His brothers, however, did not believe Who He was, and were urging Him to go through Judea to Jerusalem to participate in the Feast of Tabernacles.  To me, it seems like the brothers thought Jesus was out to make Himself known, that He was searching for publicity.  (Jesus’ brothers went through conversion after He died.  They wrote two books of the New Testament, James and Jude; and Paul identified James as an apostle)

Jesus answers them that “My time is not yet here, but your time is always opportune.”  I’m sure His brothers didn’t understand.  Jesus further explains, “The world cannot hate you, but it hates Me because I testify of it, that its deeds are evil.”  There’s the root cause for hatred of Jesus.  Also, His disciples, then and now, are hated by the world.  We’re to be the light of the world, but we’re told that the world loves the darkness.  Nobody likes to hear that what he/she does is evil, yet we’re supposed to do that.  

This could explain why there’s antisemitism in the world.  The Israelites were given the Law of Moses, and they were expected to be the keepers of it, and share it with the rest of the world.  Paul says succinctly that the Jews “were entrusted with the oracles of God.”  (Romans 3:2)  Again, no one likes to be told what to do, or that they’re sinners.  

Jesus then tells His brothers to go to Jerusalem themselves (this portion concludes with Jesus remaining in Galilee, but He stealthily ends up going to Jerusalem, and teaching in the Temple). 

Jesus warned us that the world would hate us, that we would face persecution.   But He also promised rewards for those of us who prevail in the midst of those trials:  An eternity spent with Him in heaven!  That’s MY hope!

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you, being evil, speak what is good? For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart. The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” (Matthew 12:33-37, NASB)

More words from Jesus, this time from the Apostle Matthew’s Gospel.  Jesus had just healed a demon possessed man who was deaf and dumb.  While some witnesses wondered if Jesus could be the Messiah, a group of Pharisees muttered, “This man casts out demons only by Beelzebul the ruler of the demons.”  (Matthew 12:24)  Jesus proceeded to lecture them, and the passage above is part of that sermon. 

Jesus begins by drawing a comparison between good fruit, which comes from good trees, and bad fruit from bad trees, “for the tree is known by its fruit.”  Jesus then tells them that they can’t possibly speak what’s good, since they’re evil.  “For the mouth speaks out of that which fills the heart.”  Apparently there is a connection between the heart and the mouth.  The mouth speaks what is in/on our hearts.  This is why the Bible says that we should guard our hearts, because the tongue is difficult to tame.  

Jesus concludes with why it’s important to guard our hearts and watch what we say:  “But I tell you that every careless word that people speak, they shall give an accounting for it in the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”  Therefore, we should all strive to be good trees, and bare good fruit! 

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels. The Lord’s bond-servant must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition, if perhaps God may grant them repentance leading to the knowledge of the truth, and they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will.  (2 Timothy 2:22-26, NASB)

The Bible portion above is from the Apostle Paul’s second letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.  Timothy was at Ephesus, trying to solve problems in the church there, and Paul wrote to give him advice.  Paul’s advice is sound for us Jesus-followers today! 

First, Paul tells Timothy to be mature.  Timothy was chronologically much younger than his mentor, but he most likely had responsibility far beyond his years.  Next, Paul tells us how we SHOULD act:  “Pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart. But refuse foolish and ignorant speculations, knowing that they produce quarrels.”

Next, Paul gives us the characteristics that we servants of the Lord should have:  We “must not be quarrelsome, but be kind to all, able to teach, patient when wronged, with gentleness correcting those who are in opposition.”  Paul then explains why we should act this way:  People might respond positively, and come to the faith.  We must be gentle when we defend our faith, not bludgeon people with a sledgehammer.  When we speak with others about Jesus, we’re not out to win an argument, we’re merely planting seeds.  God will do the rest. 

Elsewhere, the Bible tells us that we should be ready to respond when someone asks about our faith.  Simply put, what has a personal relationship with Jesus meant for me?  Jesus has given me the freedom to know that I don’t have to worry about working to achieve my salvation, which is impossible to do.  Salvation comes by faith in Jesus Christ.  It’s God’s plan.  It’s nothing I’ve earned or I even deserve, but it’s because of Jesus.  In Him is my hope!