Pentecost 14–The Believer Hears Jesus Warning: The Door to Heaven is Narrow

The way to heaven is narrow. Mere outward attachment to the family of God is not sufficient—only through faith in Christ can we enter heaven. The door is narrow and Christ commands us to make every effort to enter it, so the Church prays, “that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command.” Although the door is narrow, it is open to all, and the saints will come from all nations to behold the glory of the Lord.

PRAYER OF THE DAY

Almighty and everlasting God, give us an increase of faith, hope, and love; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ, your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

VERSE OF THE DAY

Alleluia. Jesus Christ has destroyed death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel. Alleluia. (1 Timothy 1:10b cf. NIV)

THE GOSPEL: LUKE 13:22-30

The narrow door to eternity is open only to the spiritual children of Abraham. The Chosen Nation of Israel thought that they had every right to enter through the door. After all, they were part of the Old Covenant. But their lack of faith in Christ and reliance on themselves left them locked out from paradise. In the new Covenant, entrance into the Kingdom of God is open only to those with faith in the Christ.

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FIRST LESSON: ISAIAH 66:18-24

The chosen nation of Israel had rejected the narrow door of the Lord. Yet in this last chapter of Isaiah (along with much of the last half of Isaiah) comes the promise of spiritual and eternal deliverance. This promise comes to the faithful remnant and those who are being gathered from the ends of the earth. Even in the midst of such beautiful and invitatory gospel, there is a warning for those who remain in their apostasy. God’s mercy is broad and deep, but it is found in only one place, the promised Messiah.

SECOND LESSON: HEBREWS 12:18-24

The giving of the Old Covenant left the Israelites quaking in fear at the foot of Mt. Sinai. Divine justice would not leave the guilty unpunished. But the New Covenant invites all the nations to come to Mt. Zion in joyful assembly with the confidence that they have been judged innocent and made perfect through Jesus, the Messiah. Sprinkled with blood, we enter the narrow door to paradise.

SUPPLEMENTAL FIRST LESSON: JUDGES 7:1-8

Why is it so hard to remember that the good we do is not from our strength or ability, but from the grace of God? If we enter the narrow door of heaven, it will not be our efforts that got us there. Yet boasting in ourselves is a common problem. The work-righteous attitude of our sinful nature seeks only to glorify self. When Gideon carried out the will of the Lord against Midian, the Lord chose only a handful to serve his purpose, so Israel couldn’t boast in its own strength but only in the strength of the Lord. There are certainly those today who boast in their own spirituality and hold others to their own piety. They are confident in their own understanding and ignore their need for the Savior. Many will question the way the Lord brings about his eternal salvation. But at the end of time, it will be those whom he has chosen that will accompany the Lamb to his eternal victory celebration.

SUPPLEMENTAL SECOND LESSON: ROMANS 9:1-9

There is no human birthright that gives access through the narrow door. Not even being a descendant of the patriarchs would do it—only faith in Christ Jesus and the birthright given by our second birth into the true Israel of God. The Word of the Lord had gone out to the nations while Israel remained disobedient and obstinate. Even amongst such apostasy the Lord, by grace, kept a remnant of the faithful to preserve the ancestry of salvation. All believers, from all nations, will join this remnant, by grace, for eternity.

PSALM OF THE DAY

Psalm 72

The heading of Psalm 72 is “Of Solomon.” This may also be translated “to or for Solomon.” For this reason some commentators regard this as a psalm written by David to express his hope for Solomon. In 2 Samuel chapter 7 God had promised David that he would have a great son, who would build God’s house. God had also promised that the kingdom of David’s heir would last forever. Perhaps David had hopes for a while that this prophecy would be fulfilled by Solomon, just as Eve may have hoped that Cain would be the seed promised to her. However, even though Solomon built God’s house when he built the temple in Jerusalem, he fell far short of building the kind of kingdom that God had promised to David.

None of the Davidic kings who followed Solomon matched either David or Solomon in glory and power. It would take one greater than Solomon to fulfill either 2 Samuel chapter 7 or this psalm. Only Christ, great David’s greater son, fulfills this psalm. Only his kingdom establishes perfect justice. Only his kingdom lasts forever. Only his kingdom is universal.

We therefore understand this psalm not as a prayer written for or about Solomon but as a prayer written by Solomon, who recognized that he could not establish the true glory of the Davidic kingdom, but that God’s people would have to wait for another king, the Messiah, to accomplish that.

Brug, J. F. (1989). Psalms 1–72 (2nd ed., pp. 285–286). Milwaukee, WI: Northwestern Pub. House.

Songs Based on Psalm 72

Crown Him with Many Crowns

From All That Dwell Below the Skies

Jesus Shall Reign Over All the Earth

HYMN OF THE DAY

Christian Worship #431, I Walk in Danger All the Way

Questions to Consider

(Please share your answers/thoughts in the comments below)

1. What is God saying to me in these lessons?
2. For what do these lessons lead me to give thanks?
3. What sins do these lessons lead me to confess?
4. For what do these lessons lead me to pray?
5. What is the connecting thought that sticks out the most in these lessons? What major theme(s) connect(s) all the lessons?
6. Which piece of artwork did you find to be most beneficial? Why?