Warning: Narrow Door!

Sermon preached at Our Savior for the 14th Sunday after Pentecost on Sunday, August 29, 2010. Sermon text: Luke 13:22-30

The city of Quito, Ecuador is very big, it is very old, and it is filled with big, old churches. I got the opportunity to tour some of them, but none of them were as impressive as the basilica. This huge, neogothic cathedral took nearly 100 years to build. It's filled with sculptures and gargoyles, and two huge clock-towers reach a height of nearly 400 feet in the air.

But none of that is really the best part of the basilica. The best part is found when you go deep inside and start climbing the stairs. There are so many stairs. And as you go up and up, the stairs get smaller and smaller. The doorways and passages that you go through get pretty tight, and it can be a struggle to fit yourself through. But when you finally do, when you finally find yourself going outside, it's all worth it. Because you go outside right near the top of one of the clock towers. And from there you don't just get a good look at the basilica, you can see the entire city and the mountains surrounding it. It's one of the most beautiful views in the entire city. It took some work to go through those narrow spaces, but it was all worth when I got to that view.

But that view pales in comparison to what we will see in heaven, in the eternal life that Jesus our Savior won for us. That won't be just a view, that'll be the end of all troubles, all pain. There God will wipe every tear from our eyes as he gives us all the good things that his Son won for us.  There we will have perfect joy and peace forever.

But here's the thing. We're not there yet. For now, we are still living in this sinful, painful, trouble-filled world. And Jesus, our Savior, gives us a warning. He says that there is a narrow door to get to heaven. Many people will want to get through this door, but not everybody will. But those who do will sit at the feast in God's heavenly kingdom forever. So let's listen to Jesus' warning. And let's make every effort to go through the narrow door.

Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" (Lk. 13:22-23) Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem, where he would be arrested, tortured, and crucified. But as you know, he didn't just get on a plane or a greyhound bus to get there. It was a long journey, and Jesus didn't spend his time just traveling. He taught. He preached his good news in every little village and town he came to. And he took every opportunity to answer questions that people gave him.

This was one of them. "Are only a few people going to be saved?" It's a question quite a few people have today. Many today would probably prefer to answer that everyone will be saved no matter what. But that's not what the Bible says. And it's not what Jesus says in our text, either. He doesn't directly answer the question this person asked, but he does give us all a warning about entering eternal life.

He said to them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." (Lk. 13:24) Jesus makes it clear to us. Not everyone will make it through the narrow door to heaven. In fact many will try and fail. So make every effort to enter through the narrow door.

This is a scary thought, isn't it? And if this little text we're using today from Luke was the only part we had of the entire Bible, we might get the wrong idea from it. We might think, "Well, we've got to make every effort to go through the narrow door. That means we have to try really hard to get to heaven. We've got to do lots of good works, lots of good things, to get God to accept us, and then and only then will he let us into heaven."

But that's not how it works. The rest of the Bible makes it pretty clear. The Apostle Paul said that all our works and accomplishments were like garbage compared to knowing Jesus. He said he considered everything worthless that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ -- the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. (Philippians 3:8-9) Paul knew that you don't get into heaven because you were so good. You get there because Jesus was so good for you, by faith!

Think about it this way. I mentioned earlier how I climbed to the top of a clock tower in a big cathedral. What if I tried to do that wearing a huge backpack, dragging a couple of suitcases, and trying to balance a stack of books in my arms? It'd be hard to walk down the street like that, but it'd be impossible to fit through the narrow stairways and passages to get to the top of that tower.

Well, it's impossible to get to heaven with your good deeds, your accomplishments, with all the things you've done in your life. You can't do it! You'll never get through the narrow door with what you've done -- I mean the worst stuff you've done and the best stuff. None of it! Only Jesus can get you through. He alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. (John 14:6) As we read in the book of Titus, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. (Titus 3:5)

We get to heaven because of Jesus Christ, not because of us. That's how we get through the narrow door! But still, many will not get through. So it's good for us to remind ourselves why many won't get through so we can really take Jesus' warning to heart.

Listen to the vivid story Jesus told to the people in our text. Make every effort to enter through the narrow door...Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, 'Sir, open the door for us.' "But he will answer, 'I don't know you or where you come from.' (Lk. 13:24-25)

It makes sense when you remember how we get into the door. By faith! By trusting in Jesus for our salvation -- the faith that God gives us by his Holy Spirit by Word and Sacrament. The people who don't get in the door don't know Jesus. They don't believe in him.

They might think they know Jesus. Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' (Lk. 13:26-27) Thinking Jesus is a great teacher isn't enough. Believing in Jesus for a while and then falling away isn't going to cut it. If the end of the world comes, and you don't have faith in Jesus as your one and only way to heaven you will be lost forever.

Jesus' description of hell is sad. There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. (Lk. 13:28) How sad to be stuck outside the door, to be locked out of eternal life. How sad to finally know the truth, that Jesus is the one and only Savior, but to know it too late. That's how it will be for many people, Jesus tells us.

There's a name for the time we have in our lives: it's called our time of grace. It's the time that God gives us to be brought to faith in his Son our Savior. Listen to Jesus' warning. Use your time of grace. Make every effort to go through the narrow door!

How do you do that? By staying connected to God's power for you, by staying connected to the means of grace. Continue to remember your baptism, where the Triune God put his name on you and made you his own. That baptism is still powerful for you today!

Continue to grow in God's Word! It's not just an interesting collection of stories; it gives us life! The Holy Spirit uses the message of Jesus to create and maintain saving faith in our hearts. Grow in that Word! Study it! Read it! Hear it! Live it out in everything you do in your lives! Come to the Lord's table when we have the Lord's Supper, not because the people around you are doing it, but because Jesus is there! He's there to give you his body and blood! He's there to give you forgiveness, life, and salvation!

Yes, friends, your time of grace is now! Don't get distracted by the things of this world, by the temptations and stuff and doubts that want to pull us away from our Savior. Stay in the Word and sacraments! Jesus said, People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Jesus came so you would be one of those people! So look to him! Go to the narrow door! You don't need anything of your own. You just need your Savior.

 

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Warning: Division Ahead!

Sermon preached at Our Savior for the 13th Sunday after Pentecost on August 22, 2010. Sermon text: Luke 12:49-53

We're coming to the time of year where great struggles happen every week. Where two groups of people divide themselves against each other for a few hours. You probably know it as football season. The pre-season has started in the NFL, and people are getting geared up for another year, everyone hoping that their team has the best year possible.

Around here, of course, most people are Bills fans. When you've got a lot of Bills fans together, and then a Dolphins fan walks in, what happens? Division. Anger at the rival. I know a dolphin fan who went to a Bills game and did not get a very good reception.

In Minnesota where I'm from, though, we're Vikings fans. At least, a lot of us are. You see, the Vikings biggest rival is pretty close by, just over in Green Bay, the Packers. Because they're so close, it's common for there to be lots of Packers fans around all the time -- lots of chances for division to occur. I used to go to a church where the pastor was a Vikings fan and the pastor's wife was a Packers fan. So you have division even within a family.

Of course, this kind of division is usually just in good fun. But division can be a lot more serious than football. In our text for today, Jesus warns about the serious divisions that can happen -- even within families -- between those those who believe in and follow Jesus, and those who don't. As Jesus began his warning from Luke's gospel, we might be a bit surprised at what he had to say.

He said, I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! (Lk. 12:47) What could this fire be, and why did Jesus want it to happen? We usually think of fire as a destructive and painful force. Of course, when someone is really on a roll and things are going well, sometimes we say that they're "on fire." So it could be a good thing, too.

So, was Jesus' fire going to be a good thing or a bad thing? Well, that depends. For some, Jesus' fire is a good thing, for others, it's not good at all. We'll look at that more later. But notice here in our text that Jesus said the fire he came to bring couldn't really happen until he did something else. So before we figure out what the fire was, let's see what Jesus needed to do to start it.

He said, But I have a baptism to undergo, and how distressed I am until it is completed! (Lk. 12:50) So, Jesus couldn't kindle his fire until he went through a baptism. This seems strange. Jesus had already been baptized by John the Baptist. (Lk. 3:21) So what baptism is he talking about now? And why would he be distressed about it?

We get a clue about this in the gospel of Mark. There, a couple of Jesus' disciples approached him and said they wanted to have places of honor in Jesus' kingdom; they wanted to sit and Jesus' left and right. (Mk. 10:37) They didn't know what they were asking. They thought Jesus would have an earthly kingdom; they didn't realize he had a heavenly kingdom and that there was still a lot of suffering and difficulty to come. Listen to how Jesus answered them. Can you drink the cup I drink and be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with? (Mk. 10:38)

In a similar way, when Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he kept praying so hard that his sweat was like drops of blood. (Lk. 22:44) He kept asking his heavenly Father, Take this cup from me. (Lk. 22:42) He was worried and anxious about his upcoming suffering and death.

That's what Jesus was talking about in our text by his "baptism." He knew the cross was coming! He knew he'd be arrested, beaten, mocked, whipped, and nailed to a cross. He knew that far greater than the physical pain he was going to undergo would be the spiritual pain of hell itself, of being separated from his heavenly Father as he paid the full price for the sins of all mankind. We can't imagine the torment and pain of body, mind, and soul that Jesus would be facing! But he knew! He is true God and true man. He knew perfectly well what was going to happen. He knew it would not be pleasant. No wonder he was distressed about it!

But he knew all the pain and suffering was necessary so that he could light his fire in this world. His fire was going to have a huge impact on absolutely every person in this world. Think about it this way: you're at a crowded movie theater and someone yells, "Fire!" But you look around, and you don't see fire or smell fire. Do you believe the person? The people who believe him will probably be thankful that he warned everyone of the fire. The people who don't believe him will probably hate him for ruining their movie.

That's kind of like Jesus' fire. His death on the cross is a proclamation to the world. His death says, this punishment should've been yours, but Jesus took it for you! He has rescued you from the fire that will one day destroy this world! Look to Jesus alone for eternal life! Trust him, and you will live! The people who believe in Jesus love him! They treasure him as their only hope; they look to him for all they need. But those who don't believe in him think he's worthless, a waste of time, and that everyone who believes in him couldn't be very smart.

Either you are with Jesus, or you are against him. Either you trust him and him alone for your salvation, or you're planning on taking your chances on your own. When you realize this, it makes sense that there would be division in our world because of Jesus.

He said, Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division.  (Lk. 12:51) Yes, Jesus did come to bring peace, but it wasn't peace between every person here on earth. No, on earth the people who don't believe in Jesus will be divided against those who do.

Jesus is giving us a warning! There is division ahead for you in your lives! If you are a Christian, you will face division! So, are you ready?

Sure, we know that division is out there, that there are some people who hate us because we're Christians. We know that in some countries far, far, away, people still get killed simply because they confess Jesus as their Savior. We're aware of that, but at the same time, we're probably not too worried about it. Unless we travel to one of those far away countries, the odds aren't too good that we'll be attacked. 

But that's not the kind of division Jesus warns us about! Listen to Jesus' specific warning to you and me about the division in our lives. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law, daughter-in-law against mother-in law. (Lk. 12:52-53)

The division and anger over Jesus Christ is not just from people we'll never meet in countries we'll never visit. It's in your family. Your mom or dad or sons or daughters or sisters or brothers. Jesus didn't mean that every single family would be like this. There may be some families in which every member has and keeps a strong Christian faith for life.

But as you look at your families, you probably won't have to go too far to find examples of this division. You see it in your families and people close to you. The question is, what are you going to do about it? Do you ignore the difference? Pretend the problem doesn't exist? Change the subject whenever religion comes up? Finally that's just not going to cut it. At the end of the day it's a sinful way to act, for a couple of reasons.

First of all, it's not showing love to those family members. If you never engage those closest to you about the most important relationship in your life, the one with your Savior, what are you communicating to them? You're saying Jesus doesn't matter. You're saying religious preference is just a preference and the important thing is just to get along. You're missing opportunities to lay before them the love of your Savior who died for them and wants them to come to a knowledge of the truth. If you won't talk to them about their Savior, who will?

Secondly, ignoring the problem is not showing love to your God. When you don't speak up about what your Lord has done, you're essentially communicating that you're ashamed of him. You're showing that the true and holy God is not number one in your heart, but you are, just because you don't want to have an uncomfortable conversation. Doesn't God hate sins like that? Doesn't he have every right to?

And don't think that you yourself are not in danger as you ignore the problem. You can become so comfortable with not talking about it, so comfortable not offending your loved ones, that before you know it Jesus has become offensive to you. Without realizing it you can forfeit your faith and throw it all away. And then, when the real fire at the end of the world comes, what refuge will you have left?

We must confess that at times we've been ashamed of our Savior. But we must rejoice that Jesus was never ashamed of us. He stood up for us, took the punishment we owed, died the eternal death we should've died, paid the price we could never afford. Jesus Christ lived and died and rose again to throw away your sin. He went through the baptism of suffering and death for you. And in your baptism he connected you to his suffering and death forever.

Give thanks! Jesus came into a world that was divided against him, and he draws us to himself in love. He gives us full and free forgiveness. Believe it! Trust him! Look to him now and forever for life and salvation!

Yes, division will come. It will be in your own family. That doesn't mean you should push your family away and shun them. No, show them the highest form of love you can. Tell them about the Savior who loved you so much. Show them the cross where Jesus died for them, too. Point to the waters of your baptism (or their baptism) where God put his name on you. Remind them of all the blessings in Christ. Invite them to trust him. You never know what God can do; it's more than you could ever ask or imagine.

Jesus laid out the warning sign for you. Division is ahead! Be ready for it! When you see division in your life, in your family, don't take that to mean that God doesn't love you. Take that as your chance to rejoice in Christ's love. Rejoice in the cross. Drink in the bread of life in Word and Sacrament and grow in the faith the Holy Spirit has given you! And don't be afraid to point your loved ones divided against you to that same Triune God. He loves them, too. People may change, families may fight, troubles may come. But we have a God and Savior who has overcome this world and has given us the next.

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