Dear Christian friends:

An old Black spiritual says: "Everybody talking about heaven ain't going there." That very well sums up what Jesus is talking to us in the Gospel lesson for today, which is our text. This old spiritual, as well as Jesus' words of warning in our text, are addressed to religious people, people who imagine that they are on the road to heaven, but in fact may not be.

Since we are religious people and since we think that we are on the road to heaven, we would be wise to give careful attention to what Jesus is saying here in the Gospel Lesson. He is talking about


First, we shall consider Jesus' warning that it is a narrow door. By telling us that there is a wall around heaven. You don't need a door if there is no wall. We built the wall with our sin.

When Adam and Eve first sinned against God in the Garden of Eden, He sent them out of that paradise and placed an angel with a flaming sword to guard the door. (Genesis 3:24) And so all of us are born with sin and are sinners. The Bible says, "By one man (Adam) sin entered into the world, and death by sin, and so death came to all men, because all have sinned." (Romans 5:12) Our sin built the wall between us and heaven.

However, praise God, He made a door through the wall when He sent His Son Jesus to become our Savior. Jesus lived with us on this side of the wall. Then He walked up to the wall of sin and died for us. He suffered God's wrath against sin and sinners so that no man need ever have to suffer that.

Notice what happened because of Jesus' sacrifice: God used the cross to prop the door open. By faith in Jesus anyone can now go through that open door into heaven. At Christmas when we celebrate the birth of Jesus we often sing:

1. Praise God the Lord, ye sons of men,
Before His highest throne;
Today He opens heaven again
And gives us His own Son.

8. He opens us again the door
Of Paradise today;
The angel guards the gate no more,
To God our thanks we pay.
(TLH 105 verses 1&8)

In our text Jesus says that this door to heaven is "narrow." The narrow door is not a way to keep people out of heaven, as some might think. Rather it is a way for all to enter heaven. It is not narrow in the sense that it stops the flow. Not at all! It is narrow in the sense that there is only one door into heaven; not many doors as many wishful thinking liberals claim today.

Wishful thinking inclusivists say that it doesn't matter what you believe or what religion you have. They claim that there are many doors into heaven and that most people will go there.

That is not what Jesus says here in our text. He says, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." (verse 24) We can try to climb over the wall or make other doors, but both efforts fail, because sinners can't save sinners.

Look for the one door propped open by a cross. On the night before He died Jesus said to His disciples in that upper room. "I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6)

So Jesus warns here, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door." (verse 24a) Jesus means that we must strive and fight to enter that one door into heaven. Fight against what? Fight against false teachings of the liberal, wishful thinking inclusivists that I mentioned before. Fight against the natural religion of this world, the natural religion of your mind and heart. What is this natural religion?

It is the religion of the law, Mt. Sinai, as the Epistle Lesson spoke of. That man himself must do good and right and can be saved by his own good works, the righteousness of the law or his own laws. This natural religion is the basis of all false religions in the world. We need to stand up and speak against this, even though it is not politically correct in our inclusive, multicultural society today. We also need to attend to the true religion as revealed in the Bible by God through the prophets of the Old Testament and through Jesus and the Apostles of the New Testament. It is the Gospel that mankind is helpless to justify himself and can be justified only by God's grace through faith in Jesus Christ.

We also make every effort to enter the narrow door by helping to proclaim the true religion to all nations, beginning right here in our own community. By personal witnessing to family members, neighbors and friends and by generous support of our congregation and the District and Synod.

God has given us the free gift of salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Jesus bought the ticket to heaven for us. He also gives us extra tickets. We can invite anyone we want to heaven. We need to give them the ticket and tell them who paid for it.

While the door to heaven is still open we need to hear Jesus' warning and make every effort to enter it, because the time will come when that door will be closed, and it will be too late. So Jesus in our text also warns us about the closed door to heaven. To whom is the door to heaven closed? In our text Jesus in compassion for our eternal welfare gives this warning. (read verses 25-27) Jesus addressed these words of warning to the members of the Jewish Church, especially its leaders.

These people heard Jesus' Word. (verse 26) They, no doubt contributed money for the support of the church. Outwardly they seemed to be fine, respectable people. But for them the door to heaven could be closed when they die or when Jesus comes at the end of the world. Why? They have head knowledge, but their heart is not in it. They have no real faith and joy in Jesus. In fact, they rejected Him and crucified Him. Jesus called them "evil-doers," hypocrites. (verse 27) Could this be said of us also?

They also ate and drank with Jesus. (verse 26) That could be true of us also. We often come to the Lord's Supper where Jesus is our host and serves us. We kneel and eat the body of the Lord and drink His blood, shed for us, but do we eat and drink with faith and trust. Do we really trust in Jesus and His blood shed for the forgiveness of our sins? Do we out of love and gratitude for God's grace, intend to amend our sinful lives? Or do we come to His table hating someone who has sinned against us? Perhaps we just come out of habit because it's the thing to do in church. We could be in danger of standing on the outside, looking at the shut door on the Day of Judgement, although we are members of the Lutheran Church that still teaches the true Gospel.

Those who do not believe in Jesus for their Savior in this life will face a closed door on the Day of Judgement. Jesus in our text also warns about the remorse and regret of those to whom the door is closed when the time of grace is ended. Read (verses 28-30)

Again, we need to remember these words of warning were addressed to the Jewish people. They were God's chosen nation, his first people, to whom He gave His Word, to whom He sent the prophets and through whom He sent His Son, the Messiah, the Christ, and on whom He doted and showered all manner of graces and blessings, both material and spiritual, and yet they were unfaithful, not thankful and went after other gods.

Yet, they considered themselves God's beloved people and despised the gentle nations. They boasted of the fact that they were the children of Abraham. So it is really a burn on them when Jesus here warns that gentiles from the east, west, north and south will replace them at heaven's banquet table and sit with their beloved patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Indeed, there will be a great regret and remorse, "weeping and gnashing of teeth."

This should also be a warning to us gentiles, who have to great extent replaced the Israelites. We can be replaced also, if we are unfaithful, and unbelieving and ungrateful.

In Romans 11, Paul warns us gentiles: But they (Israelites) were broken off because of unbelief, and you (gentiles) stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but tremble. For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Consider therefore the kindness and sternness of God: sternness to those (Jews) who fell, but kindness to you (Gentiles), provided that you continue in his kindness. Otherwise, you also will be cut off. (Romans 11:20-22)

If we, like the Jews on the Judgement day are on the outside looking in at the party, we also will have extreme remorse and regret for having blown our place in the Kingdom of glory.

May God be gracious to us and help us always to make every effort to enter through the narrow door.

Amen.