Scripture

“You can enter God’s kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it.”

Observation

Ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking, knock and keep on knocking. God is a good Father who knows how to give good gifts to his children.

We should do to others as we would like them to do to us.

God’s kingdom is only entered through a narrow gate, but the road to hell is wide and easy.

Application

Those who say there are many paths to salvation have never taken Jesus’ own teaching very seriously. He says clearly that He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6). Here He says the gate to the Kingdom is narrow and only a few find it.

It is not that God is rejoicing in condemning sinners to hell. No, He gives good gifts, including salvation and eternal life.

It is just that satan offers so many lies and deceptions that seem more enticing than the way of Jesus. We can go the way of the flesh- “YOLO”- “you only live once” so make it a good life enjoyed to the full. We can try to prove that we are good enough for God by a life of good works. We can swallow the lies of Eastern mysticism, Islam and Hinduism.

Or else we can simply receive what Christ has done for us on the cross.

As G.K. Chesterton has said, “There are many angles at which a man may fall, but only one at which he may stand.”

The ways to hell are many and superficially attractive, but there is only one way to heaven.

Prayer

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for dying on the cross and opening up God’s kingdom for me. Amen.

Scripture

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet and turn around and tear you to pieces.”

Observation

We must not judge others or we may find God judging us. We especially must avoid criticising our brothers for minor failings when we ourselves are guilty of greater sins. First get right with God, then you will be able to help your brother.

We must not give to dogs and pigs things that are holy or sacred. They will trample them and devour us.

Application

On the surface, there seems to be a contradiction between the command “Do not judge” and the exhortation to not throw pearls to pigs. How can we judge “pigs” or “dogs”?

We need to understand two things:

1. The judgement referred to here is a condemning kind of judgement in which we write people off as being of no worth.

2. There is a discernment that comes from the Holy Spirit which reveals to us the hearts of people and whether they are controlled by evil spirits.

The two instructions here, together with the instruction about the plank in our eyes, hold together in a tension rather than being contradictory.

We do not condemn unbelievers for being unbelievers, sinners for sinning. We love them and share the gospel with them and pray for their salvation.

At the same time we need a measure of discernment. There is no point talking about intimacy with Jesus, the power of the Holy Spirit, and so on if the person is totally opposed to the gospel and only interested in mocking it. Instead we wait and pray, looking for a softening in their heart.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, grant me the grace to love those who do not know you yet and to share wisely my knowledge of you. Amen.

Scripture

“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

Observation

We must not worry about our life- the things we will eat or drink or wear. Our Father cares for the sparrows, and we are worth so much more than they are.

God clothes the wild flowers in splendour, so He will certainly care much more about the clothes we wear.

The pagans worry about their physical needs, but God knows what we need. Therefore, we should seek God’s kingdom first of all and trust Him for the rest of what we need.

Application

God is the provider of every good thing that we need. This does not absolve us from responsibility to work and be diligent in the way we order our lives. It does remove the need to worry.

The primary focus of all sin is that God cannot be trusted to look after us, and therefore we must rely on our own self-effort to get everything we want.

Jesus says, pursue God’s kingdom as your highest priority and then everything else falls into place. When we are looking to God, seeing our lives as a partnership with our Father, then we don’t have to worry about the things we need.

Prayer

Heavenly Father, I want to lay my whole life down before you. Help me to pursue you first and trust you for everything in my life. Amen.

Scripture

“When you fast, don’t make it obvious as the hypocrites do, for they like to look miserable and dishevelled so people will admire them for their fasting.”

Observation

We must not make it obvious when we fast. We do not fast for the accolades of men, but to draw closer to the Father.

We must not store up treasures for ourselves, where we might lose them anyway. Instead we should store up treasures in heaven which do not lose their value.

Our eyes are like lamps for the body. We must make sure that our eyes are good so that we walk in God’s light.

Application

Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent when many christians undertake some kind of partial fasting as a preparation for Easter.

Jesus says that whenever we fast, for whatever reason, we should not make a big deal of it. Some people have a way of drawing attention to their own spiritual practices. They may not make their appearance look miserable as a sign of their fasting, but they manage to let you know how spiritual they are.

Jesus says that these people have already received their reward in the form of the approval of others. If we want to seek God in the various spiritual disciplines and practices, we must do so from a place of humility and hiddenness.

When we let people know about our fasting or prayer practices, we run the risk of becoming proud of our achievements for God and so they become counter-productive.

Prayer

Lord, please teach me how to fast and pray in such a way that I seek your presence. Protect me from every temptation to pride. Amen.

Scripture

“Pray like this…”

Observation

Jesus teaches His disciples how to pray.

We start with adoration or praise, praying for God’s kingdom to come and His will to be done. Then we pray for food and forgiveness, as well as strength in temptation.

Forgiveness of others is a condition to receive forgiveness from God.

Application

Although christians are not required to pray according to a form or a set of words, it is useful to have a model for prayer like this one.

The heart of the Lord’s Prayer is for God’s kingdom to be manifest here on earth. Of course, tchat responsibility starts with me as an individual connected with others in the Body of Christ.

So we must pray for God’s will to be done on earth and be prepared to be the one that gets to do it.

As people of the Holy Spirit, we must never reduce prayer to empty words. The Lord’s Prayer is a template on which we may build our prayer times if we wish. It must never become a substitute for listening to the Holy Spirit.

Prayer

Holy Spirit, teach me to pray in your way. Mat I always pray in your inspiration and power. Amen.

Scripture

“And when you pray, do not keep babbling like the pagans do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”

Observation

Good deeds and gifts to the poor should not be advertised with trumpets or announcements. When we give to the needy, it should be done quietly without fuss that draws attention to us.

Likewise, prayer is not about impressing men. When we pray we should go to our quiet place by ourselves and pray to the Father. He is not impressed by fancy words, but He knows what we need even before we do.

Application

God is not impressed by the number of our words or the length of words we use. He in not moved by the “quality” of our prayer but by the strength of our faith.

When we turn to God and say, “Lord I need you,” we are making a declaration of faith. This is about relationship more than it about winning God’s favour.

Therefore we pray regularly because we love God and want to develop our relationship with Him. Prayer is not about getting stuff, but about sharing our heart with Him and listening to what is on His heart.

When we “babble like a pagan” or recite prayers without thought, we are engaging in an empty religious ritual. When we talk to God like a friend, then we find spiritual power birthed in surrender to our Lord.

Prayer

Come and fill me Holy Spirit. Please teach me how to pray and how to bare my soul before you. Amen.

Scripture

“But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.”

Observation

Even though the Law says, “eye for eye and tooth for tooth”, we are not to seek revenge. If someone strikes us on the right cheek, we are to let them strike us on the left cheek also. Always go further than the law requires.

Teachers have said, “Love your neighbour, but hate your enemy.” Jesus says we must love our enemies. We must pray for those who persecute us, and greet brothers and pagans alike.

Application

Who is my enemy? I don’t think that I have any enemies as such. Perhaps there are people who are opposed to the gospel and therefore to me, but I don’t know who these people are.

Nobody mocks me or hurts me or calls me names that I know of.

Jesus says that we should expect persecution just for being His followers. We are to love those who hate us.

Things are changing in Western cultures. The move towards persecution of christians is accelerating. If there is no revival, then it is possible that enemies will increase.

So I need to practise love and forgiveness towards everyone. In this way, Jesus says,we behave like our Father in heaven who blesses even those who hate Him.

Prayer

Lord, it is hard to love those who are hostile to me. Please help me to do this. Amen.

Scripture

“Just say a simple ‘Yes, I will’ or ‘No I won’t’. Anything beyond this is from the evil one. “

Observation

Jesus says that, although the law stated that a man could divorce a woman by just giving her a written notice, He says that divorce should only come when one person has been unfaithful.

Not only should people keep their vows, it is much better not to make vows at all. It is better to simply say “Yes” or “No” than to make elaborate vows, swearing by things that you cannot affect.

Application

Vows are not a common part of modern day life, except perhaps in wedding ceremonies and in courts of law. A vow is a solemn promise which carried weight before the law. In most cases we have written contracts and agreements rather than verbal promises.

The problem is that people are always looking for loopholes. The scribes and Pharisees taught that certain vows could be ignored or broken because they were of lesser importance than others.

Jesus goes straight to the heart of things and says, “Let your ‘Yes’ be yes and your ‘No’ be no.” Don’t look to get out of promises you have made, and don’t promise what you can’t deliver.

There used to be a saying, “My word is my bond.” In other words, whatever you promise will be done, without a contract or deposit.

There was a major property developer in one city who undertook hundreds of projects without ever signing a contract. He was known as a man whose word could be trusted.

This is the way of Jesus. There are times when our society says that contracts and vows are necessary by law. For followers of Jesus, truth is such a part of our value system that we should be known as people of integrity, with or without legal guarantees.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, please show me any part of my life that is not regulated by your integrity, and help me to change my ways. Amen.

Scripture

“Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First, go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

Observation

While the Law says we must not commit murder for fear of the judgement of God, Jesus says anyone who gets angry with a brother or calls them an idiot is already in danger of judgement.

Even if we are making an offering to the Lord, we must go and be reconciled to a brother who is offended by us.

If a man lusts after a woman, he has already committed adultery in his heart. Any part of our body that leads us to sin should be removed. It is better to lose a part of the body than for the whole body to be cast into hell.

Application

Jesus takes the Law and amplifies it to the nth degree. He looks at the heart and its motives, not just the outward appearance. Therefore lust is adultery and anger is murder. We need to get our heart right and not just the outward actions.

Jesus tells us that relationships are more important than religion. Even if I am in the middle of a church service and then remember that I have an issue with a christian brother, I need to fix that issue immediately.

It is not just about when I take offence. That just needs a bit of repentance and a heart adjustment. I am also responsible for sorting out issues that other people have with me: “ If you remember that your brother has something against you…”

I cannot deflect responsibility for a relationship on to the other person. If a brother or sister in the Lord is offended by me, I need to take the initiative to clear the air and restore the friendship.

Prayer

Lord Jesus, you lay on all of your followers the responsibility for making relationships right whether by forgiveness or by seeking reconciliation. Please show me any relationships I need to work on. Amen.