Matthew 7: The Sermon on the Mount: Live toward Life’s End (3)

Pray Psalm 101.1, 2.
I will sing of steadfast love and justice;
to you, O LORD, I will make music.
I will ponder the way that is blameless.
Oh when will you come to me?
I will walk with integrity of heart
within my house…

Sing Psalm 101.1, 2.
(Jesus I Come)
I will of lovingkindness now sing – praise to You, Lord! Praise to You, Lord!
Justice and mercy, Lord, let me bring – praise to You, holy Lord!
I will the blameless way ever heed; no worthless thing my eyes shall impede.
When will You come and care for my need? Praise to You, holy Lord!

Read Matthew 7.1-14; meditate on verses 12-14.

Prepare.
1. How does Jesus summarize the entire Old Testament?

2. Which gate leads to life?

Meditate.
Life in the Kingdom proceeds contrary to our natural way of thinking. It is not natural for us to love others the way we love ourselves. What’s natural is to try to get them to love us the way we love ourselves, whatever that may require. Loving others as we love ourselves entails, ironically, denying our own interests and needs so that we can attend to the interests and needs of others, as Jesus explained in Matthew 5.43-48. That is, we don’t love ourselves properly by constantly guarding ourselves, indulging ourselves, and looking out only for ourselves. We love ourselves properly when we look to Jesus and follow His example of self-denial and sacrifice. Loving our neighbors in this way “is the Law and the Prophets.” If we neglect or despise the Law or the Prophets, we will not have the wherewithal to fulfill the Golden Rule.

We enter the Kingdom, and conduct our life’s journey in it, through the narrow gate of faith in Jesus Christ, and along the path of self-denial, suffering, persecution, and perseverance. Jesus is the Gate to the sheepfold of the Lord (Jn. 10.7-9). He alone is the Way into the Kingdom of God, and the life of self-denial and works of righteousness that characterize life in the Kingdom.

The Kingdom path is “difficult”, obviously. The Greek word translated “difficult” in NKJV derives from the verb θλίβω, thlibo, which means “to cause someone to suffer trouble or hardship – to cause trouble to, to persecute, to cause to suffer hardship” (Louw and Nida). At the beginning of Jesus’ sermon He warned that men would persecute us and that we would need to work at humility, meekness, mercy, self-denial, and putting others first. Here He reiterates, as His sermon moves toward its denouement. He will make this point over and over during His earthly sojourn. Why should we not think this applies to us?

It is not natural for us to choose the more difficult path. We want the easy road, or at least, the less strenuous, in everything we do. But the way of the Kingdom is not “natural”; rather, it is supernatural, and requires help from beyond and within us, even the indwelling Spirit of God.

No wonder it’s so important to work at praying without ceasing, and at bringing all our needs and requests to our Father, Who has only good things in store for us.

Reflect.
1. Why is there only one “gate” into the Kingdom of God?

2. What makes the Kingdom path so “difficult”?

3. How can believers encourage one another to stay the difficult course of the Kingdom path?

It is with difficulty that we are brought to renounce the world, and to regulate ourselves and our life by the manners of a few. We think it strange that we should be forcibly separated from the vast majority, as if we were not a part of the human race. But though the doctrine of Christ confines and hems us in, reduces our life to a narrow road, separates us from the crowd, and unites us to a few companions, yet this harshness ought not to prevent us from striving to obtain life. John Calvin (1509-1564), Commentary on Matthew 7.12

Give me strength to walk the narrow and difficult path today, Lord, so that I…

Pray Psalm 101.3-8.
What lies in your path for today? Commit it all to the Lord, and to following His lead in righteousness.

Sing Psalm 101.3-8.
Psalm 101.3-8 (Jesus I Come)
I will the works of wicked men scorn – praise to You, Lord! Praise to You, Lord!
They will not grip me, evening or morn: Praise to You, holy Lord!
Separate every sin from my heart; slanderers all from me shall depart.
I will not suffer pride in my heart: Praise to You, holy Lord!

Let me with saints and faithful ones dwell – praise to You, Lord! Praise to You, Lord!
He Who is just shall care for me well: Praise to You, holy Lord!
Naught of deceit or falsehood shall be ever allowed a place within me.
Daily let sin and wickedness flee: Praise to You, holy Lord!

T. M. Moore

We are pleased to offer Worship Guides for use in your family or small group. Each guide includes a complete service of worship, and they are free to download and share by clicking here.

If you value Scriptorium as a free resource for your walk with the Lord, please consider supporting our work with your gifts and offerings. You can contribute to The Fellowship by clicking the Contribute button  at the website or by sending your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 360 Zephyr Road, Williston, VT 05495.

Except as indicated, Scripture taken from the New King James Version. © Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. All psalms for singing adapted from The Ailbe Psalter. All quotations from Church Fathers from Ancient Christian Commentary Series, General Editor Thomas C. Oden (Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 2006). All psalms for singing are from The Ailbe Psalter (available by clicking here).