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Atlantis: the domain of the Stingray
22Aug
2010
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18:15
author: Stingray
category: Sermons
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23Aug2010/18:29
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Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost

Luke 13:22-30

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

"Lord, are there few who are saved?" It's a valid question, but also a question that has led to heresy and false teaching. And, as with just about every heresy, no matter how well-intentioned, the heresies' answers try to apply logic to faith.

Are only a few saved? If one thinks about it, well, yes, logically, the answer is, "no." Stroll through the countless cemeteries dotting the world and you'll find crosses on and as headstones. And even if...IF...only half of those were truly Christian (and I'm not trying to be judgmental here), that's a lot of people. And how many people are know to be referred to as Saint Someone? How many Old Testament faithful were there? No, it's is quite apparent that there are many who are—who have been—saved.

On the other hand, a quick look at the condition of the world forces the question. Perhaps that's what prompted the question in today's text. When one takes a look at the condition of the world, there is so much unbelief and false belief rampant these days, and this is nothing new, and perhaps the one who asked Jesus today's question saw it, too. It only stands to reason that we would wonder, "Are only a few saved?" Are only a few going to be saved? Will there be only a few found faithful in today's generation?

Are only a few saved?

Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, "Lord, Lord, open for us," and He will answer and say to you, "I do not know you, where you are from," then you will begin to say, "We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets." But He will say, "I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity." There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out.

That's the Law: the gate is narrow. It's so narrow, that not many will fit through. And, it will be closed at some time; and at that time, there will be those who expect to be inside who will find themselves outside.

In the first place, the gateway is narrow; too narrow for the man puffed up with self righteousness. Self-righteousness is this thought that being good or even simply being good enough is enough to fit through the narrow gate. One who believes that being good is meritorious will try to score points by doing good works or simply being a good person (whatever that means). It is believed that such works show a dedication to God or some other god. It's as if they are pinning medals to their breasts or sewing merit badges on their sashes.

As an aside, it was mentioned Wednesday night that in this regard is, perhaps, one of the biggest distinguishing characters of Lutheranism against every other "form" of Christianity—we believe sola gratia, grace alone, and that there is absolutely nothing to being and doing good. Other denominations will add "doing good" or even the simple world "love" to the qualifications for fitting through the narrow door, and most, somehow, will claim to believe in sola gratia. In fact, part of the American ideal is that "being a good person" is warrant enough for some kind of eternal life.

The flip side to being "good enough" is "being not too bad." One could very well say, and probably has said, "I know I've made some mistakes, but I'm a pretty good person. I've never intentionally hurt anyone. I've never stolen or killed anyone. I may have done some bad things, but they weren't that bad." This one makes excuses for their sin, not confessing it for the sin that it is.

However, here Jesus says quite plainly that the gateway to heaven is narrow. It is too narrow for those who puff themselves us with self-righteousness—the large ego won't fit. The medals and merit badges catch on the frame of the gateway and prevent entry. To enter, one must leave these things behind, relying solely on the grace and mercy of God and the merits of Jesus Christ, His Son, for only His works are good enough—only His works are purely good.

As for the one who makes excuses for their sin, the not confessed sin is like baggage that prevents entry through the gate. The one trying to enter with something will find the gateway too narrow. Those sins one refuses to confess—that is to say, refuses to part with—are too wide to fit through the narrow gateway; they will block his entry. It is despicably sad that so many refuse to part with their bag of filth to receive the treasure of eternal life. However, that's how we find things very often—people will cling to the pet sins at the expense of forgiveness and eternal life. St. Paul writes,

Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10)

"Do not be deceived," we can echo with St. Paul, unrepentant sin, no matter the opinion of this world, kills. The world may call a sin good, but that does not grant passage through the narrow gateway; you could say that it does not widen the gateway.

One other? We can also mention membership. The gateway is too narrow for a group. Simply calling oneself Christian is not enough: "but, but, but...we ate and drank with you...." It's not enough to have a Baptismal certificate hanging on the wall or a confirmation certificate stuffed in a sock drawer. These things are mere paper and of no value, especially to one without real faith in Christ. Furthermore, simply being a member of a church or even the "right" church (however you want to define that) is not grounds for admission. There is no group admission plan or rate; you can't get through because of your association. The gateway is wide enough for only one at a time, and only for the sake of Christ for that one. Therefore, one who seeks salvation by association—by church membership, ancestry, heritage, marriage or any other group—will find themselves blocked out.

Yes, the gateway is too narrow for the self-righteous, those who cling to sin, and for groups. It is wide enough only for individuals, one at a time—for those who believe in the Son of God sent by the Father, that they may not perish, as John tells us in his third chapter.

But the Law in today's text is even more frightening than that. Listen to it again:

When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, "Lord, Lord, open for us...We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets." But He will say, "I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity."

It is frightfully told that those who believe they are saved, those who ate and drank with the Lord (that is to say, received the Sacrament), those who learned from Him (heard and learned from His Word) will find themselves locked out of the gate and called workers of iniquity. Those who imagine themselves Christians for merely sitting in church and going through the motions are called workers of iniquity—there is no real faith there.

How can this be? Does God not love them? And if God loves them, how can He lock them out, essentially allowing them to die...killing them? Here is where the false teachings really come in. Logic steps in, hears Jesus say that some who ate and drank and learned from Him will not be saved and concludes that God must not love everyone. "Therefore," this logic says, "what's the point of faith or believing anything? If God finds it in his best interest to love me, then I'll be through the gate, if not, then I won't be through—it doesn't matter if I believe in Him or not."

The other logical conclusion is that there must be something wrong with this text. Maybe it wasn't translated properly. Maybe it wasn't copied from the original properly. Maybe the author (in this case Luke) didn't hear the account properly or hear Jesus correctly. Why? Because God loves everyone, so He wouldn't lock anyone out of heaven, whether they believe in Him or not.

You can see that both trains of thought eventually go down the same road: "What's the point of faith? If God loves me, I'm in, or God loves everyone, so everyone's in." These are both popular thoughts in the world today, and have been since the fall of man, it can be said. Some will go down a path we've already covered, that God's love is based on being good enough or not being too bad. However, most will turn God's love into license: "God loves me no matter what I do, and since God loves me, I can do anything."

However, God's love is like that of a parent. Or, to put it better, God's love is like that of what a parent's should be. Today's epistle points this out:

If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is there whom a father does not chasten? But if you are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate and not sons. Furthermore, we have had human fathers who corrected us, and we paid them respect. Shall we not much more readily be in subjection to the Father of spirits and live? For they indeed for a few days chastened us as seemed best to them, but He for our profit, that we may be partakers of His holiness.

God's love is not license. However, His love compels Him to seek our best—just like the love a parent has for a child does. And what God deems best for those whom He loves, those He would call sons, may not always seem like it: "Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it." Furthermore, seeking license as God's love is to make of oneself illegitimate and not a son.

And, while God's love does what is best for us, He does not force it on us.

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 ESV)

"Love...does not insist on its own way." In other words, God does not force His love on anyone; He does not force anyone to believe in Him. And if He doesn't force it, then those who refuse to believe in Him will find the gateway too narrow and the doors locked.

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. (John 3:16-18)

That is the love of God, compelled to send His Son. And for what did He send His Son? This is how God loved the world: "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life." (John 3:14-15) "Even so must the Son of Man be lifted up...": that's crucifixion talk!

Therefore, to see the love of God, look no further than the cross. As many a respected preacher before me has said, "the cross destroys any belief that God does not love us." For, "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends." (John 15:13) God, out of great love for all men, desiring that all be saved and come to a knowledge of the truth (cf. 1 Timothy 2:4), sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to redeem those under the Law, that we might receive the adoption as sons. (Galatians 4:4-5) That redemption was accomplished when He hung dead on the cross. To see the love of God, look to the cross.

There, at the cross, God accomplished the salvation of all. But He doesn't force this accomplished salvation on anyone. The salvation for all is His work. To attempt entry through the gate on one's own merits is to refuse God's works of salvation on the cross. To attempt entry through the gate with the bag of pet sins is to deny God's work of salvation on the cross. To attempt entry through the gate as part of a group is also to refuse or to deny God's work of salvation on the cross. Those finding themselves on the outside of the gate is a result of their work, not God's.

Jesus' answer to today's question didn't end with the Law. He continues, "They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God." Are only a few saved? Jesus' answer here is a resounding, "No." "Many shall come from the east and the west," as we sang, quoting from Matthew's account of today's Gospel, "from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God," Jesus continued. The gateway is narrow, but many will come in.

How does this work? God did send His Son who went to the cross to die for the sins of the world. From there, He sent His apostles to the ends of the world to proclaim the forgiveness of sins through His death and resurrection—to announce that the Kingdom of God has come. He continues to send men to stand in His stead proclaiming and giving the forgiveness of sins in His name, through Christ crucified. Many, from east and west and north and south, have received faith in Him and grace from Him through His called and ordained servants. For these is prepared a place in the Master's house with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets. Why? Because by grace through faith, all of these repent of their sin and receive forgiveness so that the narrow gateway is wide enough for them—one at a time—regardless of marriage, heritage, or ancestry; regardless of the weight of the sins confessed; no matter the greatness or lack of the "good works" performed. Christ has died for all, and by His work, makes all who receive Him and His work by God-given faith worthy to enter through the narrow gate.

"He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned." (Mark 16:16) It is only unbelief that condemns; only unbelief prevents one from going through the narrow gate; only unbelief locks one out of the gate. Those who in despair cry out, "We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets," are there, not because God did not love them, but because they trusted in themselves while only pretending to be a Christian.

But, we can be certain that Christ's work was sufficient for us so that we find ourselves in the Master's house with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets. We can be certain because the Word of God declares to us that many will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and will find a place with them. We, who are part of that number, are gathered by water and the Word, gathered through Holy Baptism, given faith, and brought through that narrow door. "He who believes and is baptized will be saved."

In the waters of Holy Baptism you have been brought into the Church, where He now gathers you and feeds you with Holy Absolution and His Supper. Here, you hear and receive His Word. The Word, Baptism, Absolution, and the Lord's Supper, the instruments by which God gives us what His Son earned for us on the cross, namely this: You have a seat in the Master's house—you are through the narrow gate—because you are forgiven for all of your sins.

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Download media: 20100822.pentecost13c.mp3 (9.8 MiB)

audio recorded on my digital recorder and converted to mp3
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