David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 7:13-20

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. ¹⁴For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.

A Tree and Its Fruit

¹⁵ “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ¹⁶You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? ¹⁷So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

The fruit of righteousness is joy, peace, hope, and life. Jesus says that we must enter by the narrow gate if we are to find life. He then warns us against those who hold out the wide path to destruction as though it is the path of life. These are the false prophets.

These are they who say sincerity of faith is all that matters. Whether it is faith in Jesus, Allah, Buddha, or my college friend’s made-up “Great Purple Mother Cricket”, all that matters is that you are sincere in your belief. So they say. Try that tonight when suffering from a headache you take pills you believe to be for a headache, but instead are poison. As a friend once said, “They can write on your tombstone, ‘He died in faith.’ But it was a misplaced faith.

There are those who say if we just try to do good, (and there are many of these, who also claim the name of Christ), God will accept us. That is a terrible path to utter destruction. Only Jesus is good. He is our righteousness. Sin is a deep and deadly infection of being that only faith in Jesus can cure.

The truth is embodied in Jesus. His truth sets us free. But that is because Jesus’ truth is tempered with grace. That grace reaches out to you and me in our brokenness, and even invites us back to Jesus in our false-belief. The strength of our faith is the truth in whom we trust, and the grace he gives us. The fruit of that – by which we must be known – is a humble spirit and a relentless trust in Jesus alone.