August 22, 2004; The Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost Readings: Isaiah 28:14-22; Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-29; Luke 13:22-30; Psalm 46.   The Rev. Dr. Hilary B. Smith You Matter to God Last week, we heard about Jesus bringing, not peace to the earth, but division. Today, we hear that many will not be able to enter through the narrow door. These are the texts one hopes come up for the supply clergy when one is on vacation. We could just focus on the psalm today, with its message of hope and love. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Is that the same God who may not recognize us when we come to the door? What is going on here? The interesting thing about these verses found in Luke is that they are most often used by people, not for personal consideration, but, to condemn others. Whenever you hear the words "weeping and gnashing of teeth," watch out. So many people have been scared by such images and the threat that they are not going to make the grade with God. Of course, these verses make up only a small portion of the New Testament. Still, some preach as if they were the only thing in the Bible. Keeping the entire Christian message in mind when approaching these texts is helpful. God is with us. God loves us. Still, we should not dismiss these "hard sayings" as they are called. And are these says really so hard? It all depends on your perspective. The final verse contains great comfort for many. "Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." For a Christian in the Sudan, whose family was killed and home burned, these words contain great hope. It has been said that preaching should "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable." The same message might be Good News for some and a wakeup call for others. We need to stop and consider where we are in relation to the narrow door. Do we even see the narrow door? For Christians in the Sudan who suffer and are persecuted because of their faith, they are constantly entering through the narrow door by following Jesus in a place where that can get you killed. We in the United States are among the most comfortable in the world. Of course, material wealth does not take away all that afflicts the human body and soul. The pain that you and I experience is real, and God meets us there and seeks to comfort us. Even if these words strike you as a wake up call today, they are still Good News. These words tell us that every life has great meaning. We are all faced with decisions. The choices that we make do matter. We are too valuable to God to sleepwalk through life. You are God’s beloved. You are an important part of God’s plan for our world. You and I are on a journey with God. In Mitch Albom’s novel, The Five People that you Meet in Heaven, we meet Eddie. Eddie thought that his life had been a waste in many ways. He had not achieved the dreams that he had for himself as a young man. When Eddie dies at the age of 83, he is taken to meet five people from his life who show him the importance of his decisions—the importance of his life. Albom’s novel captures the reality that every life is important—every decision, every choice, is significant. You and I influence the whole of existence in countless ways that are often beyond our understanding. Jesus calls us to take our lives seriously and enter through the narrow door. "Strive to enter through the narrow door." The narrow door can be something seemingly small, like helping a person out when you would rather not. The narrow door might be related to staying in relationship with people who disappoint you again and again. The narrow door might be saying a few prayers everyday even though many other tasks demand your attention. "Strive to enter through the narrow door..." How do these words speak to you? If you were to pray with them, what would God say to you about your narrow door? Some people are called to change their lives completely in dramatic ways. Most often the door presented to us is less dramatic but no less important. God calls us to take our lives seriously and to rejoice in the wonderful creation that we are. In Matthew’s gospel (7:13-14), we find a description of the narrow gate. We hear, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the road is easy that leads to that leads to destruction, and there are many who take it. For the gate is narrow and the road is hard that leads to life, and there are few who find it." In a general sense, the wide and easy road or gate might be the conclusion that our choices are of little consequence. To make that conclusion is to distance ourselves from God. Enter through the narrow door. That is a great image. Pray with that image. What has the narrow door been for you in your life? What might it be now? Where is that door going to lead you? Take seriously God’s delight in you. Take seriously God’s desire for you. As we continue to grow in our knowledge of God, we grow in our awareness of the narrow doors. Through God’s grace, we see our choices clearly and are drawn to the door that leads to life—the door that leads us deeper into the heart of God. Amen.