SECRET #37 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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As Jesus continues His first extended teaching session recorded by Matthew in chapters 5-7, He shifts gears away from the judging issue to a description of two gates-the narrow gate and the wide gate. Jesus puts it this way: "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Matthew 7:13-14)
NOTE the narrow gate is small and therefore difficult to go through and the wide gate is wide and therefore easy to go through. NOTE also that Jesus begins with the command urging us to enter in through the narrow gate. Remember, the entire Sermon on the Mount is answering the question, "How does your teaching differ from what we've been taught, Jesus?" His answer here is that to follow Him and His teaching will be difficult, but will lead to life. To choose not to follow Him and His teaching will be the easiest thing to do, because the masses are going in that direction. Don't follow the crowd. Follow Jesus!

Now that's the standard way of looking at this passage. But there is something more here. So much is made of the narrow gate being so narrow that only a few find it. I have a little different take on this imagery of the narrow and wide gates. I see it as Jesus making a very important point of how people authentically embrace life rather than destruction.

Think of it this way. When you are going along with the crowd-even a good crowd, it's so easy to pass up personal participation. There is no way to tell whether or not someone in the crowd really got it and understood or actually participated in acts of faith. But when you are within the context of the few, participation is required and it is very easy to tell whether or not someone really gets it. When I meet with a person-one-on-one, I know what they are getting.

Jesus came to launch a dynamic movement-a few here and a few there, gathering together in His name. This is where He promised to show up-where two or three are gathered together. And when Jesus shows up among the gathering of the few, He changes lives dramatically and authentically. This is vital! The church of Jesus is all about transformation and that transformation that leads to life happens within a "narrow" space where you will experience the life of Jesus within the context of a relational few.

Jesus was into the power of the few! Instead of going on CNN and seeking to produce mass seminars, mailers and email blasts, Jesus sought out three religious rejects to come and be with Him. And, from this relationship with the three, then the twelve and the seventy-two, the Jesus movement rippled throughout the world and the revolution is still on today!

We are seeing this play out in our ministry. We are focusing on the few and as those few really get it, the message of Jesus spreads like a wildfire. You see, within the context of the few, you are able to really get to know one another and put the principles and teachings into practice. This kind of experience is the taste of reality everyone is longing for. This is the Jesus movement at its best!

Jesus taught: "Where two or three are gathered together in His name, He will show up." This is what we want. This is what we desperately need. SECRET #37: The follower of Jesus will find himself walking with a few.

SECRET #36 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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Jesus finishes his teaching on how to make some common sense judgment calls in the most effective way possible. Step #1 is to JUDGE WITH THE PROPER SPIRIT. Remember that in the way you make a judgment call about someone or something, you will be judged in the same way and by the same standard as you judge. So be careful how you judge others. Judge with the proper spirit-with a balance of grace and truth.
Step #2 is JUDGE WITH THE PROPER STARTING POINT. Start with yourself first. When you see something wrong with someone else, quickly go look in a mirror first before saying a word about your friend. Take the "log" out of your eye first, then you are better able to help your friend with the "speck" in his eye.

Step #3-JUDGE WITH THE PROPER SCREENING. Be careful to share your judgments within an appropriate context or you may face strong resistance and maybe total rejection of the wisdom you share.

Step #4-JUDGE WITH THE PROPER PERSPECTIVE. Here's how Jesus taught this principle: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Or what man is there among you who, when his son asks for a loaf, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, he will not give him a snake, will he? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

When you judge with conclusion, common sense, judgment, don't rely only on your insights and wisdom. Be sure to seek God's perspective on the matter. Ask for wisdom on the matter! Jesus uses three action steps here to describe how to seek after a proper perspective-ask, seek and knock! It isn't just ask, seek and knock, but ask and keep on asking, seek and keep on seeking and knock and keep on knocking. And, this is the best part, as you keep on asking, seeking and knocking, your heavenly Father will give you exactly what you need! This is SECRET #36 The follower of Jesus judges by seeking spiritual perspective.

Then Jesus sums up His teachings on judging with the golden rule: "In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12) This same principle can be found in other religious systems, but only Jesus says it positively. All others use the negative approach.

I call this teaching of Jesus THE PERSPECTIVE PRINCIPLE. Jesus' perspective on judging is just the opposite of what most think when they say, "Don't judge!" This Jesus principle requires that you be a judge-bringing discernment into our world, so that we can know what is right or wrong, good or bad, and wise or foolish. Without sound judgment, balanced with grace and truth, the entire society is in danger of falling apart. So you be the judge and do it Jesus' way!

SECRET #35 OF FOLLOWING JESUS

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Jesus is teaching about how to make some common sense judgment calls in the most effective way possible. Step #1 is to JUDGE WITH THE PROPER SPIRIT. Remember that in the way you make a judgment call about someone or something, you will be judged in the same way and by the same standard as you judge. So be careful how you judge others. Judge with the proper spirit-with a balance of grace and truth. Judging another with truth only can be harsh and lacks the relational dimension of a proper spirit. Judging another with grace only is weak and lacks the truth necessary to get people back on track.
Step #2-JUDGE WITH THE PROPER STARTING POINT. Start with yourself first. When you see something wrong with someone else, quickly go look in a mirror first before saying a word about your friend. Take the "log" out of your eye first, then you are better able to help your friend with the "speck" in his eye. There is a "speck" in his eye that needs to come out, but your judgment as to how to best help is distorted by what's in your own eye. Your perspective is distorted.
Jesus continues His teachings on how to judge with: "Do not give what is holy to dogs and do not throw your pearls before swine, or they will trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6) This may seem to be out of place in Jesus' teachings on how to judge another, but I don't think so. This is Step #3-JUDGE WITH PROPER SCREENING.

This is a warning by Jesus that your very good, sound, common sense judgment calls must be matched to the context where it is shared. This is SECRET #35: The follower of Jesus judges with a certain filtering.

When you judge with conclusion judgment, don't just randomly make your judgment calls wherever you might be. For instance, don't walk into a bar and start making pronouncements against drunkenness and alcoholism. This will be throwing your pearls before swine. They not only will not appreciate your words, but they will not be able to hear them at all. Your conclusions will not be appreciated and they may have valid grounds to criticize you.

Jesus uses two interesting images here. The first is "giving what is holy to dogs." Moses wrote about this very image. He recorded God's words, "You shall be holy men to Me, therefore you shall not eat flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs."

That which is holy is that which is separated unto God for His special purpose. God warns the priests through Moses that any meat that is torn to pieces in offering a sacrifice is not holy and should be thrown out to the dogs. On the other hand, Jesus is saying that which is holy or that judgment conclusion which you have made before God is special and should not be thrown to the dogs as if it is meaningless.

The second image is "throwing your pearls before swine." The word pearl is where we get the name Margarita or Margaret. It means to have a value. Pearls look a bit like peas or acorns and might initially deceive the pigs, until they figure it out. Pigs or wild boars were well known during that time in the Jordan Valley. The way a wild boar, especially if angered, attacks you is to run at you with its tusks. It can't turn its head and bite you, but must gore you and knock you down. It tries to trample you.

When you make a proper judgment, you judge with a proper spirit, start with yourself first and be careful who you share your judgments with. Your fine judgment calls might not be received well. This can be easily applied to your interaction with those outside the faith. Don't just preach to someone what you have determined or found to be true. If the people you are talking with are not interested in, leaning in a bit or open to what you are saying, your audience may tear you to pieces. And, who could blame them?

The Good News of Jesus is that He loves and accepts you just as you are. That, in itself, can be offensive, if you are more interested in earning your acceptance with God. Also, 50% or more of the people of the world are turned off by Christianity and its religious system. Unless you are able to disconnect Jesus from Christianity, your audience may be already turned off with your thoughts and conclusions.

So be careful what you say to whatever audience you encounter. SECRET #35: The follower of Jesus judges with a certain filtering.