The para\u00adble of the broad and nar\u00adrow way has a for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adve and rather mora\u00adli\u00adstic impact histo\u00adry. This was pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly not Jesus\u00bb inten\u00adti\u00adon. In the con\u00adtext of the tea\u00adching on cha\u00adrac\u00adter and vir\u00adtue in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, He wants to tell us: Stop say\u00ading, \u00abBut that\u2019s what gets me into trou\u00adble.\u00bb Be pre\u00adpared to pay the pri\u00adce for living accor\u00adding to God\u2019s stan\u00addards. It is the con\u00addi\u00adti\u00adon for trans\u00adfor\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon towards Christlikeness.<\/p>\n
As a child, I not only went to the Spitz school\u00adhouse during the week, but also to Sun\u00adday school. Sun\u00adday after Sun\u00adday, Mr Ruh, our Sun\u00adday school tea\u00adcher, appeared. We child\u00adren sat dutiful\u00adly and disci\u00adpli\u00adned at our places, sang \u00abGod is love\u00bb and were admo\u00adnis\u00adhed to take the nar\u00adrow path. A pic\u00adtu\u00adre cle\u00adar\u00adly show\u00aded us that the nar\u00adrow way leads fur\u00adther and fur\u00adther away from the wide way. Jesus takes up this the\u00adme in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount: \u00abGo through the nar\u00adrow gate! For the wide gate and the broad way lead to des\u00adtruc\u00adtion, and many are on that road. But the nar\u00adrow gate and the nar\u00adrow way lead to life, and only a few find this way\u00bb (Matthew 5:13\u201314 NG\u00dc<\/span>). Obvious\u00adly this text has a mea\u00adning for the for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adon of vir\u00adtue and cha\u00adrac\u00adter in life with Jesus. We will now trace this meaning. \tWhat inner images of the nar\u00adrow and wide path accom\u00adpa\u00adny you? The para\u00adble of the broad and nar\u00adrow way has a for\u00adma\u00adti\u00adve and rather mora\u00adli\u00adstic impact histo\u00adry. This was pro\u00adba\u00adb\u00adly not Jesus\u00bb inten\u00adti\u00adon. In the con\u00adtext of the tea\u00adching on cha\u00adrac\u00adter and vir\u00adtue in the Ser\u00admon on the Mount, He wants to tell us: stop say\u00ading, \u00abBut sure\u00adly this cau\u00adses me distress.\u00bb Be pre\u00adpared to pay the pri\u00adce for a life accor\u00adding to the\u2026<\/p>","protected":false},"author":24,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","wpfc_preacher":[23],"wpfc_sermon_series":[72],"wpfc_sermon_topics":[],"wpfc_bible_book":[],"wpfc_service_type":[12],"class_list":["wpfc_preacher-matthias-altwegg","wpfc_sermon_series-metamorphose","wpfc-sermon-single","post-3730","wpfc_sermon","type-wpfc_sermon","status-publish","hentry","wpfc_service_type-gottesdienst"],"acf":[],"sermons_blog_filters_topics":"\t\t\t\t
\nWide or nar\u00adrow path?
\nAround 1860, Char\u00adlot\u00adte Reih\u00adlen, a mer\u00adchant in Stutt\u00adgart, had a pic\u00adtu\u00adre pain\u00adted show\u00ading the two paths. In the deca\u00addes that fol\u00adlo\u00adwed, this pain\u00adting made its tri\u00adum\u00adphal march into many rooms and left its mark on gene\u00adra\u00adti\u00adons of Chris\u00adti\u00adans. In the fore\u00adground of the pic\u00adtu\u00adre is a wall with a wide-open gate on which is writ\u00adten a big Wel\u00adco\u00adme! It is the ent\u00adrance to the wide path. Next to it is a pre\u00ada\u00adcher in a suit. The nar\u00adrow gate to the nar\u00adrow way is inscri\u00adbed with King\u00addom of God.
\nThe path to the king\u00addom of God is lined with a church, a Sun\u00adday school, a dea\u00adco\u00adness house and a cha\u00adri\u00adta\u00adble children\u2019s home. It leads over nar\u00adrow bridges, some sce\u00adnes of thre\u00adat are seen, which are mas\u00adte\u00adred with trust in God. And a steep path leads up to a moun\u00adtain top whe\u00adre the hea\u00adven\u00adly Jeru\u00adsa\u00adlem can be seen gol\u00adden. On the hori\u00adzon, stret\u00adched out far, the rain\u00adbow can be seen.
\nThe other path, the one to ruin, invi\u00adtes you right at the gate with a kind of hedge inn whe\u00adre wine is drunk. Then comes the Gast\u00adhaus zum Welt\u00adsinn, which hosts a mas\u00adked ball, fol\u00adlo\u00adwed by a casi\u00adno, a deba\u00adting club and a pawn\u00adshop. At one point the\u00adre is once again a man invi\u00adting peo\u00adp\u00adle to cross over onto the nar\u00adrow path. The end of the path is a fiery infer\u00adno, a doo\u00admed city. Abo\u00adve the fla\u00admes in the smo\u00adke one reco\u00adg\u00adni\u00ads\u00ades cir\u00adcling black figu\u00adres and a bright\u00adly shi\u00adning sca\u00adle as a sign of the Last Judgement.
\nA tho\u00adrough\u00adly moral pic\u00adtu\u00adre that paints black and white in a pro\u00adble\u00adma\u00adtic way. When I took up my posi\u00adti\u00adon at Chrisch\u00ado\u00adna Seon 22 years ago, my office was in the Eglis\u00adwil cha\u00adpel. The\u00adre was an elder\u00adly cou\u00adple the\u00adre who feared that I, as a young dyna\u00admic man, might be too world\u00adly. That\u2019s why they tacked the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing Bible ver\u00adse on the door: \u00abDo not go under a stran\u00adge yoke with the unbe\u00adlie\u00advers. For what has righ\u00adteous\u00adness to do with law\u00adless\u00adness? What fel\u00adlow\u00adship hath light with dark\u00adness?\u00bb (2 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 6:14 LUT<\/span>).
\nAnyo\u00adne who drinks a beer in a beer gar\u00adden, goes to the theat\u00adre or plays the lot\u00adtery is not yet on the way to hell. Con\u00adver\u00adse\u00adly, going to church or joi\u00adning a dea\u00adco\u00adness\u00bb mate\u00adr\u00adni\u00adty home is not a free ticket to hea\u00adven. I try to make Jesus\u00bb two-way theo\u00adlo\u00adgy under\u00adstan\u00adda\u00adble with two questions.
\nWhe\u00adre is the nar\u00adrow path?
\nJesus did not geo\u00adgra\u00adphi\u00adcal\u00adly loca\u00adte the two paths. Nowhe\u00adre does it say that they run in oppo\u00adsi\u00adte direc\u00adtions. If I illu\u00admi\u00adna\u00adte this topic from the tota\u00adli\u00adty of the bibli\u00adcal state\u00adments, one would have to ima\u00adgi\u00adne the paths lying on top of each other, sepa\u00adra\u00adting and then crossing again. Jesus uses the term \u00abin the world, but not of the world\u00bb (John 17:14, 16). The nar\u00adrow way runs to a gre\u00adat ext\u00adent in the midst of the broad way.
\nThe reli\u00adgious imprint, as I descri\u00adbed it at the begin\u00adning, has led to Chris\u00adti\u00adans forming their own milieu wil\u00adly-nil\u00adly. Now and then, in cer\u00adtain poli\u00adti\u00adcal deba\u00adtes such as mar\u00adria\u00adge for all or abor\u00adti\u00adon of child\u00adren, they appear like sub\u00adma\u00adri\u00adnes, only to dis\u00adap\u00adpear again along the nar\u00adrow path. They are per\u00adcei\u00adved by the world as rather unworld\u00adly, know-it-all and self-righteous.
\nNo, Jesus peo\u00adp\u00adle belong in the world if they want to live out their desti\u00adny to be salt and light. Paul not only war\u00adned against \u00abpul\u00adling on the same rope as unbe\u00adlie\u00advers\u00bb, but gave the fol\u00adlo\u00adwing useful tip: \u00abTho\u00adse who fre\u00adquent\u00adly come into cont\u00adact with the affairs of this world should use them wit\u00adhout atta\u00adching them\u00adsel\u00adves to them, for the world and ever\u00ady\u00adthing that belongs to it will pass away\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 7:31 NLB<\/span>). Use the things of the world wit\u00adhout atta\u00adching ones\u00adelf to them. To enjoy the crea\u00adti\u00adon and crea\u00adti\u00advi\u00adty of peo\u00adp\u00adle wit\u00adhout beco\u00adming depen\u00addent on it. We are to give our\u00adsel\u00adves to the world wit\u00adhout sel\u00adling our\u00adsel\u00adves to it. How does this work?
\nHow do you live on the nar\u00adrow path?
\nWhen\u00adever our child\u00adren went (or still go) to places whe\u00adre we did\u00adn\u2019t have a good idea, we did\u00adn\u2019t pray, \u00abOh Dad\u00addy, don\u2019t let them go to the world\u2019s sen\u00adse!\u00bb but, \u00abOh Dad\u00addy, let them be awa\u00adre of their iden\u00adti\u00adty in you!\u00bb When a per\u00adson is con\u00adscious of their iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus, they remain free and do not sell out to the world. This week Pray21 took place. At one sta\u00adti\u00adon we were pro\u00admi\u00adsed our iden\u00adti\u00adty in Jesus Christ through many objects: Bel\u00adoved Child and Heir of God, Salt and Light, Let\u00adter of Christ, God\u2019s Work, Made New, Mem\u00adbers of His Body, etc.
\nI let this sink in and felt that it gave me a strong foun\u00adda\u00adti\u00adon in my life. Being awa\u00adre of one\u2019s iden\u00adti\u00adty saves us from being taken in by the world. C.S. Lewis: \u00abPre\u00adcis\u00ade\u00adly becau\u00adse we love some\u00adthing else more than this world, we love this world more than tho\u00adse who know not\u00adhing else.\u00bb To be on the nar\u00adrow way is to have some\u00adthing in life that is grea\u00adter and more valuable than what the world has to offer. When Jesus Christ is our first prio\u00adri\u00adty, ever\u00ady\u00adthing else finds its pro\u00adper place. \u00abStop loving this world and what it offers you! For anyo\u00adne who loves the world shows that the Father\u2019s love is not in him\u00bb (1 John 2:15 NLB<\/span>). Recei\u00adving the Father\u2019s love is the basic pre\u00adre\u00adqui\u00adsi\u00adte for giving our\u00adsel\u00adves to the world in a healt\u00adhy way. When a woman pro\u00adsti\u00adtu\u00adtes hers\u00adelf, she sells hers\u00adelf. She gives her body and recei\u00adves money in return. In con\u00adtrast, we are sup\u00adpo\u00adsed to give our\u00adsel\u00adves to the world. This means that we should not deri\u00adve our iden\u00adti\u00adty or value from it.
\nA sta\u00adble iden\u00adti\u00adty in Christ also means kno\u00adwing whe\u00adre home is. \u00abFor this world is not our home; we await our future city only in hea\u00adven\u00bb (Hebrews 13:14 NLB<\/span>). This know\u00adledge grants us the neces\u00adsa\u00adry inner distance from world\u00adly things and plea\u00adsu\u00adres. C.S. Lewis: \u00abAim for the next world, and you will get this world. But if you aim at this world only, you will get neither.\u00bb Jesus speaks of the broad way that leads to des\u00adtruc\u00adtion \u2013 and he says this to peo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlow him. Appar\u00adent\u00adly, it is pos\u00adsi\u00adble for peo\u00adp\u00adle who are on the nar\u00adrow way to chan\u00adge to the broad way and run to des\u00adtruc\u00adtion. This is when they sell them\u00adsel\u00adves to the world, and they take their iden\u00adti\u00adty from the world. A boy buys cana\u00adry and puts it in the cage with a spar\u00adrow, hoping the spar\u00adrow would learn to sing. After three days, he gave up in frus\u00adtra\u00adti\u00adon. The spar\u00adrow did not sound like a cana\u00adry \u2013 ins\u00adtead, the cana\u00adry sound\u00aded exact\u00adly like a sparrow.
\nBut what does this have to do with the tea\u00adching on vir\u00adtue and cha\u00adrac\u00adter that the Ser\u00admon on the Mount deals with? Jesus says: \u00abBut the nar\u00adrow gate and the strait (haras\u00adsing) way lead to life, and few find that way\u00bb (Matthew 5:14 NG\u00dc<\/span>). The word describ\u00ading the way as nar\u00adrow, strait or aff\u00adlic\u00adti\u00adve is often used in the Bible in the con\u00adtext of the aff\u00adlic\u00adtion that Jesus peo\u00adp\u00adle expe\u00adri\u00adence in this world. \u00abIn the world you come into tri\u00adbu\u00adla\u00adti\u00adon\u00bb says Jesus in John 16:33. Peo\u00adp\u00adle who dance to the music of God, or are about to prac\u00adti\u00adce it, not infre\u00adquent\u00adly face head\u00adwinds in this world. During a bir\u00adth\u00adday visit to a very expe\u00adri\u00aden\u00adced per\u00adson, I heard seve\u00adral times the sen\u00adtence that life with Jesus is a strugg\u00adle. That is true! How hard I strugg\u00adle, for exam\u00adp\u00adle, to allow mys\u00adelf time in pray\u00ader. Resis\u00adtance comes not only from the visi\u00adble world and from peo\u00adp\u00adle, but also from the invi\u00adsi\u00adble world.
\nThe cha\u00adrac\u00adter of peo\u00adp\u00adle who fol\u00adlow Jesus, that is, who have ente\u00adred the Jesus School, the\u00adr\u00ade\u00adfo\u00adre includes resi\u00adli\u00adence in the face of con\u00adfron\u00adta\u00adti\u00adons and aff\u00adlic\u00adtions. Aff\u00adlic\u00adtion is a sign of authen\u00adti\u00adci\u00adty of faith. For this, the Gos\u00adpel also uses the for\u00admu\u00adla \u00abbea\u00adring the cross\u00bb. In the world, but not of the world \u2013 that can crea\u00adte a lot of fric\u00adtion. In the Beati\u00adtu\u00addes Jesus says: \u00abHap\u00adpy are you to be prai\u00adsed when peo\u00adp\u00adle insult you and per\u00adse\u00adcu\u00adte you for my sake and say the worst things to you unjus\u00adt\u00adly. Rejoice and be glad!\u00bb (Matthew 5:11f NG\u00dc<\/span>). In oppo\u00adsi\u00adti\u00adon, we are not to keep our heads down, hide our\u00adsel\u00adves away or adopt a vic\u00adtim atti\u00adtu\u00adde (\u00abIt\u2019s just bad enough\u2026\u00bb), but rejoice. The Greek word means: to rejoice, to leap, to express one\u2019s joy by lea\u00adping, exu\u00adberant glad\u00adness and delight. Luther trans\u00adla\u00adted with \u00abthen leap like fat\u00adted cal\u00adves\u00bb. But it is important to note: \u00abIf it is unjust.\u00bb Not when we race through life with Bible ver\u00adses and life looks very dif\u00adfe\u00adrent. If they are right, we need to chan\u00adge our lives and not jump like fat\u00adten\u00aded cal\u00adves! So Jesus\u00bb mes\u00adsa\u00adge behind the para\u00adble of the two ways is: stop say\u00ading, \u00abBut that\u2019s what gets me into trou\u00adble.\u00bb Be rea\u00addy to pay the pri\u00adce for living accor\u00adding to God\u2019s standards.
\nJesus says of hims\u00adelf: \u00abYes, I am the gate. Whoe\u00adver enters through me will be saved. Whe\u00adre\u00adver he goes, he will find green pas\u00adtu\u00adres\u00bb (John 10:9 NLB<\/span>). Jesus hims\u00adelf is the nar\u00adrow gate that leads to true life. To be on the nar\u00adrow way is to ori\u00adent ones\u00adelf in life to Jesus. The ent\u00adrance pri\u00adce to this path was also paid by Jesus. \u00abGod paid a high pri\u00adce for you, so do not beco\u00adme slaves to peo\u00adp\u00adle\u00bb (1 Corin\u00adthi\u00adans 7:23 NLB<\/span>). God has bought us dear\u00adly through the death of Jesus Christ. Jesus was sold and gave hims\u00adelf to us so that we might give our\u00adsel\u00adves to the world and not sell our\u00adsel\u00adves, becau\u00adse we are alre\u00ada\u00addy bought by him and that as a gift.
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\nPos\u00adsi\u00adble ques\u00adti\u00adons for the small groups
\nRead the Bible text: Matthew 7:13\u201314<\/p>\n
\n\tHow do you expe\u00adri\u00adence living in the world but not of the world? Whe\u00adre do you come into cont\u00adact with the affairs of this world?
\n\tWhy is our iden\u00adti\u00adty so important in this issue?
\n\tTo what ext\u00adent do you find the jour\u00adney of life with Jesus oppres\u00adsi\u00adve? What kind of resis\u00adtance do you know? What could be the pro\u00adblem if the\u00adre is no resistance?
\n\tThe\u00adre are two quo\u00adtes from C.S. Lewis in the text. Why do you (dis)agree with them?<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"