THE NARROW GATE-WORTHLESS AND WISE
SERVANTS
"Enter
ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that
leads to destruction, and many there be which go in there at: Because strait is
the gate, narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find
it." (Matt. 7:13-14) Those who will
try to enter will fail, because the master of the house, when he has shut his
door, will no longer recognize any one.
Until the great day, until it is too late, "Ask and it shall be given to you;
seek and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." (Matt.
7:7) Even hard, slothful, obstinate men give way to persistent petition. If
even men are not always in sensible to pleadings how much surer will be the
response from a Father who loves us?
A man at midnight knocks at the door of a friend and
wakens him. Through the door he says to him, "Friend, lend me three loaves; for a friend of mine in his journey
is come to me, and I have nothing to set before him." (Luke 11:5-6) But
the other, still half asleep, replies, "Trouble
me not: for I am tired, and I do not wish to arise. And here in my bed I have
my children who are asleep and if I get up I will wake them and chill
them." (Vs. 7) But the other will not give up, and knocks again on the
door and raises his voice and begs with clasped hands that the other one will
do him this service, for he has no other friends near, and the hour is late and
his guest hungry and waiting for him. And he storms so at the door that his
friend gets out of bed and lets him come in and gives him as many loaves as he
needs. The friend was weak, but good-hearted. And even the bad-hearted do as he does. There was in a
certain city a judge who cared for no one, a morose and scornful man who wanted
to do everything as it suited him best. A widow went every day before him and
asked for justice, and although her cause was just the judge always sent her
away and would not do what she wished. But the widow patiently endured all his
repulses and did not weary in her demanding. And finally the judge to get rid
of this woman who wore him out with her supplications, pleadings, and prayers,
gave the sentence and sent her in peace.
But no more must be asked than can be expected. He who
has accomplished his task will eat and drink but will not have any special
place of honor, nor will he be better served than his brother, and certainly
not so well as his superior. When the servant, having been in the field sowing
or pasturing the cattle, comes back to the house, the master does not call him
to eat at his own table, but first is served himself and afterwards gives the
servant the meal which is due him. This is a Parable which Jesus meant for His
Apostles, who were already disputing about who would have the highest place in
the Kingdom. "Doth he thank that
servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I believe not. So likewise
ye, when ye shall have done all those things which were commanded you, say: We
are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do." (Luke 17:9-10)
The only thing which counts is the actual doing. There
are those who say "yes" to
orders but who after this do nothing. Such men shall be condemned more
severely than those who refused openly and then afterwards, repentant, obeyed.
A father had two sons and said to the older, "Son, go work today in my vineyard." (Matt. 21:28) And
the son answered, "I go, sir,"
but instead of going to work in the vineyard he lay down in the shade to sleep.
And the father said to the second, "Go
too and work with your brother." But the son answered, "No, today I wish to rest because I am
not well." But later, thinking of the old man who could not do the
work himself any longer, he took back his refusal, overcame his laziness and
went to the vineyard and worked with a will till evening.
To listen to the word of the Kingdom is not enough. To
consent verbally and to live just as before, without effort to change the
heart, is less than nothing. "Whosoever
cometh to me, and hears my sayings, and does them, I will show you to whom he
is like; He is like a man which built an house, and dug deep, and laid the
foundation on a rock, and when the flood arose, the stream beat fervently upon
that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded upon a rock. But he that
hears and does not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house
upon the earth; against which the stream did beat fervently, and immediately it
fell; and the ruin of that house was great." (Matt. 7:23-27)
The same teaching is in the Parable of the
Sowing, "A sower went out to sow his
seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the wayside; and it was trodden down, and
the fowls of the air devoured it, and some fell upon a rock; and as soon as it
was sprung up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. And some fell
among thorns; and the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. And other fell on
good ground, and sprang up and bore fruit an hundredfold." (Luke
8:5-8) This is the Parable which the Twelve were incapable of understanding.
Jesus was obliged to explain it Himself. The seed is the Word of God. Those by
the wayside are they that hear, then cometh Satan and taketh the Word out of
their hearts lest they should believe and be saved. They on the rock are they
which when they hear receive the Word with joy, and these have no root which
for a while believe and in time of temptation fall away. And that which fell
among thorns are they which when they have heard go forth and are choked with
cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to perfection.
But that on the good ground are they which in an honest and good heart having
heard the Word keep it and bring forth fruit with patience. But it is not
enough to hear it merely, to understand it, to practice it. He who has
received it should not keep it to himself. Who is the man who having a lamp
hides it under the bed or covers it with a vessel? The light should stand high
in the center of the room that they which enter in may see it and be lighted.
(Matt. 5:15)
A Lord traveling into a far country left to each of his servants’
ten talents with the understanding that they should use the money to good
purpose. And when he came back he reckoned with them. And the first delivered
to him twenty talents, because with the first ten he had earned ten other
talents. And the Lord made him steward over all his goods. And the second
delivered him fifteen talents, for he had not been able to earn more than five
more. But the third presented himself timorously and showed him, wrapped up in
a napkin, the ten talents which he had received. "Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou
hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not sown: And I was afraid, and
went and hid thy talents in the earth." (Matt. 25:24) And the Lord
answered, "Thou wicked and slothful
servant, I will judge thee by thine own words. Take the talents and give them
to him who has twenty." But he has already plenty. "I say unto you," answered the
Lord, "For unto every one that hath
shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall
be taken away even that which he hath." (Matt. 25:29) And the
unprofitable servant was cast into outer darkness, where there was weeping and
gnashing of teeth. He who has received the Word ought to double his wealth. He has received so great a treasure that if he leaves it
useless, he deserves to have it taken away from him. From him who does not add
to it shall be taken away even that which he has, and unto him who has doubled
his treasures shall be given even more. Those who do not use the treasure
of the Word are not poverty-stricken men who need gifts because they are
destitute, but faithless and slothful husband-men, to whom was entrusted the
most fruitful field in all the universe. Happy the steward whom the Master
shall find attentive to act justly and to give to all their rightful part of
the harvest. But if the steward begins to oppress the serving men and women
and thinks only of eating and getting drunk he will be scourged and punished
when the Master returns, just punishment for the faithless!
The servant who does not know what the Master wishes done, and so, not
knowing, does not carry out His wishes, shall be less punished than he who
knew, and still does the contrary, for he shall be driven out of the house
where he gave orders. The bearers of the Word have no excuse if they are not
the first to obey God's wishes. From him to whom much was given, much shall be
required.
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