Sermons

This week our scriptures include excerpts of Jesus’ preaching that are less than clear. Have you ever wondered why many of these Biblical teachings include everyday objects, settings, or items? In Jesus’ day, a speaker needed to have oratory skills in conveying a message with enough interest and relatability that it can be remembered, so to then be passed down orally to the next person. When Jesus is on the mount, preaching his famous sermon documented in Matthew 5-7, he speaks about ordinary settings and items, like a gate on a road. There are times in scripture when it is when it is important for us to take the bible seriously, but not literally. This is one of them. Jesus’ preaching of the narrow gate and the road to leads to life, is attractive. The phrase of “life” in this sense, is to highlight the abundant life (John 10:10) that Jesus. This is referring to the flourishing, sustaining, growing, and nourishing life that is found when we have faith in Christ. The narrow gate addresses the reality that we have a choice to make when living day to day… we can choose to follow Jesus or not. It is not a promise that the decision will always be easy, but for those who do choose God, it will always be worth it.  

More Messages from Rev. Arthur Jones