Discipline, Not Entitlement

The first image is found in Hebrews. No talk of being father’s “little darling” or mother’s “favorite pet” here. We get a comparison of God as a father who disciplines his child, even “scourges” every son he acknowledges. Now that certainly is a tough image to take, especially in a culture so attuned to the horrors of child abuse. But the time of the Letter to the Hebrews was a different culture, subscribing to the old adage “Spare the rod and spoil the child.” What is important is the notion of discipline. So let’s set the scourge aside and take up the issue of discipline—the discipline necessary to run a race, to “strengthen your drooping hands  and your weak knees, (to) make straight paths for your feet, that what is lame may  not be disjointed but healed.” Healing what is weak is the goal of this discipline. 

The second image is Jesus as the gatekeeper who is telling us that the gate into the kingdom is a narrow one, so strive (there’s that note of discipline, again)  to enter it. Jesus isn’t into numbers and doesn’t answer the question asked. He simply urges us to be strong enough to get through the gate. And any claims of  “You knew me years ago, Jesus” or “You knew my mother and grandmother” won’t matter. Furthermore, prepare to be surprised when you see at who is getting through the gate into the kingdom. 

The bottom line today: Strive, discipline yourself—feeling entitled won’t get you in.  

Consider/Discuss

• Is discipline necessary in your life? What kind? 
• What is the key to getting through the “narrow gate”? 

Responding to the Word

Lord, teach us what we need to know to run the race, to gain entry through the narrow gate, to reach your kingdom. May we realize that you have called us to work with you to bring about the kingdom in our world. Give us the dedication to persevere in this goal.