08/25 – Matthew 7:21-25 and Luke 13:24-30 – Hearing and Doing the Word of God

Old Testament: Isaiah 66:18–23

I know their actions and their thoughts, I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They will come and see my glory. I will set up a sign among them and send survivors to the nations: to Tarshish {TAR-shish}, Put and Lud, Meshech {MESH-eck}, Rosh, Tubal {TOO-ball}, Javan {JA-van}, and to the distant coastlands who have not heard of my fame or seen my glory. They will tell about my glory among the nations.

They will bring all your relatives from every nation like a grain offering to the Lord. They will come on horses, in chariots, in wagons, on mules and camels to my holy mountain, Jerusalem, declares the Lord. They will come like the people of Israel who bring their grain offerings in clean dishes to the Lord’s Temple. I will make some of them priests and Levites, declares the Lord.

“The new heaven and earth that I make will continue in my presence,” declares the Lord. “So your descendants and your name will also continue in my presence. From one month to the next and from one week to the next all people will come to worship me,” declares the Lord.

Epistle Reading: Hebrews 12:4–24 (25–29)

You struggle against sin but your struggles have not killed you. You have forgotten the encouraging words that God speaks to you as his children: “My child, pay attention when the Lord disciplines you. Don’t give up when he corrects you. The Lord disciplines everyone he loves. He severely disciplines everyone he accepts as his child.”

Endure your discipline. God corrects you as a father corrects his children. All children are disciplined by their fathers. If you aren’t disciplined like the other children you aren’t part of the family. On earth we have fathers who disciplined us, and we respect them. Shouldn’t we place ourselves under the authority of God, the father of spirits, so that we will live? For a short time our fathers disciplined us as they thought best. Yet, God disciplines us for our own good so that we can become holy like him. We don’t enjoy being disciplined. It always seems to cause more pain than joy, but later on those who learn from that discipline have peace that comes from doing what is right. Strengthen your tired arms and weak knees. Keep walking along straight paths so that your injured leg won’t get worse. Instead, let it heal.

Try to live peacefully with everyone, and try to live holy lives. Without holiness you will not see the Lord. Make sure that everyone has kindness from God so that bitterness does not take root and grow up to cause trouble that corrupts many of you. Make sure that no one commits sexual sin or is as concerned about earthly things as Esau was. He sold his rights as the firstborn son for a single meal. You know that afterwards, when he wanted to receive the blessing that the firstborn son was to receive, he was rejected. Even though he begged and cried for the blessing, he couldn’t do anything to change what had happened.

You have not come to something that you can feel, to a blazing fire, to darkness, to gloom, to a storm, to a trumpet’s blast, and to a voice. When your ancestors heard that voice, they begged not to hear it say another word. They couldn’t obey the command that was given, “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.” The sight was so terrifying that even Moses said he was trembling and afraid.

Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, to the heavenly Jerusalem. You have come to countless thousands of angels joyfully gathered together and to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to a judge, the God of all people, and to the spirits of people who have God’s approval and have gained eternal life. You have come to Jesus, who brings the new promise from God, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better message than Abel’s.

Gospel Reading: Luke 13:22–30

Then Jesus traveled and taught in one city and village after another on his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Sir, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He answered, “Try hard to enter through the narrow door. I can guarantee that many will try to enter but they will not succeed. After the homeowner gets up and closes the door it is too late. You can stand outside knock at the door, and say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know who you are.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you and you taught in our streets.’ He will tell you, ‘I don’t know who you are. Get away from me all you evil people.’ Then you will cry and be in extreme pain. That is what you will do when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all the prophets. They will be in God’s kingdom but you will be thrown out. People will come from all over the world and will eat in God’s kingdom. Some who are last will be first, and some who are first will be last.