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06/23/26
[media presentation below] GospelThink Tuesday, June 23 MATTHEW 7:6,12-14 The Narrow Gate Prayerthoughts a. The Lord reminds me that I must treat things that are holy with the proper respect. Do I show the proper respect around the holy things in my life? b. The Lord reminds us of the Golden Rule. Is there anyone in my circle of people whom I am not loving as I should? What can I do about it? c. The Lord uses some strong condemnatory language to remind me that I should enter through the narrow gate, that is, I should be dedicated in my approach to my spirituallife. Am I following the “narrow gate” idea as I work on my spiritual life? d. “few.” Are there some things that I should change in my life as I try to be more spiritual? e. My prayerthoughts… Today I will read 2 Kings 19:9b-11,14-21,31-35a and write an important thought from it.
Some Thoughts on the Liturgy THE NARROW GATE + The conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 7 of Matthew’s Gospel summarizes some of the things that have been said in the Sermon - here mentioning the golden rule, a rule that the people would have known, but not stressed very much - and the narrow gate – an image coming from shepherding sheep, and therefore known to the Hebrew people, but not applied to the spiritual life this way + The narrow gate is one of the truly difficult concepts that Jesus gives us—ranking along with love of enemies and no revenge - it is a summarizing concept for the spiritual life - it is an ominous one, perhaps a scare tactic - the narrow gate implies some restrictions, some getting rid of unnecessary things so that one can pass through it, some denials, and implies taking the time and effort to go through it - and the ominous part, the scare tactic: - the road to damnation is wide and many take it - the road to salvation is narrow, constricted, and only a few take it + The narrow gate is a necessary image for our modern spiritual lives - it means accepting the truly difficult, the truly confining words of Jesus and the Scriptures - like the directives of the Sermon on the Mount, and what we heard today, the Golden Rule - note the importance of others in the scheme of Christian reality - it means accepting the difficult directives of the Hebrew Scriptures - and today in the 2 Kings reading, the total dependence on God by Isaiah and Hezekiah - like there is no one else to turn to - that is the type of dependence necessary for the narrow gate image - and the narrow gate implies much more than what the Scriptures say or what is written down for us - it calls for a certain regulation of self so that we do not get so cluttered from material things that we forget about the basic spiritual things: - things like time for God, real effort at loving others, and limiting luxury + The narrow gate is one of those directives that we don’t like to hear - living the spiritual life is really a difficult learning experience - and just as any art, it must be worked at continually, day and night.
MEDIA PRESENTATION Song: “The Door” (Teddy Swims) I SAVED MY LIFE

The Gospel

JOHN 4:16-19

Jesus said to [the Samaritan woman], "Go, call your husband, and then come back here." "I have no husband," replied the woman. "You are right in saying you have no husband!" Jesus exclaimed. "The fact is, you have had five and the man you are living with now is not your husband. What you said is true." "Sir," answered the woman, "I can see you are a prophet."

Gospelthink: Jesus tells us that sometimes men and women only act like they love and they really are not loving.

“I took a page out of your favorite book. You sold me lies just by the way you look, taught me a language that I’ve never speak. That ain’t for me. You took me higher than I ever flew too many times, gave you a second chance. I’m just a man. No more thinkin’ about you late night, no more runnin’ around with your friends now, done pickin’ up pieces of my soul up off the floor. I said I would die for you, but I can’t take this pain no more. I thought I was willin’ but tonight I save my life when I showed you the door. I can’t play this game no more.”

It is clear over and over again in the Scriptures that Jesus knew human nature. He could easily read what people were doing and thinking. So, as he visited with the person that we have come to call the "Samaritan woman," Jesus knew that she had problems. Not only were there moral problems with multiple love relationships, but He determined that she was hurting herself with the way she was living.

We obviously do not know the problems that the Samaritan woman was having with love, but even the casual observer of the relationships would see that “someone is playing games with love” in that relationship and actually there was no deep love at all in those relationships.

Modern love psychology would address the problem with the thought that playing games with a person’s love interest may on the surface make one feel like they have true love because it makes them feel good and gives temporary happiness. But the bottom line is that a person cannot earn someone’s love with such a mindset.

It may very well have been the case with the situation of the song “The Door” from Teddy Swims. For some reason the other in the relationship simply did not want to make a solid commitment of love. So, the man in the song sings, “Tonight I save my life when I showed you the door. I can’t play this game no more.”

In a love relationship we can’t merely “say” the words of love or “do” the actions of love. We must work at developing and making the love present and get it across to the other person—all the time in their relationship. Too many divorces happen because people play games in love relationships.

PRAYER

Good and gracious God, Your Son was able to understand human nature very well, and in the area of love relationships, He was able to discern when we are not really loving when we should be. Help us truly understand what we mean when we truly love someone. Be with us, we pray.

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GUIDE FOR CLASSROOM PRESENTATION AND PERSONAL ENRICHMENT

Theme: Playing games with love is not love at all.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
1. What does the song "The Door" teach young people?

2. What is most striking about the story of the Samaritan woman in John’s Gospel?

3. Describe a “game” that people play when true love is not present.

4. What “game” about love does a couple most commonly play?

5. What characteristics are absolutely necessary for a man and woman to marry?

6. What do you think is the most common reason for a couple to get divorced?