A woman who loses a piece of silver sweeps diligently till she finds
it! A merchant seeking goodly pearls sells all he possesses to obtain
Pearl of Great Price!
And then comes the third thought and the third promise.
"Knock!" Do not just go to the door of God's storehouse of blessings
and give a careless knock, and then turn away without even expecting an
answer!
You see a boy delivering circulars down your road. He knocks and then
runs on, and does not trouble himself further.
But there comes a needy man to one door. He has been told to come at
any hour on any day, and he knocks.
There is no immediate answer. Shall he turn away? His need is so great
that he knocks again. And still the answer is delayed.
"He told me to come," murmured the man. "He told me to knock at his
door!"
So he goes on knocking; and by and by the master, who is alone in the
house, comes to the door, and with words of welcome, he bids the needy
man enter.
And inside the master's house there is a storehouse of blessings! More
than the needy man can ask or think.
And the master showers warmth, and love, and food, and riches upon him,
so that he goes on his way with every want supplied, and with promises
of an endless supply.
How to enter in.
The answer comes back to us, like sweet chimes from afar, in our Lord's
own words—
"I am the Door: by Me, if any man enter in, he shall be saved."
And Jesus shows us what to do and what to avoid, if we want to enter
the Kingdom of Heaven.
He says: "Enter ye in at the Strait Gate: for wide is the gate, and
broad is the way, that leadeth unto destruction, and many there be
which go in thereat because strait is the Gate, and narrow is the way,
which leadeth unto Life, and few there be that find it."
The Broad Way, looking so easy and attractive at first, is the way of
sin, and leads downwards to destruction. The gate is wide open, and so
tempting.
The Narrow Way leads upwards, to Everlasting Life.
The entrance to it is narrow and strait, and the path needs courage and
perseverance to walk in it bravely; but at the end there are "pleasures
for evermore," and no more pain or sorrow or death, but Eternal Life!
St. Paul says "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course,
I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of
righteousness, which the Lord, the Righteous Judge, shall give me at
that day."
Shall we not accept Him Who is Himself the Way? He is the Way, all
along the path, let it be smooth or rough. He is the Truth, and will
never deceive us. He is the Life, and in Jesus Christ it is reserved in
Heaven for us.