The WIDE Gate or the NARROW Gate? (Matt 7:13-14)
Let’s SETTLE Our ACCOUNTS ( DEBTS ) Now
by
Sandy Bruce on Friday, May 4, 2012
I learned something in a teaching given by Brad Scott in a city where I was.
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He shared: In Biblical days, there were two sets of GATES to a WALLED city.
The WIDE / LARGE gate and the SMALL / NARROW gate. ( This we learn from the Torah תוֹרה )
At the SMALL / NARROW gate, the elders or leaders of the city would gather. But if anyone came to the city to do business as a merchant or to trade, they would ask if he had ANY DEBTS to anyone in that city. If he did, he had to SETTLE those ACCOUNTS … BEFORE … he could ENTER the CITY.
Then, AFTER SETTLING ACCOUNTS with those in the city he had DEBTS with, he was able to ENTER the CITY, WALK about FREELY and do business.
On the other hand, if he did not want to SETTLE ACCOUNTS or MAKE GOOD on his DEBTS, he would try to ENTER the CITY through the WIDE / LARGE gate. But if and when it was reported to the elders or leaders that such a person was walking about the city, WITH UNSETTLED ACCOUNTS, they would seek to kill him!
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Yeshua said:
13 “Enter by the NARROW gate; for WIDE is the gate and BROAD is the WAY that leads to DESTRUCTION, and there are MANY who go in by it.
14 Because NARROW is the gate and DIFFICULT is the WAY which leads to LIFE, and there are FEW who find it.
(Matt 7:13-14)
There is MUCH MORE to these verses than just what I am going to share today. In fact, while I was sick in March for those 12 – 14 days, Yeshua shared various things with me, including some things concerning these verses. ( I have already shared two things which He said to me and may share more as I am led to do so. ) And at some point, time permitting, I hope to do a full teaching on these verses. What Yeshua actually said and meant will astound us.
For now though, I will share what YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים has placed on my heart during the past few weeks. I was waiting to share this: LET’S SETTLE our ACCOUNTS, but knew that there was something I still needed to find out and understand, before doing so. Hence, why I believe, that I was in a certain city, at the time that Brad Scott just so happened to be there – for me to hear this part about the GATES in his teaching!
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Now let’s learn the critical spiritual principle and the teaching of Torah תוֹרה by Yeshua:
The CITY represents the Kingdom of Heaven.
The TWO sets of GATES represents TWO PATHS or TWO WAYS of LIFE.
The DEBTS represent ANY ISSUE that is unsettled or unresolved which we have with a brother or sister in Messiah ( or with YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים Himself )
There are MANY, MANY people, including Messianic Torah-Observant believers, who have UnSettled ACCOUNTS:
1.) UnSettled / UnResolved Hurts and Wounds, whether Emotional, Spiritual, Physical, Mental, etc.
2.) UnSettled / UnResolved Debts ( not talking about money debts here although it could be )
3.) UnSettled / UnResolved Issues
4.) UnSettled / UnResolved Offenses, Insults, Gossiping words, Slanderous words, Maliscious words, etc.
5.) UnSettled / UnResolved Unforgiveness, Resentment, Bitterness, Anger, Malice, Wrath, Revenge or Retaliation acts or thoughts …
Those who DO NOT SETTLE / RESOLVE ( or sincerely and genuinely attempt to honestly and humbly SETTLE / RESOLVE ) these UnSettled ACCOUNTS, are TRYING to ENTER the CITY ( Kingdom ) by the WIDE gate and by the BROAD way which leads to DESTRUCTION!!
Such think that they are walking in Torah תוֹרה, ( or righteousness ) when they are NOT. They are DECEIVED. And they are ( or they are becoming ) SPIRITUALLY BLIND.
Such think that they are walking a SET-APART LIFE / LIFE-STYLE, when they are NOT. Sadly, they are DECEIVING themselves and others. They are hurting themselves and probably others.
“But he who hates his brother is in DARKNESS and walks in DARKNESS, and does NOT know where he is going, because the DARKNESS { his / her unconfessed and unrepented sin } has blinded his { spiritual } eyes.” (1 John 2:11)
There are MANY, MANY people, including Messianic Torah-Observant believers, who have treated a brother or sister as if that person is an enemy. We already have enough enemies in this world. The world hates us. Others hate us or dislike us. We are outcast, rejected, maligned, slandered, accused falsely, ridiculed, mocked, made fun of and insulted and more. There are really so few of us. And so then some among us attack and devour each other ( and by doing so, walk in darkness, deceiving ourselves ) ???
We need to repent. We need to repent NOW.
23 Therefore if you bring your GIFT to the ALTAR, and there remember that your BROTHER { or sister } has something against you,
24 LEAVE your GIFT there before the ALTAR, and go your way. FIRST BE RECONCILED to your brother, and THEN come and offer your gift.
25 Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.
26 Assuredly, I say to you, you will BY NO MEANS GET OUT of there [ pray and ask Yeshua what this means to you ] till you have paid the last penny. (Matt 5:23-26)
Here the GIFT He was talking about is the animal sacrifice or grain offering ( see Lev chapters 1 – 8 )
being given to the priest at the Temple. It could have been a sacrifice for sins or a free-will offering to ELohim אֱלֹהִים . Today, the GIFT can represent anything we GIVE or DO for YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים , including ANY MINISTRY or SERVICE.
Yeshua tells us that the UnSettled ACCOUNT comes to our recall, or we remember, that we have UnSettled ACCOUNTS with a brother or sister. It could even be ON SHABBAT שַּׁבָּת, while we are worshipping ELohim אֱלֹהִים , that it comes to our mind – there is an UnSettled Matter between us and a brother or sister.
He does NOT say who is right and who is wrong. The HEART issue is that there is an UnResolved Matter between two people and it is left out there, open. A doorway is open for the evil one ( ha – satan ) to come in and attack, kill or destroy.
So perhaps a brother or sister has something against us. It does NOT mean that he / she is right or correct. It simply means that there is an UnResolved Matter between us. BOTH SIDES are required and commanded by Torah תוֹרה, as Yeshua is teaching us, to genuinely and humbly try to resolve it – WITH the GOAL of RESTORATION – NOT condemnation. The heart of Torah תוֹרה is about RESTORING, not DESTROYING!!
Perhaps there was a misunderstanding. There are so many possibilities. Perhaps the brother or sister who is offended is even the one who is wrong or incorrect. It doesn’t matter – the ISSUE is that when WE know that there is an UnSettled ACCOUNT, we are required to go to that person and try to resolve it, as best as we can under the circumstances.
Sometimes situations have changed and we cannot fully resolve, restore, correct, fix, make restitution, etc. But we must do what we can to try to resolve. We can not simply just go our way and say: that’s his / her problem and try to forget about it. That is why Yeshua says: “Therefore if you bring your GIFT to the ALTAR, and there remember that your BROTHER { or sister } has something against you … “
Some people are UnJustifiably angry, upset or resentful of others. On the other side, some are holding on to wounds and hurts, which were caused by the wrongs and sins of others against them. So while being a victim, so to speak, those in the second group also remain in bondage, through UnForgiveness, Resentment, Bitterness, Malice, Anger and Wrath. In either case, what is in our HEARTS – IS going to come out, in what we SAY and how we ACT.
[ For those who have UnForgiveness, Resentment and Bitterness issues, we can help. We can provide you with some FREE audio teachings, done by others, which have helped MANY experience Forgiveness, Release and Freedom. Please send me a PM and I will confidentially share that teaching material with you. ]
Sometimes we might not be able to resolve it at that time. Sometimes, the offended person isn’t ready to resolve, forgive, release, repent, talk, understand, etc. Sometimes circumstances don’t allow or provide for resolving it at that time. But we are required to try, authentically and sincerely. Maybe they are right, and we are wrong. Maybe they are wrong and we are right. The issue is the UnSettled Account between two brothers ( or sisters, etc. )
Why must we SETTLE the ACCOUNTS?
Because it is an application of the SECOND greatest commandment.
“You shall not take vengeance,
NOR BEAR any GRUDGE { a form of UnSettled ACCOUNTS } against the children of your people, but you shall LOVE your neighbor as yourself: I am YHWH יְהוָה.” (Lev 19:18)
לֹא-תִקֹּם וְלֹא-תִטֹּר אֶת-בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ, וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ: אֲנִי, יְהוָה.
MANY are walking around with GRUDGES { UnSettled ACCOUNTS }, especially against a brother or sister. From Shabbat שַּׁבָּת to Shabbat שַּׁבָּת and from one of the Appointed Times ( “feasts” ) to another of the Appointed Times ( “feasts” ), people carry, bear and harbor all kinds of GRUDGES { UnSettled ACCOUNTS }.
That ALTAR where the GIFT was brought to, represents our own HEARTS!
That GIFT that we bring, represents our offerings of worship, ministry and service to Him, besides just our time, talent or treasure.
Does YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים accept their worship { GIFTS } of Him, while their own HEARTS { ALTARS } are UnClean? I don’t think so.
Does YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים accept their ministry or service { GIFTS } to Him, while their own hearts { ALTARS } are UnClean? I don’t think so.
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So when we have UnSettled ACCOUNTS, especially with a brother or sister, we are making ourselves out to be:
- UnClean PRIESTS
- bringing UnCLean GIFTS
- and placing them on an UnClean ALTAR
- and asking a Set Apart ELohim אֱלֹהִים to accept them… And He does NOT!!
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We could be at a Shabbat gathering or a worship meeting during an Appointed Time (“feast”). Or we could be serving or ministering to YHWH יְהוָה in some other way. We could be praying to Him and asking for certain needs to be met. Yet the heavens are shut up to us, like BRONZE ( portrait of sin ), because of OUR sin. [ which is why the altar for the sacrifices in the Tent of Meeting and in the Temple was made of BRONZE ]
In such spiritual condition, our hearts ( the ALTAR ) is UnClean, and so we are UnClean Priests, serving and ministering with UnClean hands, or offering up UnClean worship and UnClean prayers, ( the GIFTS ), to a Set Apart ELohim אֱלֹהִים . And He does NOT accept any of this when we are in such spiritual condition. We must WASH ourselves -- DAILY.
That means we need to pray and GO resolve any UnSettled Accounts ( whether against ELohim אֱלֹהִים or a brother or sister ) = we must be CLEANSED -- DAILY.
If our HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS with brothers and sisters are NOT right, then our VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP with YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים is probably NOT right either.
Our HORIZONTAL RELATIONSHIPS with others reflects our VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP with our Master, Redeemer, Messiah Yeshua. In the same way, our VERTICAL RELATIONSHIP with YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים should reflect in our HORIZONTAL RELATIOSHIPS with others.
Interestingly, the HORIZONTAL and the VERTICAL relationships sort of form the Hebrew letter TAV ת, in Biblical Paleo Hebrew:
Paleo Hebrew Letter: Tav , which represents the Tree / cross. This teaches us that we must take these matters to the TAV ת / Tree / cross and die to ourselves. We need to repent of our pride for NOT reconciling. We need to repent of our pride for NOT confessing our mistakes, failures, errors and sins that we made against others.
This formation of the Hebrew letter TAV ת also teaches us that if we want YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים to forgive us for our sins, iniquities and transgressions, through the shed-blood of Messiah on the TAV ת / Tree / cross, then we also need to FORGIVE others for theirs. And isn’t that what Yeshua taught us?
14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15 But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matt 6:14-15)
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People are unnecessarily fighting and arguing with others over issues and matters that have little or no value or purpose; creating or fomenting foolish controversies; or trying to “prove someone else wrong” { this is a wrong heart attitude and spirit }; or are simply being insulting, condemning, degrading, demeaning, destructive, or divisive, or looking for something to use to hurt another person { this also is a wrong heart attitude and spirit, not walking in love, and lacking grace }
Or someone says something, does something, or posts something -- and someone else is quick to find fault with them ( often with the intent to “prove them wrong” ), put them down, attack them, or sow discord or division in the group, community, etc.
“… with the measure we use, it will be measured back to us.”{ both now on earth and on J-Day by Yeshua }
These are all examples of things which are all forms of sin and among those that YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים says that He hates ( see Prov 6:16-19 )
And YHWH יְהוָה sees all these things and it is all Unclean to Him. We think we are living a Set Apart life-style, and yet, in ways we often don’t see or realize, we sin with our words, with our attitudes and with the intents of our hearts – all of which leads to sinful actions, behaviors and life-styles.
Messiah will ONLY take a BRIDE who is CLEAN, PURE, SPOTLESS and without BLEMISH or STAIN. When we sin, we stain and blemish our ( wedding ) GARMENT, until we AUTHENTICALLY CONFESS and REPENT. If the sin is against another person, YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים does NOT
forgive us and cleanse us UNTIL we FIRST resolve the UnSettled Account with that other person.
That is what Yeshua is saying here:
“…LEAVE your GIFT there before the ALTAR, and go your way.FIRST BE RECONCILED to your brother, and THEN come and offer your gift. “ (Matt 5:24)
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13 “Enter by the NARROW gate;
for WIDE is the gate and BROAD is the WAY that leads to DESTRUCTION,
and there are MANY who go in by it.
14 Because NARROW is the gate and DIFFICULT is the WAY which leads to LIFE, and there are FEW who find it.(Matt 7:13-14)
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Lots of people get offended easily. We MUST go and try to resolve these offenses and issues to the best of our ability, given the circumstances.
UnFriending or Blocking someone on Facebook happens. But that does NOT mean that we have resolved ( or tried to resolve ) the UnSettled ACCOUNTS.
Let us NOT be fooled or deceived because the world acts that way: “DELETE – you’re gone!”
Let us remember the warning by Yeshua: “… with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” { both now on earth and on J-Day by Yeshua }
[ Yes, sometimes, we need to Delete and Block, such as when someone is abusive and does not stop. But probably MANY people, including Messianic Torah-observant believers, are quickly Deleting and Blocking, instead of trying to Settle Accounts! ]
And we need to OBEY the commandments of Torah תוֹרה and follow what Yeshua taught us in Matthew 18:15-19. Here Yeshua is teaching us the HEART and INTENT of Torah תוֹרה , which is to RESOLVE and RECONCILE differences ( Settle Accounts ) with our brothers and sisters. We are to live as a Community ( keh-hee-lah קהילה ; kehilah ).
If we are NOT doing that, then how are we different than the world which doesn’t know these things?
If we are NOT doing that, then how are we different than churchianity which generally doesn’t know and understand these things either?
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People don’t want to hear about sin. They prefer to just ignore it. Yes, when someone shows us our sin in an arrogant, condemning, prideful, self-righteous way, instead of in love and humility, it is hard to receive it.
So when people approach us in a wrong way, they are sinning themselves in the process. Therefore, we always want to examine our own hearts before we approach the person we think or know has sinned, so that we walk in LOVE and HUMILITY, with the GOAL and INTENT to RESTORE and NOT condemn.
“Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who
are spiritual RESTORE such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.” (Galatians 6:1)
On a personal level, lots of people sin against me, and attack me, and then get offended when I show them their sin. My goal is for them to come to repentance and be restored, rather then to condemn them. If I do not tell them their sin, won’t YHWH יְהוָה hold me accountable on J-Day for NOT telling them their sin? Read the Good News and the Apostolic Writings, and see how many times we are being taught to go to our brother or sister, show them their sin, IN LOVE, and try to redeem and restore.
If the animal of our brother or sister fell into a ditch, and he is not there, we are required to help get the animal out and bring it to him or her ( RESTORE ); or hold it and care for it, until such time as we can bring it to him or her.
How much more then are we required to help our brother or sister out of a spiritual ditch, when we see that he or she has fallen into one?
The world says: “DELETE and BLOCK – you’re gone !”
But Yeshua in His Torah תוֹרה says: “… go your way. FIRST BE RECONCILED to your brother … :
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Do we want Yeshua to do to us on J-Day: “DELETE and BLOCK – you’re gone !” ???
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The Truth is that we are REQUIRED to OBEY the commandments of our Creator, and that means we need to Settle ACCOUNTS.
“OWE ( opheilete ὀφείλετε ) no one anything { have no UnSettled Accounts; have no debts outstanding to another; do not be guilty for something not resolved } except TO LOVE one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the { intent / heart of the commandments of } Torah תוֹרה . “ (Rom 13:8)
[ This does NOT mean that acting in LOVE replaces or does away with the commandments. Rather, it
means that we are required to OBEY the commandments, but in a heart of love. ]
Here the VERB ( action word ) OWE ( opheilete ὀφείλετε ) is in the PRESENT tense, IMPERATIVE ( command ) MOOD and ACTIVE voice. It means that we are required TO DO something and on an on-going basis.
What is really amazing here, is that this same VERB ( action word ) is used in the following passage in verse 14, in what Yeshua teaches us:
10 Yeshua said to him, “He who is bathed { clean spiritually } needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean { spiritually } , but not all of you.”
11 For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, “You are not all clean.”
12 So when He had washed their feet, taken His garments, and sat down again, He said to them, “Do you know what I have done to you?
13 You call Me Teacher and Master, and you say well, for so I am.
14 “If I then, your Master and Teacher, have washed YOUR feet, you also OUGHT ( opheilete ὀφείλετε ) to WASH ONE ANOTHER’S feet.”
15 For I have GIVEN YOU AN EXAMPLE, that you SHOULD DO as I HAVE DONE TO YOU.
16 Most assuredly, I say to you, a servant { we } is not greater than his master { Yeshua }; nor is he who is sent greater than he who sent him.
17 If you know these things, blessed are you IF YOU DO THEM. (John 13:10-17)
So OWE ( opheilete ὀφείλετε ) in Rom 13:8 is translated as OUGHT ( opheilete ὀφείλετε ) in John 13:14, when it comes to WASHING the FEET of our brothers and sisters in Messiah. What does this teach us?
If Biblical times, when someone would come to a home, it was the responsibility for the servant of the house to wash the feet of the guests. If there was no servant, the owner of the house would wash their feet.
This explains one reason why Yeshua did NOT have the Passover meal here in the home of any of His disciples ( tahl-mee-deem תלמידים ; talmidim ). Since He chose the place to gather and eat it, and it was NOT any of their homes, He would be that SERVANT who would wash THEIR feet!
Our FEET represent our WALK with Messiah. He is teaching us here that we OWE it to each other -- that we OUGHT -- to HELP each other -- WALK in OBEDIENCE to the commandments of His Torah תוֹרה. We do NOT WALK this alone. We are to become a COMMUNITY, lifting each other up, helping those who fall – instead of tearing them down.
He is teaching us that we ARE accountable, to one extent or another, when we see that the FEET of our brother or sister are UnClean ( that there is sin in their lives ) – to go and help WASH THEIR FEET!
How we have MISSED this before!!
We are NOT allowed to let our brother or sister WALK in sin and say or do nothing about it!
We are NOT allowed to see our brother or sister WALK in sin and just ignore it!
We are NOT allowed to just say to someone, something like: “Well, that’s your problem, just DELETE and BLOCK him / her.”
If a person sins and we just let them go, they may go on sinning again. They will bring punishment and judgment on themselves. They might hurt still others in the process.
We are required to go to them, in LOVE and HUMILITY, and help WASH THEIR FEET – to REDEEM and RESTORE, so that they can WALK clean and upright again with YHWH יְהוָה ELohim אֱלֹהִים .
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We need to humble ourselves and CONFESS and REPENT when we SIN; and if our sin, error or mistake, is against another person, we must resolve that sin or matter with that person ( or attempt to genuinely resolve it ), making restitution where necessary. This critical spiritual Truth and teaching of Torah תוֹרה applies to everyone, including especially Messianic Torah-Observant believers. We will be held to a higher standard, because we have been given more LIGHT. To whom much is given, much more is required.
If we do NOT Settle ACCOUNTS, we WILL become DECEIVED, because we are NOT loving the TRUTH and NOT walking in the Truth – which is the commandments of Torah תוֹרה .
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9 “The coming of the lawless-one { Torah – less one } is according to the working of satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders,
10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the LOVE of the TRUTH ( Aletheria ἀλήθεια ), that they might be saved.
11 And for this reason ELohim אֱלֹהִים will send them INFLUENCE { of } ( energeian ἐνέργειαν ) DELUSION ( planēs πλάνης ), that they should believe what is FALSE ( Pseudos ψεῦδος ),
12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the TRUTH ( Aletheria ἀλήθεια ) but had pleasure in unrighteousness.” (2 Thes 2:9-12)
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Personally, I have been following up with people who have UnSettled Accounts. I will speak the Truth in Love ( Eph 4:15 ) But we are not responsible for how they respond or if they repent or if they reconcile or resolve. I will pray for those who refuse to repent and or refuse to try to resolve the UnSettled Accounts – they are walking in darkness and are hardening their own hearts against the Truth.
I am concerned for the souls of MANY, including a number of Messianic Torah-Observant believers, and some so-called “Torah teachers”, who are thus DECEIVED, yet thinking that they are walking an OBEDIENT, Set Apart LIFE, when they are actually in DARKNESS.
When we have UnSettled Accounts, we bring a curse on ourselves and open ourselves up to being deceived. Once a person is deceived, satan can easily fool and deceive him / her, into thinking or believing all kinds of lies, falsehood or deception or acting in sinful behavior – and they don’t realize it.
We deceive ourselves if we think that we can not be deceived. The worst part about being deceived – is that the person rarely even realizes that they are deceived!
How did it happen? The answer is that somewhere in the past, maybe recent, maybe long ago, we probably have an UnSettled Account with someone.
Time does NOT resolve, settle or heal that UnSettled Account or wounded heart. Only Truth and OBEDIENCE to the Word of ELohim אֱלֹהִים do, which may often require CONFESSION of SINS or WRONGS and authentic REPENTANCE, on the part of one side, the other side, or both sides.
Time is SHORT. Time is VERY SHORT. Let’s NOT walk around with UnSettled Accounts.
LET’S SETTLE our DEBTS now – and ENTER into the CITY ( Kingdom ) through the SMALL / NARROW gate which leads to LIFE.
Shalom and Blessings.
