I N D E X
THE PARABLES
15
Let us revert a little. Matthew 22 speaks of the marriage of the King's son (pages 113 to 121). This is the
same marriage into which the five wise virgins had entrance. In verse 12 our special word `enter' (eiserchomai)
comes. A man is observed by the King as being without the wedding garment, and he says:
`Friend, how didst thou enter here, not having a wedding garment?' (Matt. 22:12 Author's translation).
His punishment is the same as that awarded to the evil servant (24:51), and the unprofitable servant (25:30)
(pages 131 to 136). Outer darkness and gnashing of teeth are always associated with the loss of place in the
kingdom (see Matt. 8:12; 13:42,50). The context of the one occurrence in Luke (13:28) includes references to
the Sermon on the Mount, the shut door of the wedding feast, and the parallel to Matthew 8:12. What is the
wedding garment? It is the righteous award of the saints (Rev. 19:8), granted to those who like the five wise
virgins were `ready' (cf. Rev. 19:7); in other words, the wedding garment is fashioned out of obedience to the
higher law of the Sermon on the Mount. In Matthew 21:31 there is a statement concerning forfeiture of place in
the kingdom.
`The publicans and the harlots GO into the kingdom of God BEFORE you' (Matt. 21:31).
Matthew 19, however contains the fullest exposition of the spirit of the Sermon on the Mount. A rich young
Ruler asks the Lord what good thing he must do in order to have aionion life (which Matthew 25:46 uses
synonymously with inheriting the kingdom). Both in Matthew 19 and 25, `doing good' and `keeping the law'
are the only terms given by Christ. How anyone can, without violence to context and conscience, preach as a
gospel message eternal life and eternal punishment from these two chapters of works and law passes
understanding.  The Lord without ambiguity refers the young man to the Law of Moses.  The first
commandment is that dealing with murder; it is the same in Matthew 5. The second is the command concerning
adultery, which is also the second in Matthew 5. Other laws are instanced which come in a different order. To
this the young man replies:
`All these have I kept from my youth up, what more do I want?'
The Lord did not say to the young man that he boasted of false obedience, or possessed a false righteousness.
He acknowledged the young man's statement, and bases His added teaching upon it; and here we arrive once
more at the pith of the Sermon on the Mount:
`Jesus said, If thou art willing to be PERFECT, go, sell thy possessions, and give to the poor, and thou shalt
have treasure in heaven: and come and follow Me' (Matt. 19:21 Author's translation).
Aionion life was one thing, treasure in heaven another. The good thing required for aionion life was
obedience to the law of Moses. Perfection, however, came by the higher law of Christ. He said, `I say unto
you' that murder is in the heart of the man that calls his brother fool, and adultery in the heart of the man who
merely desires. This is the strait gate that few find. Many are going the easy road that ends in the destruction of
all their works, `saved so as by fire'. When the disciples heard that it was more difficult for a rich man to enter
the kingdom than for the camel to pass through the eye of a needle, they expressed surprise. Both camel and
rich man must be unloaded before such entry is possible (the eye of a needle is the small door fixed in the city
gate and opened after dark). When Peter heard these things he said:
`Behold, we have forsaken all, and followed Thee; what shall we have therefore?' (Matt. 19:27).
Then comes the reply which links all these great passages together:
`Ye which have followed Me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit in the throne of His glory, ye
also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And every one that hath forsaken
houses ... inherit aionion life' (Matt. 19:28,29).
Our last passage is Matthew 18, where the little child is set in the midst as the pattern:
`Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not
into the kingdom of heaven'
ENTER
(verse 3).
Verse 8 uses the parallel expressions `enter into life' and `aionion fire'.
Much more might be said in bringing out the underlying harmony of all these passages, but we write for
`Bereans' and trust that it is at least clear that the question of gaining or losing an entry into the kingdom is one
of supreme importance in this testimony of Christ while on earth, and that around this theme the Sermon on the
Mount revolves.