We are a week past Easter and life goes on as usual. Or does it? Christians celebrated the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the tomb and new, glorious existence began. By His own words He said He came to fulfill the law. After studying what this meant, I have concluded that what I read in the Old Testament about the prophetic words of Biblical people really did have an impact on our lives. So Jesus came into the world to save sinners and open the gates of Heaven for everyone. We have an opportunity to change how we use this world and interact with each other.

This weekend our President announced the death of an enemy of the United States. Osama bin Laden remained combative to the end and Americans cheered at the announcement of his death. While I understand and support the effort to bring this man to justice, I wonder about our future of continuing to live without fully following our Lord. He died on a cross for all of us. Let us not fear our enemies. We should work to understand their ideas and claims of misfortune at the hands of other people. We can find a better way to solve problems without resorting to war and bloodshed.

Can we live with a cross nailed to our bodies, symbolically of course? Can we open our hearts to understanding other people who do not share a common thought with us? Can we forgive ourselves as well as forgiving those who hurt us? Are we to live in a small kingdom without being able to open the Gate of Everlasting Life? Read the sermon my father gave at Church of the Ascension in Twin Falls, Idaho.  He tells a parable about the history of the Hebrews as they looked to find the way to Heaven. I enjoyed the story and I hope you will as well.

I will continue a weekly blog of my father’s sermons, now that Lent has ended and my discipline had been completed. I used the Holy Week postings to tell a story of my own about a man who witnessed the events. This story has been submitted to Writer’s Digest for a contest. Wish me luck!

A Parable of Christianity

“Lift up you heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up ye everlasting doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. “ Psalm 24:7

On this Easter day when from every pulpit is being sounded forth the victory of our Lord Jesus Christ, I have sought to put my own message to you in the form of a parable or story, which I entitle, “The Gate of everlasting Life.” It is in reality a summary of man’s age-long search for immortality which climaxed in the Resurrection of our Lord which we celebrate today.

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Many years ago in a distant part of the earth, there was a little country known as the Kingdom of Three Score and Ten. The inhabitants of this kingdom were often sad because of the smallness of their country and the shortness of life.  Men seldom lived beyond the customary seventy-years, — thus the Kingdom got its name. Moreover, around this country there was a very high wall – beyond which on one had ever gone. The name of that wall was Death.

Although no citizen of that country had ever ventured beyond the wall of Death and returned, yet there was an old legend which declared that on the other side of it there was wonderful Kingdom of surpassing size, wealth, and beauty, called the Kingdom of Forever. Many people doubted the legend but there were always those who cherished the hope that it was true.

One day there was great excitement in the capital city. Workmen, cleaning out rubbish near the wall, discovered a great gate. The news of this discovery travelled fast and before long a crowd had gathered to see what it might be. As the workmen continued to clear away the vines and the rubbish, there appeared an inscription which was found to mean the Gate of Everlasting Life.

Some of those who looked on recalled the almost forgotten legend of the Kingdom of Forever. Belief grew that there might be some truth in the old legend after all; and that this might be the gate which led to the fabulous Kingdom; but such hopes were doomed to disappointment, for upon the gate was a great padlock, the name of which was Sin. And there was deep gloom throughout the City.

The ruler of the country soon issued a proclamation to every city in the kingdom offering rich rewards to whoever might open the Gate of everlasting Life. At first there was no response. Then one day there appeared a traveler of patriarchal appearance. Said he, “the reason that you cannot open the padlock of sin is because God is angry with you, and you must appease His wrath by offering a sacrifice.’ And so they gave the stranger leave to build an altar beside the gate and offer thereon a burnt offering after the custom of ancient times. A great crowd attracted by the ceremony looked on expectantly. But the gate did not open.

Sometime later, there appeared a man of stern countenance bearing two tablets of stone upon which ere inscribed the Ten Commandments. He said unto the people, “Obey the law and get rid of the Sin which locks the gate.” And all the people tried to obey the laws which he had brought them, but they found that they were powerless because of their human imperfections to do so.

Then, one day there appeared a venerable prophet. He declared that what the ruler of the Kingdom of Forever desired was that they do justly to their fellow men. He condemned them severely for their sins, and yet though they were much ashamed, they found but little power to amend their ways. And still the gate did not open.

Finally, after many years, there came strange and unbelievable tidings that the great king of the Kingdom of Forever had sent his only Son to be born of a virgin in one of the little villages of the Kingdom of Three Score and Ten. There were strange manifestations at His birth, and the hearts of the people were strangely stirred at the report that He was to be the one to open the Gate of everlasting Life.

For many years they forgot about the King’s Son. He grew to manhood full of grace and truth. Then one day, when He was about thirty years of age He began a tour of the Kingdom of Three Score and Ten, and the substance of His message was about the Kingdom of Forever, which His Father ruled. All men flocked to hear the strange news.

Tidings of all this came to the ruler of the little kingdom and he became alarmed. If this were really the Son of the Kingdom of Forever then perhaps His real aim was to seize the Kingdom of Three Score and Ten for Himself. And so He sent a band of soldiers to seize Prince Emmanuel (for that was His name, and it signified “God with us.”) He was arrested and after a hasty trial was< by false witnesses, condemned to death. They hustled Him out to a green hill named Calvary where they crucified Him between two thieves. At eventide they buried Him in a tomb which was sealed securely by a great stone, and guarded by many soldiers.

On the third day a strange thing happened. It is said that the great stone was rolled away from the tomb, and the valiant Prince Emmanuel, robed in shining garments appeared before the great gate in the presence of all the people. Those who had loved Him, and who even through the darkness had dared to hope, shouted for joy at His appearing. A mighty throng looked on expectantly as the words of the ancient legend were fulfilled before their wondering eyes. The Prince took from His bosom with His own pierced hands a great Key, the name of which was Love. Going to the Gate He began to open it and as it opened the people saw a sight surpassing human words to describe. Men beheld for the first time the loveliness of the great Kingdom of Forever which so closely encompassed the little Kingdom of Three Score and Ten, though until then, men had not known it.

Turning to the great throng the Prince addressed them with great affection:

“I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; for whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am ye may be also.”

Having said this, the Prince walked through the Gate of Everlasting Life and He ascended and disappeared. After that, the Gate closed again and the people returned thoughtfully to their homes to mediate upon the things which they had seen. It was not thought right that the knowledge of Prince Emmanuel and the Kingdom of Forever should die out and so the people have built schools and chapels throughout the land in which they teach the story of how the ancient legend was so gloriously fulfilled. And many try to follow the teachings of Prince Emmanuel as contained in the Book of Life, and for this reason the Kingdom of Three Score and Ten has become a better place in which to live.

And once a year a great festival called the Festival of the Resurrection is held before the Gate of the everlasting Life. Great choirs sing songs of praise and thanksgiving for the great Prince Emmanuel who has taken away the power of Sin and the Fear of Death. They remember with gratitude on this occasion all those who have passed through the Gate of Everlasting Life during the past year. And they bring their offerings to present here to the end that no one should ever be without the knowledge of the noble Prince Emmanuel who opened the Gate of Everlasting Life that leads unto the Kingdom of Forever.

And the song that they sing is with us still:

“Lift up ye heads, O ye gates; and be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors; and the King of glory shall come in.

“Who is this King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.

“Lift up your heads, O ye gates; even lift them up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory shall come in.”

Reverend Norman Stockwell – Twin Falls, Idaho, June 2, 1957