The Key to the Kingdom of Heaven

 Jesus upbraided the lawyers for taking away the key of knowledge and hindering those who were entering.

Woe to you lawyers; for you have taken away the key of knowledge! You did not enter in yourselves, and you hindered those who were entering.”
Luke 11:52

Conversely, throughout the gospel Jesus provides the key to the Kingdom of Heaven. As you know, a key is a device that if it is turned one way it opens a door and if it is turned the other way it locks the door shut. Similarly, the parables listed below give the key to opening the door to the Kingdom of Heaven or locking it shut – just like a key in a door.

I hope you always turn the key wisely and open the door to the Kingdom of Heaven!

Dr. J. Clontz – Editor, The Comprehensive New Testament

Narrow gate leads to life/wide gate leads to destruction
Matthew 7:13-14

Tree bearing good fruit/tree bearing bad fruit thrown into the fire
Matthew 7:15-20

Wise man builds house on rock that stands/foolish man builds house on sand that falls
Matthew 7:24-27

Wheat gathered into barn/weeds bundled and burned in fire
Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43

Good fish into vessels/bad fish thrown away
Matthew 13:47-48

Righteous/Wicked thrown into the furnace of fire
Matthew 13:49-50

Son who repents into the kingdom of heaven/Son who doesn’t repent outside the kingdom of heaven
Matthew 21:28-32

Five wise virgins through the door/five foolish virgins shut outside the door
Matthew 25:1-13

Good and faithful servants enter the joy of their master/wicked and lazy servant cast into the outer darkness
Matthew 25:14-30

Sheep inherit the kingdom/goats go away into eternal punishment
Matthew 25:31-46