Day 385: Will the door be open? - Luke 13 vs 22- 30
22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” 24 He replied, “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail.”
25 “When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26-29 Then you will say, ‘But we ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ And he will reply, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you come from. Get away from me, all you who do evil.’ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, for you will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God, but you will be thrown out. And people will come from all over the world - from east and west, north and south - to take their places in the Kingdom of God. 30 Some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Luke 13:22-30 New Living Translation paraphrase (English Standard Version link)
It's good when someone is willing to ask a question everyone else was just thinking about, as happened in vs 23. People often have questions about the Bible and spiritual matters but are too embarrassed to ask them. And while Jesus always replied with truth that could be challenging, He never responded to serious questions unkindly. In this instance He didn't give an 'exact' answer, because that wouldn’t have helped anyone, but what was the important truth He did give in vs 24 about the question?
Salvation from sin is not a subject to be taken lightly! It's not about statistics – it's the serious matter of the eternal well being of our soul. The word Jesus used actually meant 'to agonize' so we can be certain we will get into God's Kingdom - because it's entrance is narrow and not a wide and easy path.
In the light of what Jesus went on to say in vs 25, should we ever take forgiveness of sin and our place in heaven for granted?
Obviously not. Salvation is not the result of being born of the right race, as those people may have thought, or simply going forward at an evangelistic crusade, as many today may think. What did Jesus say was the reason why many who took for granted that heaven would be their home would be disappointed?
He used the phrase 'you who do evil'. He gave the example of a master of the house locking the door, and then it was too late for those who had neglected doing the work they were meant to do to get inside. In other words, getting into God's Kingdom involves a total turning from the sins that grieve God, and putting into practice the life He calls us to live. That's what the word repentance is all about. And while Jesus was speaking those words at that time to Jewish people to show that many gentiles would get into heaven while they were left outside, it's a truth that applies to each and every person still. When Jesus returns it will be too late for repentance then. And if death takes us before Jesus returns, it is too late for repentance then as well.
But we must also be careful not to add to what Jesus meant when He said 'work hard' (or agonize) to enter the narrow door. This doesn't mean a slavish obedience to the rules and rituals other people may impose on us which makes salvation depend on keeping their teachings. Our sins can only be forgiven because of the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross. We can't add any deeds or merits of our own to the wonderful finished work Jesus did. But following Jesus is going to be costly. We will encounter temptation and opposition along the way. There may be blood sweat and tears involved. Yes, it can even lead to martyrdom. So there will be a need for determination and endurance. But Jesus promised that those who endure to the end WILL be saved. The door will be open.