ESOCS Devotional 25 September 2024 – Make Every Effort to ENter Through the Narrow Door
MEMORY VERSE: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.” Luke 13:24 NIV
TEXT: LUKE 13:22-35
And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?”
And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the Master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open for us,’ and He will answer and say to you, ‘I do not know you, where you are from,’ 26 then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in Your presence, and You taught in our streets.’ 27 But He will say, ‘I tell you I do not know you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out. 29 They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of God. 30 And indeed there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last.”
31 On that very day some Pharisees came, saying to Him, “Get out and depart from here, for Herod wants to kill You.”
32 And He said to them, “Go, tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and perform cures today and tomorrow, and the third day I shall be perfected.’ 33 Nevertheless I must journey today, tomorrow, and the day following; for it cannot be that a prophet should perish outside of Jerusalem.
34 “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the one who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were not willing! 35 See! Your house is left to you desolate; and assuredly, I say to you, you shall not see Me until the time comes when you say, ‘Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ”
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At the beginning of Chapter 13, someone told Jesus about the tragic event of Pilate killing some Galileans. They may have expected a theological explanation about why this happened. Instead, Jesus challenged them to repent (13:5). Likewise, in today’s passage, someone asked Jesus, “Are only a few people going to be saved?” They may have expected Jesus to expound on God’s attributes and come to a conclusion. However, Jesus said, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.”
As intellectuals, it is easy for us to become speculative. We get stuck on the question “Why?” and fail to take any action. Jesus wants us to enter the Kingdom of God. So, He tells us precisely what we must do and keeps this at the forefront of His teachings. It is essential for us to simply trust and obey Jesus. This kind of attitude toward Jesus and relationship with Him is at the heart of Christianity. Many people think of Christianity as attending meetings and engaging in certain activities. But it is possible to be a Christian culturally without knowing Jesus personally. Such people are in great danger. This is why Jesus says, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door.” Let’s learn what this means.
How to enter the Kingdom of God (22-30). On the Sabbath, Jesus taught the word of God in the synagogue and helped one needy person, setting her free from her infirmity. Though Jesus helped people one by one, he also went through many towns and villages on the way to Jerusalem, teaching the word of God to many people (22). But it seems that the response was not so good. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” (23a). They might have expected that Jesus’ Messianic ministry would sweep the nation and bring social, political and economic reform right away. But to their dismay, serious opposition had arisen, people seemed to be divided, and the number of committed followers was few. Based on observation, it seemed that there would not be many members in the Kingdom of God. They might have wondered if Jesus was too strict in His teaching, especially the cost of discipleship.
To every question, Jesus’ answer was practical and applicable to those who were listening; it was not speculative theology. Jesus’ words seem to indicate that we can enter the Kingdom of God through our intense effort. But in light of the gospel truth, that is not what He means. Then, what is the gospel truth? Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.
- What does it mean that those who are last will be first and the first, last?
- Lord, help me to maintain the kind of relationship that is essential to enter your Kingdom.
Further Reading: Nahum 2:1-3, 12; Proverbs 3:11-20; 1 Corinthians 9:15-27
ESOCS Devotional 25 September 2024
