Luke 13:20-30: a reflection

20Again he said, “To what shall I compare God’s Kingdom? 21It is like yeast, which a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” 22He went on his way through cities and villages, teaching, and traveling on to Jerusalem. 23One said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” He said to them, 24“Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. 25When once the master of the house has risen up and has shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ then he will answer and tell you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 26Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27He will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity.’ 28There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s Kingdom, and yourselves being thrown outside. 29They will come from the east, west, north, and south, and will sit down in God’s Kingdom. 30Behold, there are some who are last who will be first, and there are some who are first who will be last.”

When asked whether only a few will be saved, Jesus turns the question into an urgent call: strive to enter by the narrow door, and do not presume you are already in. Strive to enter in by the narrow door, Jesus says; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. Rather than satisfy curiosity about how many will be saved, Jesus presses the hearer to earnestness about his own entering: strive to enter by the narrow door. He warns against presumption: some who assumed they belonged, who had eaten and drunk in his presence and heard his teaching, would find the door shut and be told he did not know them. The call is to enter in earnest, not to presume. This shows the urgent call to strive to enter by the narrow door, not presuming. Strive to enter by the narrow door; take the call seriously. Do not presume you are already in; enter in earnest. Nearness to holy things is not the same as truly entering. Take seriously the call to enter God's kingdom now.

Notice how Jesus responds to the question. Someone asks a curious, somewhat detached question: are only a few being saved? Jesus does not answer with a number; he turns the question back on the hearer with an urgent personal call: strive to enter in by the narrow door. In effect, do not stand back speculating about how many will be saved; make sure you yourself enter, and enter in earnest, for the door is narrow and many who seek to enter will not be able. And he warns against a particular danger: presumption. Some, he says, will assume they belong, pointing out that they ate and drank in his presence and heard his teaching in their streets; yet the door will be shut, and they will be told, I do not know where you come from. This is a searching warning. It is possible to be near holy things, to have some outward association with Christ, to have heard his teaching, to assume we belong, and yet not truly to have entered, not to be known by him. The call is not to presume on such nearness, but to strive to enter in earnest, to make sure we have truly entered by the narrow door and are known by him. We do well to take this call seriously, not presuming we are already in, but striving to truly enter by the narrow door and to be known by Christ. Strive to enter by the narrow door; take the call seriously. Do not presume on nearness to holy things; make sure you have truly entered. It is possible to assume you belong and yet not be known by Christ. Enter in earnest, that you may truly be his.

That is worth taking to heart, for the call is to strive to enter by the narrow door and not to presume, and we do well to take it seriously, as Jesus warned that some who assumed they belonged would find the door shut. We can stand back speculating, or presume on nearness to holy things; but Jesus calls us to strive to enter in earnest, warning that some who assumed they belonged were not known by him. Enter in earnest. Do not presume you are already in; take seriously the call to strive to enter by the narrow door, making sure you have truly entered and are known by Christ. Take seriously the urgent call to strive to enter by the narrow door, not presuming you are already in but entering in earnest, as when asked whether only a few will be saved Jesus turned the question into a call to strive to enter by the narrow door, warning that many will seek to enter and not be able, and that some who assumed they belonged, who had eaten and drunk in his presence and heard his teaching, would find the door shut and be told he did not know them; for rather than satisfy curiosity about how many will be saved Jesus pressed the hearer to earnestness about his own entering, warning against presumption, which is a searching warning, since it is possible to be near holy things, to have some outward association with Christ and to assume we belong, and yet not truly to have entered or to be known by him, so that the call is not to presume on such nearness but to strive to enter in earnest and make sure we have truly entered by the narrow door and are known by him, and we do well to take this call seriously, not presuming we are already in but striving to truly enter.

Lord Jesus, when asked whether only a few will be saved, you turn the question into an urgent call: strive to enter by the narrow door, and do not presume you are already in. Strive to enter in by the narrow door, you say; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. Rather than satisfy curiosity about how many will be saved, you press the hearer to earnestness about his own entering. You warn against presumption: some who assumed they belonged, who had eaten and drunk in your presence and heard your teaching, would find the door shut and be told you did not know them. The call is to enter in earnest, not to presume. Show me how you respond to the question. Someone asks a curious, detached question: are only a few being saved? You do not answer with a number; you turn the question back with an urgent personal call: strive to enter in by the narrow door. In effect, do not stand back speculating about how many will be saved; make sure you yourself enter, and enter in earnest, for the door is narrow. And you warn against presumption: some will assume they belong, pointing out that they ate and drank in your presence and heard your teaching; yet the door will be shut, and they will be told, I do not know where you come from. This is a searching warning. It is possible to be near holy things, to have some outward association with you, to assume I belong, and yet not truly to have entered, not to be known by you. The call is not to presume on such nearness, but to strive to enter in earnest. Take that to my heart. Keep me from standing back speculating or presuming on nearness to holy things; help me take this call seriously, Lord, striving to enter by the narrow door in earnest, making sure I have truly entered and am known by you, that I may truly be yours and not find the door shut.