Luke: The Narrow Door

Read: Luke 13:22-30

Jesus is teaching on the way to Jerusalem when someone asks:

Lord, are only a few people going to be saved? Luke 13:23

It’s a reasonable question for those who’ve been paying attention to His teaching. While Jesus shows great compassion for the least, the lame, and the forgotten, He also teaches tough lessons about leaving everything to follow Him. The question prompts a somber discussion that reminds me of Matthew 25, five words that stopped me cold when I read them:

And the door was shut. Matthew 25:10

It’s almost Easter 2018. The seminal moment that separates Christians from the rest of the world: The Resurrection. They didn’t expect it when it happened years ago and many don’t expect Jesus to return anytime soon today. Such complacency has eternal dire consequences.

The words in today’s passage don’t prompt me to stand up and beat my chest like a victor in March Madness. Instead, it makes me wonder if I’m really doing all I can to represent the urgency of an inner commitment to Jesus.

These words should frighten us:

I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers! There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth…but you yourselves thrown out. Luke 13:25, 27, 28

These words from Jesus should stir us to action, not out of a concern about our salvation, but look at those around us who think by wearing the Christian badge that they have checked the boxes necessary to gain entry into heaven.

As Easter approaches, I pray we will seek to enter true and honest relationships with those who are far from Christ, whether or not they “go to church” frequently.

Lord, help us to be bold, to do as You say here:

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

We’ll celebrate Easter with great enthusiasm, as we should. We’ll have special events and send post cards to gather with us, as we should. This is the highlight of the Christian year, a special season, and we must be excited!

My prayer is that we don’t rely on excitement to save, on emotions to get decisions. My prayer is we would love people so relentlessly that we would seek to save the lost every day, that this would be our signature, not only on special occasions.

Look, the door is narrow. Most won’t see it unless we are willing to slow down enough, to be patient enough to develop relationships one-on-one. That’s where hearts are changed. Forever.