Who will be saved? Luke 13:22-35
The Narrow Door
“Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”
He said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘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, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.” Luke 2:22-30
Jesus was travelling all over Israel teaching that God’s Kingdom was now open to all people. This was a radically new concept. They had been taught by their Rabbis that they were already God’s people as they had been ritually circumcised. They thought Jewish circumcision with its associated practices guaranteed salvation. So the question Jesus was asked by an unknown onlooker was very significant as well as profound.
“Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” Luke 13:23
Can a person be a circumcised Jew and not be saved? Some people today have been brought up in a Christian environment and think that the ritual of baptism brings salvation with it. Jesus taught repeatedly that an inner change is necessary for salvation.
Notice how Jesus replies to this query. He refuses to go into detail about what percentage of religious people are going to heaven. He simply replies by saying that whether we go to heaven or not depends not on outward religion but on a relationship. “Be concerned about yourself” was the thrust of Jesus’ answer.
This passage consists of two sections but both are closely related.
1. GOD REJECTS PEOPLE
Verses 22 to 30 are extraordinary to most people in Britain. The overall view of God is that of a benign, ostrich-like being who has stepped back and closed his eyes to the day to day happenings of life. They cannot imagine a God who will actually reject people because of what he sees. However in verse 28 Jesus is very clear. It is a horrible, startling verse. He is teaching that some religious people will see their forebears living in heaven whilst they themselves will be rejected by God.
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourself thrown out.” Luke 13:28
The lesson is clear. On this basis God could reject some readers of this article from his kingdom. We, who think we are pleasant, moral, religious people, may find that the door to eternity will be shut against us by God himself. This was as shocking to Jewish listeners at the time as it is to us today. Jesus went on to say that some religious Jews would be excluded and their place taken by others from Gentile nations, the very Gentiles they looked down on!
We must take this seriously today in the so-called Christian west. We cannot rely on our heritage or religious activities. The warning comes from the Lord Jesus himself. He is saying that God will not overlook our sins and just nod us into his eternal kingdom. The hard truth is that our sin, our deep seated independence from God, will lead us to be rejected by God.
The door to heaven is not so wide that men will saunter in at their own convenience and on their own terms. The opening to heaven is narrow and we have to thrust ourselves through it with determination.
“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
No-one will drift into heaven.
Today the average man in the street is saying,
“Give me a good reason why I should accept the existence of God!”
“Why should I be bothered about God; I’ve never seen or heard him.”
“God has done little for me.”
“Few of my friends are bothered about God and we are doing alright.”
But God replies,
“Is there any reason why I should accept you into my eternal kingdom?”
We, in our proud humanity, say,
“God, you prove yourself to me. You show me in a way that convinces me. Give me proof why I should accept you.”
The mid-twentieth century British writer C.S. Lewis lamented that the principal obstacle he found in sharing the Christian message was that most people had rejected the idea of their own sinfulness:
“The greatest barrier I have met is the almost total absence from the minds of my audience of any sense of sin . . . The ancient man approached God (or even the gods) as the accused person approaches his judge. For the modern man, the roles are quite reversed. He is the judge: God is in the dock. He is quite a kindly judge; if God should have a reasonable defense for being the god who permits war, poverty, and disease, he is ready to listen to it. The trial may even end in God’s acquittal. But the important thing is that man is on the bench and God is in the dock.” (C.S. Lewis, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics)
C.S.Lewis' lived in what was formally ‘Christian England’. Christianity offers a Saviour but most nominal Christians have ironically either lost sight of their need for a redeemer or have taken Him for granted. George Barna, a Christian researcher in the United States has confirmed C.S.Lewis’ concerns. He reports that most Americans believe that their salvation is already "sown up.”
Jesus wants to wake us up. God, in all his love and patience keeps saying to us,
“Is there any reason why I should accept someone like you into my kingdom?”
It is as if people are playing poker with God. Although the cards in their hand are hopeless they still persist in trying to bluff their way through. God has the perfect hand, he is going to win, so why do people persevere in holding out against him?
Jesus warns us all,
“You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door to us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.” Luke 13:25
In this passage the people give interesting answers as to why they think they should be recognised and admitted.
“We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.” Luke 13:26
They were suggesting that because Jesus was part of their community that should make them acceptable. Today many people similarly think that because they are part of a church community, even if distantly, that should be enough for God.
Jesus replies by repeating these chilling words,
“I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me all you evil doers!” Luke 13:27
A superficial acquaintance with the Son of God is not enough. Putting ‘C of E’, ‘R., C.’, Baptist, Methodist, Pentecostal, Mormon, Jehovah’s Witness on forms or producing baptism certificates will not be enough. There must be a personal relationship with the Lord Jesus.
A survey of religious people asked, ‘Can a good person earn their way to heaven?’ The responses were worrying.
Assemblies of God 22% said yes
Baptists 38% said yes
Roman Catholics 82% said yes
Those who answered ‘yes’ have not understood God’s message to us. No-one is good enough. Our only hope of salvation is to surrender to Christ, to allow him to be responsible for our sin as our substitute on that cross. Jesus is adamant that there is no other way. He says that he is the only door to eternal life.
“I am the way and the truth and the life. No-one comes to the Father except through me.” John 14:6
After Jesus had ascended to heaven, Peter and John were arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, the very rulers of the Jewish nation who had delivered Jesus up for execution just two months before. They also confidently affirmed what Jesus had taught,
“Salvation is found in no-one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12
In spite of all these warnings many still prefer to rely on their moderately good behaviour or their religious affiliations. It will not be enough to say, “We fed on you at communion services” if we do not have a personal relationship with Jesus himself, if I do not accept him as my Saviour and my Lord.
The Reformer Martin Luther recognised this when he said,
“Christianity consists of personal pronouns.”
Many people can casually say the creedal statement ‘Jesus Christ is Lord’, but only a Christian can say truthfully, ‘Jesus Christ is my Lord.’
The door is still open but the time will come when it will be closed. Then, too late, we will clamour to be admitted to heaven. Too late because we refused God’s offer of forgiveness, we refused to submit to the Lord Jesus.
“Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.” Luke 13:25
Baptism by immersion is a picture of how we receive this relationship; people enter God’s kingdom by dying to self, going under the water. We surrender to Christ who alone is able to wash my sins away. We are lifted up from the water to symbolise god’s promise of eternal life, we are now new people who live for Christ.
The whole Bible makes it clear that God sees our evil thoughts and actions. He knows we are at heart evil doers and rebels against him. None of us is worthy of a relationship with God, not even a Pope, Archbishop, Priest or Church Minister. The only door is a personal relationship with Christ, a dependency on him, and this can only start when we humbly come to him for forgiveness. I may be religious, but Jesus teaches that unless I personally submit to him, to the loving, graceful God, and ask him to take responsibility for my sin, I will never be part of his kingdom.
King Louis XIV of France was outwardly religious but once he said arrogantly,
“How could God do this to me after all I’ve done for him?”
He dared to be critical of God! He is therefore in danger of being one of those that verse 25 talks of. It is a dreadful picture. Louis XIV has died and that door is now closed. The fear is that God will say to him,
“I don’t know you.”
The result of God’s rejection will be devastating. The frustration of exclusion from God will be horrendous. Others will be admitted but not you.
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth.” Luke 13:28
Jesus turns to those listening to him and simply asks,
“Will you trust me? Will you belong to me personally or are you still relying on your own actions and your religion?”
The good news is that no-one needs to be excluded. All sorts of people from all over the world will accept the forgiveness Jesus offers. They may not have the historical, educational or religious advantages of others but they will be admitted because they are relying on Jesus Christ.
“People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Luke 13:29
It is not too late. This is Jesus’ message. When asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” he replies, “You make sure that you are one who will be.” The story doesn’t end there. God’s love extends even to those who have rejected him and his prophets.
Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem
“At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”
He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem! Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Luke 13:31-35
WHY DOES GOD REJECT PEOPLE?
Verses 31 to 35 teach us that God rejects people because people first reject God. Some Pharisees come to Jesus feigning a concern for his welfare, saying.
“Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.” Luke 13:31
Why are they saying this? It is not because they are friendly and concerned for his wellbeing. No, they had come from Herod himself. Jesus replies by telling them to return,
“Go tell that fox . . .” Luke 13:32
Return to that schemer, that cunning Herod and say, ‘No way! I, the Lord God, I am in charge – not some petty earthly king.” Herod is trying to establish his own rule, not God’s kingdom.
Today many today react to Jesus in the same way. Many religious people still reject a personal relationship with Christ, in spite of the fact that he is the Sovereign Lord of the universe.
This short story about the Pharisees apparent concern is surely included here to teach us why people are rejected by God. Herod, king of God’s people, the Sadducees, the ruling elite and the Pharisees, the seriously religious, have rejected Jesus. They refuse to go through that door to salvation. That is why God rejects them.
YET JESUS LOVES THESE PEOPLE
The Jewish people had a very long history of rejecting God and his prophets. Even though outwardly religious, they were inwardly worldly. Yet the Bible teaches that ‘God so loved the world’, those who were antagonistic to him, ‘that he gave his one and only son . . .’ In spite of being rejected Jesus still longs that his listeners will each return individually back to trust in him.
He likens his love for them to that of a hen who, in the time of trouble, gathers her chicks to her for protection. Jesus offers us his protection from the coming judgment.
“. . . how often I have longed to gather your children together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing!” Luke 13:34
So the choice is ours. Jesus teaches that if we continue living our own way and refuse the forgiveness he offers we will eventually be rejected by God and left in a desolate, hopeless state. He taught that hell is as real as heaven. But if we turn to the Lord Jesus, acknowledge his rule over us then we will have passed through that door. We will say with millions of others from all nations,
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.” Luke 13:35
Joanne was told by her doctor the awful news that she had disseminated cancer and did not have long to live. As she walked home she remembered all the things she had done wrong and asked herself,
“Will I ever be admitted to heaven?”
“Then I remembered the Lord Jesus and his death on my behalf. ‘Praise God’ was my response.”
When we have responded to Jesus’ invitation we are safe. We have the sure and certain promise of God himself,
“I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed from death to life.” John 5:24
BVP
Oct 2012
This article is based on a talk given in Christchurch Baldock
