Entering the Gate

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

ENTERING THE GATE

Luke 13:22-30

22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, 24 "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. 25 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.' 26 "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' 27 "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' 28 "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. 29 People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." 

NIV

A long answer to a short question is what we have here, yet it is but one truth. The question which is posed is just how many people will be saved. Jesus does not really answer that question but instead tells them what they must do in order to be saved. He does in some sense indicate that there will not be as many as people might think there are being saved. What does he mean that many will try to enter but will not be able to? He makes reference to people who claim they ate and drank with him and they heard his teaching. Could this be religious people, church goers who are simply living a life in the world but think they are Christians because they are members of some church? They talk about God, they do good deeds in the name of religion, but they for all practical purposes are just religious and not born again, Spirit filled believers in Christ. Some scholars speak about this door or gate as being the small gate that each large gate has at the entrance to a walled city, and it is difficult to get in because it is the place of greeting and only qualified quests are allowed in the city. But Jesus has also said that he is the gate, those who enter through him will be saved. This is the life lesson, the point of everything Jesus said here. He is the gate, many will try to enter but only a few will actually find him. Now of course Jesus makes reference to the Jews and the Gentiles in the sense that the Jews were first and the Gentiles last, but the gentiles from all over the earth will be first before the Jews because the Jews have rejected the gate, Jesus, for their religion or pious self-righteous life. This is the danger we could fall into as well. If we replace Jesus with a self-righteous pious life, doing all the right things, but never really leaving the passion for the world and all its trappings, we could be among those standing outside the door when it is closed.  It would seem it does not matter how much we ate, drank and listened to his teachings, but it does matter if we make every effort to find Jesus so we can enter into the kingdom. Church is not Jesus. Religion is not Jesus. Denominationalism is not Jesus. Rules and regulations are not Jesus. It is not even Jesus plus anything, such as Baptism or good deeds, or anything else. The gate is just Jesus and he is the only way in, period. When Jesus was talking about himself being the gate he was speaking about his sheep knowing his voice and coming through the gate. He also spoke about thieves who would try to steal the sheep, false teachers and such. This may well fit into this concept of man creating a religious system much like the Pharisees had instead of a relationship with Jesus. So let us just love Jesus, forsaking the way the world thinks and behaves and just let Christ reign in our hearts. The rest of our life will follow suit and we will be among those who have entered into the kingdom.