The Effort

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE

THE EFFORT 

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

The first thing we notice is Jesus is telling them to make every effort to enter through the narrow door. Seeing this is Greek, it says to strive, as to compete for the prize to enter at the narrow gate. Paul talks about running the race, finishing the race, completing the task the Lord gave him, the task of testifying to the gospel of the Lord’s grace. He also said that he had kept the faith. Maybe it is more difficult to remain a believer than we think it is. However, we don’t know any other way to live, than to trust God for our lives. Yet, Jesus is speaking directly to the Jews, and how they will reject him and the Gentiles will come and enter the narrow gate and because the Jews refused to accept him now, they may well not get to enter, although they knew the words of the prophets and should have seen Jesus as the Messiah. But once the day of judgement comes, the last day, if a person had not entered the narrow gate before that day, they we never be able to for the door would be shut to them, and would be thrown out into the darkness. So then, what is the every effort we need to make? That almost sounds like saved by an effort, or by some kind of work. We know that is not true for we know the work that God requires is to believe in the one he sent. We believe we  should seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness which means to forgo striving for the things of this world. How can we serve two masters? How can we walk the narrow path while we keep looking at other paths, wanting what they have to offer? In this world there are many temptations that seem to satisfy our physical desires, but we must see them as distractions from staying on the narrow path that leads us straight to the narrow gate. This may take some effort to overcome those distractions. Although we have been saved by grace, it still requires us to stay in the grace, or as Jesus said, remain in him and he will remain in us. Let us always remember that we need Jesus before anything else. Let us remember the effort.