T H E O P H I L U S

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.”

Luke 13:22-30

Jesus’ description of the day of judgement is a daunting one and often requires of us to check our hearts. It is a warning and also a call to God’s people to spiritual awakening – but yet the many who heard from Jesus in this moment may have not understood what exactly he may have meant. Many of us today still do not know, but I hope today you will have read this and re-examined your idea of what Christian faith is and the means by which we enter heaven.

“Make every effort to enter through the narrow door“: This statement is loaded with a hidden meaning and message. It is a mysterious instruction for some, but is a call on us to really examine the way we think of our faith in God. For many of us, we are constantly looking for the easy way out. The easy way in avoiding problems and conflicts, and the easy way to walk away from our enemies. But what does it truly mean to be a follower of Christ? a Christian? To have Jesus in our lives means that He is the Lord of our lives. It also means that we, ourselves, are no longer the Lord of our lives. Nothing I do, nor that I have in my possession, nor anything that I pursue is for me, for my own ambition, nor for my own want. The narrow door means to live each day in the discomfort of sacrifice as Jesus had also lived.

“We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.”: Heaven is not permitted to us out of entitlement. We are admitted to heaven out of God’s mercy and grace and because of what He has done for us in Jesus Christ. If you consider yourself a churchgoer or believer, Jesus is telling us that is not enough. Just because we believe in the existence of God and we go to church every week or every holiday does not mean we get into heaven. The real question is, has God transformed you from the inside out?

“Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”: Jesus is looking for those that have spent intimate time with Him. He is also looking for those who have taken the harder path of living out Grace and Love each day because of what He has done for us. He is also looking for those who submit to his word because of the faith and trust they have in Him.

At the end of it all, do we really understand who Jesus is? Have we really spent the time to know him and understand God’s love and grace for us? Jesus is looking for those whom have sought a relationship with him – not just those who come to his door for a free ride.

If we have fallen away from the Lord in sin, may you find your way back to the Lord and know that his love for you has never run dry. Put your trust in him, and in all your ways acknowledge him. May you come to understand there just how great his love is for you.