Entering the Kingdom

Scripture: Luke 13:22-30

22 Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he went, always pressing on toward Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He replied, 24 “Work hard to enter the narrow door to God’s Kingdom, for many will try to enter but will fail. 25 When the master of the house has locked the door, it will be too late. You will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Lord, open the door for us!’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ 29 And people will come from all over the world—from east and west, north and south—to take their places in the Kingdom of God. 30 And note this: Some who seem least important now will be the greatest then, and some who are the greatest now will be least important then.” (Luke 13:22-25,29-30 NLT)

Vs 22: Jesus was always pressing on toward Jerusalem. A couple of weeks ago, on March 17, Fire From Heaven, we saw that a Samaritan village didn’t welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. When you are clear on your path and your commitment, not everyone will want to go with you. Go anyhow! And don’t call down fire from heaven on those who choose not to go with you. Simply press on!

Vs 24-28: The “Narrow Door” isn’t what a lot of people think it is. There’s a tendency to think the “Narrow Door” means a big list of things you don’t do, or means having a “correct” set of doctrines and religious practices, or belonging to the right religious or political or social group. The “Narrow Door”, in Jesus’ own words is following Jesus as he fulfills the mission he declared in the Nazareth synagogue that day: 18 “The Spirit of the LORD is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, 19 and that the time of the LORD’s favor has come.” (Luke 4:18-19 NLT)

Vs 29: It’ll be a surprise to see who actually takes their place in the Kingdom of God! They’ll be from all over. It’ll be like my old neighborhood in Leytonstone, East London. People from a dozen different countries and cultures, all living as neighbors on the same street! Oh the cooking smells there will be!

Vs 30: A lot of folks who are little, unimportant people now will be the big, important ones, and the ones who are a big deal now will be in the corner.

Prayer:

Father, What a day that will be! Thanks for some perspective from Jesus on the Narrow Door, and who’s in and who’s who in the Kingdom of God. May it be so, in Jesus’ Name!