Folowing after Jesus #88

As we noted the other day, as Jesus went around teaching, people would interrupt to ask Him questions, which would set up teaching situations, like in Luke 13: 

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

This man was asking about the Kingdom of God. Was it hard to get in? After all, earthly kingdoms had walled cities with gates, where people had to pass through under the scrutiny of the gatekeeper. When Jesus says "strive" to enter, He was in no way describing some sorts of works righteousness for salvation. Rather, he was saying entrance is limited.  Many will come thinking they can just waltz right in. Yes, you will see the fathers of the faith there, but many who were hearing Jesus' voice as He taught them in their streets and towns were refusing to trust and follow Him. What you will find, Jesus says, is people from every corner of the earth - people these hearers thought could never make it into the kingdom. It will seem to them upside down and backwards, because they were thinking wrongly about who deserves to enter in. In the bigger context of this passage, Luke records that Jesus was going around preaching repentance - that is what is essential to enter the kingdom - a humble repentence to bow down and go through the narrow gate.  Interestingly, the next passage in Luke, which happened that very day, is when Jesus mourns over the lack of repentance on the part of Jerusalem, the ultimate representation of the people of Israel. The question of many or few fades in the back ground of this one: "How about you? Will you enter in?"