Grace and Peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ and may our Lord and Savior sanctify you in the truth; for His word is truth. Amen

Thirteenth Sunday after Pentecost (2010)

Repent! For the Time is Near Rev. Toby Byrd

Luke 13:22-30 (ESV)

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."

St. Matthew tells us that after our Lord Jesus was baptized and spent forty days and nights in the wilderness being tempted by the devil He began His ministry preaching to the crowds, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17 ESV). Indeed, the Lord of heaven had come among men preaching repentance and the forgiveness of sins in order to show that there is but one way to obtain the blessings of heaven. Yet, not all who heard our Lord preach would believe and thus be saved. Some, who heard our Lord preach, openly questioned who could be saved. One such person approached our Lord and asked straight out, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?" (v. 23) in response to this question, our Lord answers, “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (v. 24).

Jesus will not allow anyone to be a spectator when it comes to salvation. He will not allow anyone to ask theoretical questions regarding God’s purpose; like, “will those who are saved be few?" because theoretical questions put off repentance by questioning the motives of God. Rather than provide an answer, our Lord Jesus responds with a command; “Strive” make every effort to answer God’s call to faith.

Now listening to this discourse one might think that man, through his own effort can somehow gain passage through this narrow door of which our Lord speaks. However, such thoughts are only the foolish desires of men. St. Paul tells us, “you were dead in the trespasses and sins’ (Eph. 2:1 ESV). Therefore, man is spiritually dead and unable to struggle or strive, much less strive to enter the narrow door leading to heaven. Yet, a struggle ensues none the less when Jesus comes into your life. His Word, Law and Gospel create a struggle within you, in your heart, moving you mightily to desire to conform to His will. The Word itself offers what it demands, it bestows what it requires, and it enables those whom it calls to come to the Lord. Our Lord told the questioner, “Strive” and by His Word He opened the narrow door so the questioner could receive and granted him the power needed to “Strive” which is the power of repentance. Faithful to His ministry, our Lord is saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 4:17 ESV).

Repentance is a word rejected by many. Repent? Repent of what? I’m not doing anything everyone else isn’t doing! The Ten Commandments are for fuddy-duddies. What do I care about the commandment not to commit adultery? Commandments such as that are passé, no longer applicable. If you don’t believe me just look around, go to the movies, read a book, check out the newspaper, or ask your neighbor.

Others who hear these words of Jesus believe that it is within them to seek their own way through the narrow door. They believe that a life of “good intentions” or “good works” will lead to heavenly rewards. They say, “Surely God will not disregard my good works and my effort at helping my neighbor or surely God will not disregard the good intentions of Muslims, heathens, or Jews; those who worship false gods.” However, lest we forget, trying to earn our salvation is the path of foolishness. Furthermore, much harm has come from good intentions. You might recall St. Peter had good intentions when he called our Lord Jesus aside and rebuked Him for speaking of His upcoming suffering and death. His intentions were good, he didn’t want the other apostles confused by this news yet his rebuke of Jesus amounted to a temptation for our Lord. Peter completed failed to hear our Lord when He said that He would be raised on the third day. He failed to see the necessity of the cross and wanted only a kingship without a Messianic priesthood. Thus, our Lord laid upon him the severest, withering rebuke of any of the disciples when He told him, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” (Matthew 16:23 ESV).

Those who live by their “good intentions” are those who say “Remember the Sabbath, who’s Sabbath? There’s no longer an exclusive path to heaven; all paths lead to heaven.” These and so much more are the ways of the world. They want to live by entering through the wide door. However, this is the door that Satan keeps open. It leads only to worldly living led by Satan’s urgings which lead to everlasting suffering.

However, those who hear the word of our Lord Jesus to “Strive” to enter by the narrow door hear His call to repentance, realizing that He is the narrow door that leads to everlasting bliss. Jesus says to us, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6 ESV). In these words our Lord makes it clear, He is the only entry way into heaven. He is the narrow door and only those who confess Him as the Son of God and the Savior of the world will be saved and live eternally with Him in His heavenly home. Once given the gift of faith to believe this blessed truth our Lord Jesus takes up residence in your heart becoming the narrow door which gives you access to eternal bliss.

Thus, Jesus is with you always, leading you in every endeavor; in your daily activity, your evening rest, your Sabbath worship, and in your prayers. By His presence, He grants you the ability to “Strive” to live your life according to His Word. St. Paul reminds us, “But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you” (Romans 8:10-11 ESV).

Our Lord Jesus becomes your righteousness. When you turn to God in repentance seeking forgiveness of your sin, God forgives you because of Christ who lives in you. When you seek God in prayer, He answers you for the sake of His Son Jesus who lives in you. Jesus says to us, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask of the Father in my name, he will give it to you” (John 16:23 ESV). In this instruction Jesus is not saying every time you pray, invoke my name and God will answer you. However, He is saying, when we come before God we should have the name of Jesus upon us and exhibit it. Our lives, our desires, our hearts should be led by Christ. We should appear before God as a disciple of Christ; one of His followers. To be “in His name” is to be “with His name.” It means we plead and rely solely on the merits of Christ as we voice our supplications and give thanks; pointing to His atonement as the sole basis of our assurance that we will be heard. It means that we hide the filthy rags of our sins and imperfections in the blood and righteousness of Jesus making these very treasures of the Lord’s our beauty and glorious dress as we approach the throne of God. If our petition concludes; “Hear us, O great God, not for the sake of our own worthiness, but for the sake of what Your dear Son has accomplished for us as our Substitute,” and this is our true faith, then we pray in the name of Jesus who will open the narrow door so that God will hear our prayer.

When our Lord Jesus calls us to faith and says to us, “Strive to enter through the narrow door” He grants us hearts to truly believe that He is the Christ. He alone erects the cross of Calvary in our hearts granting us the precious gift of faith to rely on His vicarious sacrifice. Granted such a wonderful gift we can then be assured that we are not spectators of His ministry and call to repentance. Filled with the presence of Christ we will not have to stand outside knocking and asking. “Lord, open to us” (v. 25) because the narrow door is within us; it is a part of us. When God calls us from this earthly life, then our souls will be led by Jesus Christ, the Narrow Door, to live eternally with His Father in His heavenly home. Therefore, we will not hear Him say, “I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ ” (v. 27) because He is in us and we are in Him; members of the body of Christ; branches springing from the vine of eternal life.

Who are those who will be saved; all who believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of all mankind? For they alone are blessed with the narrow door that leads to eternal life; our Lord, Jesus Christ, who says to all: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Amen.

May the Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.