Sermon September 6, 1998 Forcing Your Way In based on Luke 13:22-30

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

In our Gospel lesson today we hear of Jesus continuing His journey toward Jerusalem. He happens upon someone during His journey who asks a simple question. The question is about the number of people who will be saved. "Will that be a small number?" asks the person. He is asking how many are going to heaven. Jesus doesn't directly respond to the person who asked the question, but instead speaks to those gathered around Him. He also never gives a "yes" or "no" answer to the question He was asked.

Maybe you think that was rude of Jesus, but really He was doing something much larger than we might expect. He was not there to play "Twenty Questions" with people. No, Jesus had a much greater purpose in mind: to save the lost. This mission we can be sure Jesus was performing with the limitless skill and wisdom that God has. Jesus knew much more about His questioner than we can even imagine, and He knew much more about His audience, too.

The Questioner's Motives

Perhaps we can ponder for a moment the motives of the questioner. What did he really want? Why was he asking the question? "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Did he just want some statistical information, that is, an idea of the population of heaven? Was he, perhaps, not all that concerned about who was saved, but like some reporters, was just trying to get information on the teachings of this Jesus?

Maybe the questioner was concerned about someone else being saved. He could have wondered if his loved ones would be included. Maybe he wanted some information to pass along to his loved ones to encourage them to be found among those being saved. This is sort of like a sale item at a store being available "only while supplies last." That idea makes you want to go and get it sooner, so you don't miss your chance. So did the individual hope to tell his loved ones that there was only limited seating in heaven and they better reserve their seat soon?

Maybe the questioner was concerned about himself being saved. His question could have been asked "from the outside," so to speak. In other words, he himself wasn't sure if he was saved, and was wondering just how much room there was yet available. He was on the outside of those being saved, and wanted to be inside. "Can I be added to those being saved?" might have been the follow up question.

Another option is that the questioner had an interest in his own salvation, but was asking the question "from the inside." He felt he was among the ones being saved, and was wondering how large the group was of which he considered himself part.

You might think of the slogan of the Marines, "The few, the proud, the Marines." With this slogan, they wish to instill pride in being part of an elite group. Perhaps the questioner then was asking, just how elite is the group I am part of: those who are being saved?

Jesus' Response

These different options for the motivation of the questioner can be weighed in light of how Jesus responds to the question. We can work backwards from Christ's response to see which of the possible motives of the questioner might make the most sense. Certainly Jesus responded in the most appropriate way, so he must have considered the questioners motives.

Consider the two main ways for Jesus to respond. First, with Gospel. He could have said that He came to seek and save the lost. He might have indicated He "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth." (1 Tim 2:4). That would be the gospel answer. The gospel answer would indicate that there is not a limit on the number of people being saved. There is always room for more. Come and join us. God is full of unlimited mercy and wants to save everyone. This is the gospel message, which is suitable for those who realize they are unable to be saved unless God saves them. They realize their sinfulness and the need for a Savior.

The other way Jesus could have responded to the question would be with Law. He could indicate that those who believe they can earn their way to heaven will find it hard to be saved. Those who don't realize their lost and unsaved state need to hear the Law. Notice that this is the type of answer Jesus gives.

Christ tells his questioner, and the audience in general, that they should really struggle to be saved, because the door is narrow. The NIV text says "Make every effort," but the meaning of the original is closer to "struggle." Many will try to force their way in the door, but they won't make it. His response to the question is to point out how many will stand outside the door and knock to get in. They will try to claim their works will save them, but the master and judge will deny any knowledge of them.

The Lord speaks to us with both Law and with Gospel. We need to hear each at the appropriate time. Sometimes our attitude is such that we need to hear Law and sometimes we need to hear Gospel. Sometimes we need to be accused of our sins, and sometimes we need to be shown our Savior who forgives our sins.

Now, consider again: Why did the questioner ask his question? Since the Lord gave him a strong law answer, we can know that this is what the questioner needed to hear. We know the Lord was aware of the motives of the questioner. He saw into his heart. He knew why he was there. Then he gave him a law answer. Law is for the arrogant, secure sinner. Law is for the one who asks, "Will only a few be saved?"

The response of Christ strongly suggests that the one who asked the question was in a position of needing to recognize his sinfulness and his need for grace. The response strongly suggests that the questioner thought he was already among the saved, and was wondering just how many would join him. It can be argued that the questioner was one who was attempting to force his way in the narrow door. He was saying his works would be good enough to save him.

It doesn't seem to be likely that the questioner was asking for the sake of simply gathering statistics on the number being saved. A neutral question like that may well have been ignored by Jesus. It also doesn't seem likely that the questioner was asking his question for the sake of another person. Jesus' answer is direct and piercing and speaks to the questioner's heart.

The Answer for Us

What do we make of Jesus' command: "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to." How do we apply this to our lives? We do it in the same way as the questioner. It is mostly a Law statement. We apply the law to help us see our sinfulness. We need to be reminded of our lost and fallen state.

We need to hear how the works of those who try to force themselves in will be rejected. Jesus tells his listeners that the master or judge will get up and shut the door. They will stand outside knocking to get in, and they will try to force themselves in by their own works. Jesus tells them, "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.'" In other words, they try to claim their works are the reason He should let them in through the door to be saved. Jesus is telling them that they will hold up what they have done and what they have experienced as something which should convince the master to let them in the door. The judge will reply with "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!" With this harsh response, we can see the door truly is narrow. It is not wide enough for those who claim to be able to pass based on what they have done.

In fact, Jesus seems to be sending His listeners off on an impossible task. He tells them to struggle to get in the door, but then He tells those who did their works that they didn't qualify. This is the dead-end of the Law. The Law often frustrates us. If we are honest, we see that we cannot obey God. We cannot keep all His commands. We cannot ever be "good enough." We don't know when to stop. Struggle to get in the narrow door, said our Lord. Then, when have you struggled enough? What amount of struggling is required? We know the answer. God requires perfection from us, if we are to be saved by our works. "You shall be holy, for I am holy." (Lev 11:44) "Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect." (Mat 5:48)

Yes, Jesus did send His listeners off on an impossible task. Their goal was to save themselves by their works, and Jesus wants them to see that that door is very narrow. In fact, it is closed. Jesus hopes the questioner and His other listeners will become frustrated with trying to save themselves. He wants them to learn how it is impossible to be saved by works.

How ironic it is then that some people apply Jesus' words to their life thinking that they must work harder. They must struggle even more to get through the narrow door. Like trying to move a couch through a narrow doorway, around a corner, they think that if they can just get themselves turned the right way, they will make it through. An even more dramatic illustration of just how narrow the doorway is given by our Lord's description of a camel trying to pass through the eye of a needle.

We don't apply Jesus' command as telling us that our works save us, as do some people. No, we are saved by grace, not by our works. Suggesting that our works will let us in the door conflicts with the text in which those who want to get in by works cannot. We also have other words of Scripture to tell us the same thing, such as Eph 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." We are not saved by our works of struggling to get through the narrow door. If you dwell on that part of the answer, you have missed the full impact of the law. You need to hear to judgment of the works of those who knock at the door. The master replies, "I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!" What they thought were good works are seen as evil.

Therefore, we come up short with our works. In humility we turn to God, who does save us. God saves us because He has great love toward us, as today's Psalm said, and He is faithful to all generations. God's great love led Him to come as Jesus Christ and die for us. On the cross, He shed His blood for us. Died, buried, and then risen again, He opened the door to salvation and eternal life. Through Christ, we have forgiveness. Through Christ we are seen as holy and blameless, even perfect, as God would have us be. Yes, because all our transgressions are removed, God sees us now, today, as free of all blame. Under the safety of Christ's atonement for us, we are drawn through the open door. With our faith in Christ, we are receivers of God's grace.

We can even see this great Gospel message in our Lord's reply. Make every effort to enter through the narrow door. The Gospel way to look at this is to see the door as Christ. Christ said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father, except through Me." Indeed the door is narrow, being only as wide as Christ who saves us and takes us to eternal life. Christ is the door. By telling us to make every effort to enter through Himself, He is merely telling that He is the only source of salvation. Let us be found trusting in the one who is the only way to be saved. Let us not try to widen the doorway with our works. Rather, keep your focus on the straight, narrow, and only way to salvation, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.