Daily Bread Luke 13
Daily Bread, Luke 13
The Narrow Door
22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone 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. 25Once 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.'
Observation:
It is obvious that Jesus was preaching a very challenging message, enough so that the people were asking him if only a few people would be saved. Then he says to enter through the narrow door because many will try other ways and not be successful. Then he adds a note of finality when he says that the owner will shut the door at some point, making it impossible for those who haven’t taken the narrow way to enter.
But we see in the final paragraph that it is not a lack of compassion that Jesus has. He says that he longs to gather the people, like a hen gathers her chicks. But the bottom line is God can make someone do what they don’t want to do.
Application:
So what is this narrow way? And if God is loving, why has he seemingly made it so hard to follow him? One of the key things to remember when we read the bible is context. In many other contexts it is made clear God’s love for us as human beings and his desire to be in relationship with us forever. And even in this passage, we see Jesus longing to gather his children into the fold.
But we also see the resistance to Jesus that Luke portrays, especially among the religious types. The road becomes very narrow for those who are still trying to be saved through their own religious efforts, or those who think they should automatically being given entrance through their lineage.
Have you made it through the narrow way? Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that “He is the way, the truth and the life!” In a sense it is narrow in that He is the only way. That is troublesome to many. But when you realize that He is the truth and that He is truly God it makes sense that He would be the only way. Why? Because we can’t save ourselves, only the God who made us can save us and He has done this through sending His only Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. The narrow way is open to any of you who haven’t found it! All you have to do is invite Jesus into your heart and life! He will stay there forever!
Prayer: God thank you for showing us the way back to you. Forgive me of thinking I can do it on my own without your help. Keep me on the narrow way until you call me home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
The Narrow Door
22Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone 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. 25Once 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.'
Observation:
It is obvious that Jesus was preaching a very challenging message, enough so that the people were asking him if only a few people would be saved. Then he says to enter through the narrow door because many will try other ways and not be successful. Then he adds a note of finality when he says that the owner will shut the door at some point, making it impossible for those who haven’t taken the narrow way to enter.
But we see in the final paragraph that it is not a lack of compassion that Jesus has. He says that he longs to gather the people, like a hen gathers her chicks. But the bottom line is God can make someone do what they don’t want to do.
Application:
So what is this narrow way? And if God is loving, why has he seemingly made it so hard to follow him? One of the key things to remember when we read the bible is context. In many other contexts it is made clear God’s love for us as human beings and his desire to be in relationship with us forever. And even in this passage, we see Jesus longing to gather his children into the fold.
But we also see the resistance to Jesus that Luke portrays, especially among the religious types. The road becomes very narrow for those who are still trying to be saved through their own religious efforts, or those who think they should automatically being given entrance through their lineage.
Have you made it through the narrow way? Jesus tells us in John 14:6 that “He is the way, the truth and the life!” In a sense it is narrow in that He is the only way. That is troublesome to many. But when you realize that He is the truth and that He is truly God it makes sense that He would be the only way. Why? Because we can’t save ourselves, only the God who made us can save us and He has done this through sending His only Son that whoever should believe in Him should not perish but have eternal life. The narrow way is open to any of you who haven’t found it! All you have to do is invite Jesus into your heart and life! He will stay there forever!
Prayer: God thank you for showing us the way back to you. Forgive me of thinking I can do it on my own without your help. Keep me on the narrow way until you call me home. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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