Enter Through the Narrow Door

Luke 13:18-30

Key Verse 13:24

"Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to.

Today we would like to think about the way of God’s kingdom. In the passage for today Jesus begins with two parables on God’s kingdom, and ends with a feast in God’s kingdom. 

When Jesus came to this planet earth about 2000 years ago, he lived and died and rose again for one message, and one message alone, that is, the message of the kingdom of God. To us living in this physical world the idea of “God’s kingdom” may not be appealing. But, inasmuch as Jesus keeps talking about it, let us stop for a moment and think about what Jesus has to say.  

First, its program (18-30)

When we look around ourselves we can quickly figure out that everything in and around us is operating according to a program. Think about what you have on your desk at home or at work. Perhaps you have a lamp light, a telephone, a digital camera, a DVD drive, a clock, or a color monitor. Then move to the kitchen. There you have a microwave oven, a refrigerator, and a stove. In this sanctuary as well we have a speaker system, a drum set, a piano, two units of air conditioning, and a piano. All of these are not random products. Someone must have designed them. And everyone of them was programmed in such a way that it would serve the purpose for which it was made. 

When you think about it, our life itself, and the universe in which we are living, are all the products of someone having already thoughtfully made them up and set them in motion. Each of us is breathing every second and every minute of everyday. Our hearts beat 24/7 all because of a pre-meditated design and program. 

But we know that in this world which is yet to be redeemed, there are tons of problems. And we have problems at home, at school, and in government sectors. Lately we the people of America got hit by more bad news:  finally the debt of Uncle Sam exceeded the limit we set. Yesterday Congress raised the debt ceiling from $6 trillion to $9 trillion. Otherwise the government is going to collapse and foreigners particularly the Japanese and Chinese governments which are the largest creditors can foreclose upon the U.S. government. Once they secure a sentence against the U.S., they can foreclose upon all the federally owned properties such as Angels’ National Forests, parks, rivers, and mountains. 

But no matter where you turn, you will see problems. And this has been the case with all people in all generations. We the descendants of the first man Adam, we the products of the marriage relationship between Adam and Eve, have had lots of problems.  And we are all going to die, not knowing what is going to happen or not going to happen thereafter. 

But God did not leave mankind in this fallen condition. The Lord God who programmed the beautiful universe and all the beautiful things in it, came up with a plan to redeem all the fallen men back to a perfected state. The Bible calls the redemption program the “kingdom of God.” 

When Jesus came he came to share this plan. In the passage as well Jesus shares God’s salvation plan in not one but two parables – the parable of a mustard seed and the parable of yeast. “Then Jesus asked, "What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it to? It is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his garden. It grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air perched in its branches." Again he asked, "What shall I compare the kingdom of God to? It is like yeast that a woman took and mixed into a large amount of flour until it worked all through the dough." In this passage Jesus talks about two of his creations: a tiny mustard seed, and yeast. Both are the products of God’s design; they came into being because God programmed them to function the way they are supposed to function. Like any program, a seed has its own system on the inside. It has all the ingredients necessary to produce the result intended by God, that is, a mustard tree. Likewise, yeast is a product of God’s design. People have been eating yeast bread for 6000 years. Yet, it was not until the investigations of Louis Pasteur that yeast was identified as a microorganism; a single-celled fungi. And yeast is useful for brewing and baking. We thank God for making mustard seeds and yeast. Nowadays increasingly I love sandwiches and mustard makes sandwiches tasty. Without yeast we cannot make wine. And in Jewish society and certainly in any civilized society, without wine we can not talk about having a joyful party.    

But Jesus is not just talking about sandwiches or a party over glasses of wine. Jesus is talking about God’s kingdom. And God’s kingdom is a programmed product. God wants to invite his children to his kingdom. God wants his children to come to His place where they can enjoy food and drink, all in a joyful assembly. 

From the day one of Jesus’ public ministry this was what Jesus had been doing. In order to invite people to His kingdom, Jesus went out to places like the Sea of Galilee. There he invited people like Peter, John and James. Let us think about Peter. Before Jesus fished him, Peter’s life was a total bore. But after he met Jesus, he saw God’s kingdom in Jesus. Then he left everything behind and followed Jesus. The same was true with a man named Levi, the tax collector. Before he met Jesus, he lived his life like a sick chicken. But one day Jesus visited his office. Jesus said to him, “Follow me.” Actually that day the life as a tax collector was so miserable that he wanted to go back home and commit suicide. But thank God. Although all people around him lost hope on him, someone named Jesus had hope on him. Then without himself even knowing Levi stood up, and followed Jesus. As he met Jesus and came to have fellowship with Him, he found the joy of heaven in his soul. In great joy he held a banquet. To celebrate the joy of salvation he invited fellow sinners and held a great banquet. 

Essentially the essence of the Kingdom of God is found in Jesus Christ. All the ingredients necessary to give rise to the kingdom of God in a man are all there. Characteristically then Jesus himself can be compared to a mustard seed and yeast. In Jesus we can find all the means and ways in which we can overcome all the ill-effects of man’s sinful rebellion. In Jesus are hidden the treasures of real treasures. There inside of Jesus can we find true vision, future life-security, and all that make man’s life truly beautiful. In Jesus we have every reason to celebrate life, for if one tries him, and knows how to “use” the program called “Jesus”, one can pull out all the frames of life such as the way of true romance (not the sleazy kind but the truly life-uplifting kind), beautiful artistry such as music and poetry, and much more.  Are you interested in Him? Are you going to try Him? Matthew did. Luke did. But what about you? 

Second, its pioneer (22)

Look at verse 22. “Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem.” Again Jesus came to sell the “program” for God’s kingdom. He is a heavenly salesperson. As a heavenly salesperson what did Jesus do? He went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Had Jesus been here in our day, Jesus would have gone through the colleges and universities, teaching along the way. But Jesus is no longer with us physically; he is with us through His Spirit. Thus it is our own privilege to spread the good news of the kingdom of God. 

Now, let us stop and think about the expression “made his way to Jerusalem.” The word “made” indicates that he did it consciously. In fact Luke 9:51 shows us that he made a “firm” decision to go to Jerusalem. He knew that all of his “opponents” (Luke 13:17) (Satan included) would lose big time if Jesus went to Jerusalem and carried out what Jesus had in mind. 

Why then did Jesus want to go to Jerusalem? Luke 9:51 answers the question: “As the time approached for him to be taken up to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.” The expression “taken up to heaven” indicates that to Jesus the cross was not his destiny; it was only the passage to his final destiny, that is, heaven. As used here the word “heaven” is a synonym for God’s domain. It is the place where one can have a full, unabridged access to God. It is the place where one can participate in God’s glory “fully”. God is the God of glory. Proverbs 25:2 says, “It is the glory of God to conceal a matter.” What has been concealed the most since the creation of the world and the fall of man is God’s glory. But in Jesus we came to have some of his glory revealed. For example when Jesus began his public ministry the first miracle he performed was to transform a body of wash water into choice wine, and thereby revealed the glory of God. But it is just a small preview of the real glory to come for in heaven one can see God in his full glory. And the cross of Jesus is the way to His kingdom. It is the avenue. It is the gate (or “door” if you will) to heaven. And the Bible maintains that it is the “only” way to heaven. 

And Jesus came to “make” the way to heaven. He came to “pioneer” the way to God’s kingdom, so to speak. In man’s fallen condition, no one can come to the Father. But Jesus came to pioneer the way. Speaking of this truth, in John 14:6 Jesus solemnly declared, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” 

Here is then the point for us to consider: how did Jesus make the way? How much did he suffer to “pioneer” the way to God’s kingdom? We know the answer. He gave his life to us. This indicates that the ticket to heaven is pricelessly expensive. It is so expensive that no one can pay for it. So God sent Jesus to pay for the price. And Jesus came and paid for it. And he bought a group ticket. Do you know what? Jesus holds all the tickets in his hands. In fact because Jesus purchased the privilege to get into the heaven, anyone Jesus desires can get in, if he or she asks for the ticket, and it is for free.  

Third, its participants (23)

On October 12, 1492, Christopher Columbus first saw the islands of the new world, landing in the Bahamas.  But he thought he had reached the East Indies; the islands off of Southeast Asia. Since his discovery, people have kept coming to American soil. The settlers in the U.S. started out on the east coast. Then they gradually moved west. The westward movement however did not start out on a full scale until the discovery of “gold”. The rumor that gold was discovered generated the so-called “gold rush” in 1849. Then California came to see a population explosion. Until that time, not many people lived in California, and the land prices were really cheap. In those days, 250 acres of land was sold for less than $100. But now the situation is different. In Downey, the commercial property next door which is less than an acre is priced in the million dollar range.  And still people are moving from eastern states to western states. 

The same is true in the number of people navigating from this mundane world to the new world called “the kingdom of God.” When Jesus came, he generated a so-called “spiritual gold-rush.” As Jesus came and proclaimed the good news of the kingdom of God, people suddenly opened their eyes to the new found reality.  And people joined the pilgrimage in bundles. Speaking of the new wave, Jesus says in Matthew 11:12, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” The eleven disciples of Jesus were the first batch of “forceful” men. They were adventurers. They were brave enough to leave their comfort zone behind, and embark on a journey through uncharted territories. 

But not all people were excited about it. Some were excited. But they were hesitant and said to themselves, “Will it be worth to leave everything behind and follow this country rabbi called Jesus of Nazareth?” Is it going to be a safe investment? What will come out of it?” Indeed in the passage as well there was someone who became “excited” about the idea of following Jesus, but was sort of afraid. He was wishy-washy. In the first place he was not sure whether or not he could make it. 

You know as we have seen already, the life of the people in the day of Jesus was more or less the same as ours, for they were living in the same “dog-eat-dog” world as we do. This means that to deny oneself, take up one’s cross daily, and follow Jesus daily was never an easy idea. Most of the people who were following Jesus (or who were thinking about follow Jesus) must have had the “hardness” in their minds of following Jesus all the way. 

Thus someone asked a very interesting question. Look at verse 23. “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" When you think about it, this question can be paraphrased, “How many people will ‘make’ it?” You know it is not easy for anyone to leave one place and go to another place. Lately Dr. David Min moved from Iowa to California. In order to move, he had to face and is still facing difficulties. For example, he wanted to sell his house. But it did not sell as quickly as he wanted. And I pray that the real estate market in Iowa would turn to a seller’s market, so his house would sell for an above market value very quickly. And we all know that the same is true with our heavenly pilgrimage. 

“Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” In other words, “Will all these people who follow you be able to ‘make’ it?” Most likely this “someone” who asked the question had the same question about himself. Most likely this man heard Jesus’ message on the self-denial, cross-taking, and following Jesus all the way. He must have heard and pondered about Jesus saying, “No. Unless you repent, you too will all perish.” Maybe each time Jesus rebuked people saying “You hypocrite!”, the heart of the person who asked Jesus this question, must have sank because he knew that he was indeed a hypocrite. He then must have compared himself with other followers such as Simon Peter, John, or Matthew. And he realized that he did not repent of all he was supposed to repent of. Maybe he was thinking about his girlfriend, or the money he had invested in the stock market. Or he was thinking about the position or the career he had built so far. Or he must have been thinking about the balance in his bank account. It is quite probable that he had a family to support. Can I leave them behind, and follow this man named Jesus? If I do, who will support my family? 

When you think about it, it is not this “someone” alone who has the same agony.  All people who are called to follow Jesus have the same agony. “Am I really going to make it?” “Yes. I know I must follow Jesus, but what about my old habits? What about this? What about that?” 

When we think about this man’s question objectively, however, he is asking the question which Jesus had already answered. For example in Matthew 11:12, Jesus said, “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it.” Are you then one of the “forceful” men? Or you are just wishy-washy, not knowing what to do?  

Fourth, its progress (24)

Although Jesus already answered the question, still in his love, Jesus bothered to answer the question again. Look at verse 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.” A lot of theologians, preachers, and Bible students have huddled around this Bible passage and tried to figure out its real meaning. But in view of the general context of Luke’s gospel, we can say that Jesus is exhorting all of his followers (including that “someone”) to join the team of people called “the forceful men”, embarking on the pilgrimage, braving all the hardships along the way. In so doing, Jesus is describing the difficulties involved in the journey. He did not paint the heavenly pilgrimage out to be a series of joyful rides. Oh, no. Even when you go to Disneyland and ride the roller-coasters, you need to “brace” yourself, and so is the case with the heavenly pilgrimage. 

Obviously, a pastor named John Bunyan understood the challenges involved in the heavenly pilgrimage, so in his book entitled “The Pilgrim’s Progress” he described in detail all the agonies and challenges the pilgrim named “Mr. Christian” had to face on the road. And the first challenge was to “decide” to go through the “narrow” door. After a long time of agony, with many cries saying, “What shall I do?”, finally he turned away from the broad gate and went “through” the narrow gate. Even after that, as he went through stage after stage on the journey, he was confronted with fresh new challenges. Yet, eventually through God’s grace, he “made it.” 

In the case of that “someone”, as Jesus saw him, he even did not begin the first step, that is, to enter through the narrow gate. In other words, he did not make a solid decision to “follow” Jesus. He was only “intellectually debating within himself” making such an academic question as “Are only a few going to be saved?” What about you? Have you ever made a “decision” to follow Jesus? Of all the decisions, the decision to follow Jesus is by far the greatest, coming with the greatest consequence. And every decision has its own cost. 

Fifth, its period (25-28)

In verses 25-28 Jesus then issues a warning. Look at verses 25-28. “Once 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.' "Then you will say, 'We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.' "But he will reply, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!' "There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out.” Here we find one of the most dreadful statements in the Bible, “closes the door.” We find a similar expression in Genesis 7:16, “The Lord ‘shut’ him in.” The door was “shut.” Once the door was shut, no one else could enter the ark. And they all became statistics. This passage indicates that there is a limit to the time period in which we can make it to His kingdom. This then tells us that while still there is time and particularly in a time called “now” we must make a decision to follow Jesus and daily make a pilgrim’s progress! 

Sixth, its party (29)

Verse 29 then gives us an encouraging answer to the question the man asked. Look at verse 29. “People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.” Notice the word “feast”. In the Bible the word “feast” is repeated 97 times, “feasts” 30 times, “festival” 32 times, and “festivals” 12 times. And most of them are foreshadows of the ultimate reality to come, that is, the life in the kingdom of God. Life here on earth has some fun and joys, but they are only temporary. But it is not so with the life in God’s kingdom. The joy and peace, the sense of release, the level of comfort, and the level of glory are all infinitely life-giving. And as Jesus was heading for Jerusalem, Jesus saw this vision beforehand. And this vision is for the brave; those brave enough to both start it and finish it. 

Seventh, the paradox (30)

Jesus is the son of God who sees the end from the beginning. As the “all-knowing” God, Jesus then issues a warning: “Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last." In the day of Jesus, people looked down on individuals like Matthew the tax collector. In one sense, Matthew was one of the last. But he was already on the team. Most likely that “someone” was a member of the religious sect called the “Pharisees” (Luke 17:31).  In Jesus’ day, the Pharisees were considered the best of the best citizens. But no matter what point they must have reached in their spiritual endeavors, until they received Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and started to learn of Jesus, they hadn’t done anything yet. The same is true with all who live in this advanced generation. You might have been well educated, with a good family background, but unless you make a decision to follow Jesus and learn of him daily, you haven’t even started out living a ‘life’ in the real sense of the word “life”. The same is true with everyone who has already been in Jesus. Maybe you are a pastor, or an elder, or a senior shepherd or a senior missionary. Or you have studied the Bible or even taught the Bible to many. But still you’ve not arrived at the point where you are supposed to be. For this reason, you should not think that you are somebody. Rather, daily you must forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead. Otherwise, the Lord will make the result clear. 

One word: make every effort to enter through the narrow door 

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