22 He went through one town and village after another, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 “Lord,” someone asked him, “are only a few people going to be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because I tell you, many will try to enter and won’t be able 25 once the homeowner gets up and shuts the door. Then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open up for us!’ He will answer you, ‘I don’t know you or where you’re from.’ 26 Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I don’t know you or where you’re from. Get away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in that place, when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves thrown out.
Last summer, when we took a camping trip out to Colorado, there were a lot of preparations that went into it. One such preparation was securing a spot at a campground. Nowadays, those spots fill up very quickly, especially ones that are near the entrance to places like Rocky Mountain National Park. Many of the spots become available six months in advance, and you have to be on the website the minute they become available or else you’ll miss out. My wife diligently awaited the minute the sites became available, and she snagged them for us. Why? She wanted our family to have a great experience on the trip.
In the same way, when Taylor Swift was doing her massive Eras tour, which was attended by over 10 million people, people refreshed their ticket app religiously in order to obtain one of those treasured prizes. They paid large sums of money and went to great lengths to get into that concert venue.
Why? We labor towards that which we value.
In this passage, Jesus calls us to strive after something is far more important than a tent spot or a concert ticket.
Strive to enter the gate of salvation
In verse 22, it tells us that Jesus is traveling through towns and villages, making his way to Jerusalem. Luke is reminding us of Jesus’s ultimate destination in his earthly ministry. If you remember in Luke 9:51, it tells us, “When the days were coming to a close for him to be taken up, he determined to journey to Jerusalem.”
From the beginning of his ministry, the cross was in his sights.
As he is teaching among the people, the text tells us that someone in the crowd asked him, “Are only a few people going to be saved?” It’s unclear what exactly prompted this question. It could be the warnings that Jesus had delivered to the Jewish leaders. Regardless, Jesus didn’t directly answer his question. Rather, he tells the person, “Make every effort to enter through the door.
Elsewhere, in the Gospel of Matthew, he says something similar:
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the road broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who go through it. 14 How narrow is the gate and difficult the road that leads to life, and few find it (Matt. 7:13–14).
When we first hear this, it may seem like he is imploring the crowd to work for their salvation. However, he is not telling the crowds to strive after good works by which they will be saved. Jesus has already made abundantly clear that salvation is only in him.
In the Gospel of John, Jesus uses the imagery of a sheep gate to communicate a similar idea. John 10:7–9 says:
7 Jesus said again, “Truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. 8 All who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep didn’t listen to them. 9 I am the gate. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved and will come in and go out and find pasture.
Salvation is in Christ alone by grace alone through faith alone. To enter the narrow door is to enter into the kingdom of Christ, submitting our whole life to him as our Savior and our King.
The word “make every effort” carries the idea of an intense struggle, or to do whatever it takes to accomplish something. There are some things so important in life that you have to make sure they happen. If you thought your child’s life was in danger, you would make every effort to ensure their safety, wouldn’t you? Why? Because their life is invaluable, and you want to make every effort to care for those whom you love.
We strive because our spiritual condition is the most important aspect of our life, and we do not coast into the kingdom of God. We have the push of our sin, and the pull of sinful influences around us, knocking us off course.
Why is it important? Jesus goes on to give a warning about waiting too late. He says that the homeowner is going to close the door, and then it will be too late.
Notice the cries of the people who are left outside. They will say, “We ate together. We came to your teaching.” But notice how Jesus will respond: “I don’t know you.” That is the most fearful of messages to answer.
What does this teach us? Proximity to Jesus does not count. Today, we could imagine it saying, “Lord, we came to church regularly. We gave our money to the church. Surely, we can go in.” Faith, not proximity, is the means by which we enter the door.
What are you striving towards in your life? Find rest in the grace of Christ.
Note: To see the full sermon, which covered Luke 13:22–35, click here.
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