Luke 13:22-30 – Be in the Kingdom - start well and pursue to the end

It is sad for one to be able see the Kingdom and yet refuses to enter, participate and experience its impact. But it is sadder still for one to see it, enter in, experience it but fails to pursue it to the very end. This was in essence what Jesus was saying in verses 22-30. He was still on His teaching tour towards Jerusalem. It was a good three months away, before the appointed time for the goal of His mission to be accomplished. However, He was getting closer and closer to fulfilling it. So here in Luke 13:23, He was asked, “Lord, are there just a few who are being saved?” This question was asked because so far, many had rejected His message. It indicates a comparison made between those who had accepted Him and those who had rejected Him. Obviously, those who had accepted Him were lesser in number, hence that question. In His response, Jesus was encouraging those who followed Him, to continue to pursue the narrow way. He revealed to them that the door to the Kingdom would not be opened forever.

He was telling them that there would be a time when the opportunity would be closed. He used the barring of the door of a house at night to illustrate this. At a certain time of the night, the door would be closed and bolted. Once that happened, those outside would be shut out. There would be some who would realize it, but it would be too late. The door would already be shut, the opportunity to go into the Kingdom would be gone. With urgency they might stand outside the door and knock, but it would not be opened to them because the time had passed. They might even claim to know the Christ, who had secured the gate, and even made reference to the time they had fellowshipped with Him. Still, that would not help. He would not respond to their pleading because they had rejected the opportunity when it was given. They did not identify with Him when the door was open. Hence they would be placed among the evildoers marked for condemnation and be excluded from the Kingdom. In that place of condemnation, there would be both anger and sorrow. The grinding of teeth would be a sign of anger and weeping, and sorrow.

In their remorse, they could even see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. These patriarchs, together with the prophets from everywhere, would be reclining at the table with Jesus and having fellowship with Him in the Kingdom. Many Gentiles who had entered the Kingdom would also be there at the table. Then, there would be those who seemed to be in the forefront now, but they would have barely made it into the Kingdom. And there would be the relatively unknown, they would be given places of honour in the Kingdom.

Walking with Jesus demands resilience. We must hold on to His unpopular teachings and practise them diligently. We must seek to know Him. Though it requires discipline but its reward is immensely rich. Stay through. We will realize finally that it is worth it all, when we recline with Jesus at the table in eternity. He is calling on us to hold on, don’t give up, for the moment will soon be here!