Luke 13:22-30 | 2 Peter 1:5-8
Do you ever wonder what single question you’d ask the earthly Jesus if you had the chance? Would it be, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”
Well someone asked him that.
And his response says that many will not enter, but he doesn’t say how many will. It (counting) doesn’t seem to be the main point of Jesus’ ministry.
His message is the same: Make every effort to move into the Kingdom of God.
Do note that those who seem to be left on the outside are those who thought they were in, having received food with Christ’s presence and being recipients of his teaching.
Luke 13:22-30
Jesus traveled through cities and villages, teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?”
Jesus said to them, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow gate. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and won’t be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and knock on the door, saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you are from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ He will respond, ‘I don’t know you or where you are from. Go away from me, all you evildoers!’ There will be weeping and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves will be thrown out. People will come from east and west, north and south, and sit down to eat in God’s kingdom. Look! Those who are last will be first and those who are first will be last.”
2 Peter 1:5-8
This is why you must make every effort to add moral excellence to your faith; and to moral excellence, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, endurance; and to endurance, godliness; and to godliness, affection for others; and to affection for others, love. If all these are yours and they are growing in you, they’ll keep you from becoming inactive and unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayer
God,
Honestly, sometimes I don’t want to.
Most of the time, it’s not that I don’t want to want to, just that I don’t want to. If the will of my body were the exact same thing as the will of my heart and mind, I might be all right, indeed. But my body doesn’t always cooperate.
I do get tired.
I do get hungry.
I do receive temptation.
I’m just being honest.
I’m being honest in the hope that by doing so in confession, it’s the start at the beginning of this day toward the right thing.
So help me, God: give my body energy. Keep me going.
By your spirit & in Christ,
Amen.