Luke 13:22 Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone 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. 25 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.? 26 ?Then you will say, ?We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.? 27 ?But he will reply, ?I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!? 28 ?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. 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. 30 Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.?.
1. OK, there’s no getting around this: those who are “going to be saved” and those who are “in the kingdom” are equivalents here.
2. OK, there also no getting around this: Jesus isn’t a universalist; he’s an exclusivist at some level. Only those who follow him, who are not evildoers, and who know Jesus and are known by Jesus will find entrance into the kingdom. This is a good approximation of what Jesus means by the “narrow door.”
3. This means kingdom is for the followers of Jesus; kingdom is connected to discipleship and not to general, benevolent, universal good and justice.
4. Some who think they deserve entry — no doubt those who think they are saved or how have assurance etc — will discover they won’t be permitted entry. Jesus says this to disrupt those who are listening.
5. Make sure you are one of those who enter into the kingdom. How? Turn to Jesus, listen to him, follow him.