Micah Bemenderfer

August 1, 2023

Mark Mark

Passage Read: Luke 13-14
Meditation Verse: 13:24-27

Thought

This is such a shocking set of statements: Many will try to enter the narrow door but not be able. Once the owner closes the door, there will be no second chance, no opening it again for a few last souls. They will remind Jesus that they ate and drank with Him, but He will deny knowing them. They remember Jesus, but He rejects them as evildoers. So He knows who they are, but they never followed Him, they just hung out with Him here and there, enjoyed the show but never bowed the knee and submitted to Him as Lord. Many will try to enter the narrow door...at the last, when they see their opportunity slipping away, but Jesus will refuse them entry, without pity and without remorse. They refused to honor and obey Him, thought He'd be nice and loving and let them in at the last, only to find themselves rejected and cast out.

Application

We don't get to enter Christ's kingdom on our terms, but on His. We don't get to live our lives in whatever way we want, then expect Him to let us in at the last because we spent some time here and there listening to His stories and watching His miracles. Who will be saved? There are many that occasionally set foot in a church or fellowship who will find themselves left out. They're are many who regularly attend church or fellowship, who will find themselves left out. It's not those who think Jesus is all right who will be saved, but those who recognize that He is Christ and God and submit to Him as such. He deserves all obedience, and if I'm not willing to give that, I shouldn't expect entry into His kingdom. Jesus says make every effort to enter, not "Come on in, you don't need to do a thing!" And if I think submitting to Him now is hard or unpleasant, why would I think it will be any better when He returns? Because He'll magically give me a heart that delights to obey at that time? That's what was supposed to happen when I believed in Him on this side of eternity! If it hasn't happened before Jesus returns, it won't be happening after; it'll be too late and I'll be left out.

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