January 20, 2022 -- Luke 13:22-24 -- Who Will Enter Heaven?

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He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.
Luke 13:22-24 ESV

Yesterday’s reading was drawn from Job. The LORD questioned him, calling him a “faultfinder”. It is a theme in Scripture, but it is also a theme in all the world, isn’t it? People are so ready to accuse the God of Glory of all kinds of wrongs or injustices. Here in Luke, those questioning Jesus are not listening to His words and teaching, they are seeking to find fault with the mercy of God—the Gracious and Compassionate One. The implication is: “How can the Lord of heaven and earth be loving if those who are saved are few in number?”

 Look at Jesus’ response. He doesn’t engage in that kind of debate. He gets right at the heart of the matter. Doug Milne, in his study guide on Luke writes:
       The fact is that many (not the same as an overall majority) will make an
       attempt, but fail. ‘Don’t be among the “many”! Jesus gives no reason for
       this failure but presumably the same sorts of reasons come into play here
       as Jesus gave in the parable of the sower (Luke 8:5-7, 11-14). Salvation
       is not for the half-hearted but the single-minded (Philippians 3:13-14).
Milne. Let's Study Luke. Carlisle, PA: THE BANNER OF TRUTH TRUST,
reprinted, 2020, page 222

What a marvelous exhortation. Seek the LORD while He may be found. Pursue Him in your thoughts, speak to Him in your prayers, learn of Him in Bible reading. Put into practice the things you learn so that you will not be a “faultfinder” against the Living God, but found faultless because of Jesus Christ, in Whom there is reconciliation to the Father by Jesus’ blood. Ask the Spirit’s help. God never wearies of hearing His people pray for guidance, forgiveness, help and strength through the Spirit. In fact, this all brings honour and glory to Him, it confirms the fact that all our help and all our hope is fixed on Jesus alone. This honours the Father Who has sent the Son in order to bring many sons and daughters to Himself.

The prayer today is from the Psalms. For many it is a familiar Psalm of confession and dedication to the way of the LORD, our God and King.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
    wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
    let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
    and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
    and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Psalm 51:7-17 ESV

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