Luke 13:22 to Luke 14:6

Summary
Today’s reading Jesus thought in the towns and villages on the way to Jerusalem about salvation and the Kingdom of God. He likened the way to a narrow gate and to a door which many will try to enter but only few will succeed. It will be shut against evil doers but encouraged all to strive to enter as failure to enter will end in eternal punishment and torments for such people who rejected him (Jesus) as savior.
A group of Pharisees informed Jesus of a plot by Herod to kill him also betraying their own desire to see him dead. Jesus emphasized his determination to complete his mission regardless. He lamented about Jerusalem’s wickedness against the prophets and how He has longed to save them but they remained obstinate.
Finally, he healed a man suffering from dropsy under the watchful eyes of the Pharisees on a Sabbath day. Knowing their thoughts he asked them if it was lawful to heal on a Sabbath day or suppose if their Son or animal fell into a well on a Sabbath day, will they rescue him? But none could give and answer.

Life Application
From the passage we read, Jesus talked about striving to enter through the narrow gate the way to the kingdom of God. He also mentioned that many will be punished or thrown out for their disobedience. When Jesus was speaking, he wasn’t talking to the people of that time only but also to you and i. And for us to have a better understanding of what Jesus was talking about we have to look at the two striking words Jesus used, which are strive and narrow gate.
Strive means to exert more effort, devote serious energy, and try hard to achieve or accomplish a thing. While narrow gate can be said to be the unpopular way of doing things. We can deduce form the above meaning that Jesus is calling us to make every effort to do things his way, which is the unpopular way.
Finally, we must focus on God to accomplish the assignment He has given to us not minding what people will say or do, like Jesus, he didn’t allow the Pharisees deter him from his assignment. He knew what he was called to do and he fulfilled it.

Personal declaration
I will strive to enter into God’s kingdom and I will not be deterred from fulfilling my assignment.

Reading – Luke 13:22 to Luke 14:6

The Narrow Door

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.”

Jesus’ Sorrow for Jerusalem

³¹ At that time some Pharisees came to Jesus and said to him, “Leave this place and go somewhere else. Herod wants to kill you.”

³² He replied, “Go tell that fox, ‘I will keep on driving out demons and healing people today and tomorrow, and on the third day I will reach my goal.’ ³³ In any case, I must press on today and tomorrow and the next day—for surely no prophet can die outside Jerusalem!

³⁴ “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. ³⁵ Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’^[a]”

Jesus at a Pharisee’s House

14 One Sabbath, when Jesus went to eat in the house of a prominent Pharisee, he was being carefully watched. ² There in front of him was a man suffering from abnormal swelling of his body. ³ Jesus asked the Pharisees and experts in the law, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” ⁴ But they remained silent. So taking hold of the man, he healed him and sent him on his way.

⁵ Then he asked them, “If one of you has a child^[b] or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, will you not immediately pull it out?” ⁶ And they had nothing to say.

Footnotes:

1. Luke 13:35 Psalm 118:26
2. Luke 14:5 Some manuscripts donkey