Luke 13 v 23. “…. 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.’”
Sometimes people are so sure about themselves and their spiritual well-being. Have you not noticed how agitated, impatient and angry some of your friends or family members become, when you speak to them about Christ and their personal salvation?
But in this passage our Lord points out two things about presumptuous people which should make us all sit up and think.
The first is how surprised they are at being shut out of the Heavenly Banquet. Then secondly, Jesus shows their frustration, disappointment and their argumentativeness at being left out. After they have knocked the Master replies, “I don’t know you or where you come from.” Their argument is that he must surely know them for. “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.”
All that may be true, but then why did they not believe his teaching and come to him while the door was open. As it is, the owner of the house got up and closed the door (v 25). The moment of opportunity had come and gone.
When we read Matthew’s parallel in Matthew 7 verses 21-23, we gather that the Master of the house was Christ, himself and the arguments these people are making is that they were fellow guests, maybe even hosts at the dinner parties Jesus attended. They may have been interested in his teachings, but they did not feel they needed anything more to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.
But their hospitality, polite interest, even their robust discussions with Jesus, was not enough.
How foolish human beings can sometimes be. How many are known to us, who have attended Church, shown an interest in the saving Gospel, sung our hymns, read our books, even read the Bible – but who refrained from that whole-hearted embracing of Christ and his message that constitutes the narrow door through which we must all enter.
Why is the door narrow? Because the message of the Gospel does not allow for other opinions, or other philosophies, or other religions. The good news of the Gospel tells us plainly that Jesus Christ is the only Saviour. We must believe in Him or we will perish.
Many will try to enter and will not be able to (v 24). They will not be able to subscribe to the exclusivity of the message. And so one day the owner of the house gets up and closes the door. And it is shut forever.