"Make every effort..." in Luke 13

[sotzo]

When Jesus tells the crowd to "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door" in Luke 13, it would appear prima facie that he is referring to salvation by works. While interpreting Scripture as isolated texts is poor exegesis, what was Jesus communicating in this setting to these folks? The context appears to be non-Pharisees or, at most, a mixture of some Pharisees and regular folk.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

I would say He's pointing to Himself. He is the door after all. He's certainly not deceiving them and sending them a mixed message.

Remember, though, that Christ did not shy away from giving messages that could be misconstrued by faithless hearers. He did not teach in plain, didactic language to crowds in the way that we get doctrine from the Apostles. In fact, Christ taught in Parables to be purposefully obscure:

Matthew 13

10 And the disciples came and said to Him, “Why do You speak to them in parables?”
11 He answered and said to them, “Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given. 12 For whoever has, to him more will be given, and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him. 13 Therefore I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand. 14 And in them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled, which says:


‘ Hearing you will hear and shall not understand,
And seeing you will see and not perceive;
15 For the hearts of this people have grown dull.
Their ears are hard of hearing,
And their eyes they have closed,
Lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears,
Lest they should understand with their hearts and turn,
So that I should[a]heal them.’

16 But blessed are your eyes for they see, and your ears for they hear; 17 for assuredly, I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it.

This comes as quite a surprise to many to think that Christ would not always be apparently obvious to the casual observer but we're not called to be casual observers of His teaching but to follow after Him. His disciples had things explained but not those who just wanted the highlights.

 

[MW]

We need to remember that whilst faith is the gift of God it is also the exercise of the believer. God doesn't believe for the elect; He enables the elect to believe. Their faith ought not to be half-hearted. The virtues of diligence and self-denial apply as equally to our exercise of faith as they do in any human activity. It is clear from numerous texts that genuine faith is in earnest to receive the promise of life. Besides Luke 13 one might also consult John 6:27-29, and Heb. 4:9-11, amongst other places.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

We need to remember that whilst faith is the gift of God it is also the exercise of the believer. God doesn't believe for the elect; He enables the elect to believe. Their faith ought not to be half-hearted. The virtues of diligence and self-denial apply as equally to our exercise of faith as they do in any human activity. It is clear from numerous texts that genuine faith is in earnest to receive the promise of life. Besides Luke 13 one might also consult John 6:27-29, and Heb. 4:9-11, amongst other places.

I fully agree. There is an oughtness to the Gospel that leaves the Jews condemned in Romans 10. The Jews are not condemned for their zeal but that they don't have zeal according to righteousness. We are to pursue Christ and, in so doing, pursue righteousness.

I think a classic example of Christ not just wanting people hanging around Him for the typical "Osteen-esque what's in it for me Jesus?" attitude is John 6 where He basically tells everyone they can just hit the bricks if they're not interested any more. Peter responds with the desperation that resonates with me: Lord, to whom shall we go? You, alone, have words of eternal life.

 

[moral necessity]

When Jesus tells the crowd to "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door" in Luke 13, it would appear prima facie that he is referring to salvation by works. While interpreting Scripture as isolated texts is poor exegesis, what was Jesus communicating in this setting to these folks? The context appears to be non-Pharisees or, at most, a mixture of some Pharisees and regular folk.

Rethinking this question, it seems to me to be true that we are to strive and make effort towards many things in our salvation, and yet our salvation is the work of God. So, I think my first response perhaps may not apply, so I deleted it. We are to seek after the entering of this narrow gate. We are to make diligent effort to put ourselves in the path of grace, so that perhaps we will enter this gate. We can attend the word, the sacraments, and other typical means of grace. And, perhaps God will so grace us as to enter this narrow gate that leads to life. And, granted, even God caused us to desire to enter the gate so much as to be stirred up about it and to pursue after it. So, grace enables the striving, and grace enables the entering. It would be like telling a man with cancer to make every effort to get better. What you're telling him to do is to put himself in the path most suitable to his recovery. The Physician will do the healing.

Blessings!

 

[VirginiaHuguenot]

William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, Vol. 1, pp. 571-572:

Use First. Must the Christian stand thus shod in readiness to march at the call of God in any way or weather? This will exceedingly thin and lessen the number of true Christians, to what they appear to be at the first view, by the estimate of an easy cheap profession. He that should come into our assemblies, and see them thracked and wedged in so close with multitudes flocking after the word, might wonder at first to hear the ministers sink the number of Christians so low, and speak of them as so little a company. Surely their eyes fail them, that they cannot see wood for trees, Christians for multitudes of Christians that stand before them. This very thing made one of the disciples ask Christ with no little stranging [wondering] at it, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" Luke 13:23. Observe the occasion of this question. Christ, "went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem," Luke 13:22. He saw Christ so free of his pains to preach at every town he came to, and people throng after him, with great expressions of joy that fell from many, Luke 13:17. Then said he, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" As if he had said, This seems very strange and almost incredible. To see the way to heaven strewed so thick with people, and the means of salvation in such request, and yet but few saved at last! how can this be? Now mark our Saviour's unriddling this mystery. "And he said unto them (it seems the man spoke more than his own scruple), Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek, and shall not be able," Luke 13:24. As if Christ had said, You judge by a wrong rule. If profession would serve the turn, and flocking after sermons, with some seeming joy at the word, were enough to save, heaven would soon be full. But, as you love your souls, do not boult[7] or try yourselves by this coarse sieve; but "strive to enter," a)gwni/zesqe—fight and wrestle, venture life and limb, rather than fall short of heaven. "For many shall seek, ... but shall not be able;" that is, seek by an easy profession, and cheap religion, such as is hearing the word, performance of duties, and the like. Of this kind there are many that will come and walk about heaven-door—willing enough to enter, if they may do it without ruffling their pride in a crowd, or hazarding their present carnal interest by any contest and scuffle; "but they shall not be able!" that is, they "shall not be able to enter'—because their carnal cowardly hearts shall not be able to strive. So that take Christians under the notion of "seekers," and by Christ's own words they are "many." But consider them under the notion of "strivers," such as stand ready shod with a holy resolution to strive even to blood—if such trials meet them in the way to heaven—rather than not enter, and then the number of Christian soldiers will shrink, like Gideon's goodly host, to a "little troop." O how easy were it to instance in several sorts of Christians—so called in a large sense—that have not this gospel shoe to their foot, and therefore are sure to founder and falter when once brought to go upon sharp stones!

 

[KMK]

To piggy back on Rev Winzer's and Rich's posts. I highly recommend Sermon 4 of Durham in "Christ Crucified" where he lays out many of the different similitudes the Bible uses to teach the nature of saving faith.

Here is an excerpt:

You see then what you are called to. It is to open Christ, to come to him, to marry him, to roll yourselves on him, to commit yourselves to him, to give him credit, etc. And is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you? And if they be very reasonable and advantageous (as indeed they are), we would exhort you to come to him, to receive him, to apprehend him, to flee to him, to take hold of him, to marry him, etc. Believe on him, and by believing, be united to him, and get a right to him, and to all his purchase; give him the credit of saving your souls. This we call for from you; and if you do it not, the complaint in the text will stand against you, Who hath believed our report? Pg. 99

 

[KMK]

Another from Durham in sermon 60:

[T]here is a consenting of the heart to that truth conditionally proposed, and made offer of; that is, to receive Christ as he is offered in the gospel, which in Scripture is called a receiving of him (John 1:12); To as many as received him, etc. And this is an act of the will, respecting Christ as offered, and a bargain proposed that will make the soul happy, where faith accepts. Pg. 571

 

[KMK]

William Gurnall, The Christian in Complete Armour, Vol. 1, pp. 571-572:

Use First. Must the Christian stand thus shod in readiness to march at the call of God in any way or weather? This will exceedingly thin and lessen the number of true Christians, to what they appear to be at the first view, by the estimate of an easy cheap profession. He that should come into our assemblies, and see them thracked and wedged in so close with multitudes flocking after the word, might wonder at first to hear the ministers sink the number of Christians so low, and speak of them as so little a company. Surely their eyes fail them, that they cannot see wood for trees, Christians for multitudes of Christians that stand before them. This very thing made one of the disciples ask Christ with no little stranging [wondering] at it, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" Luke 13:23. Observe the occasion of this question. Christ, "went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem," Luke 13:22. He saw Christ so free of his pains to preach at every town he came to, and people throng after him, with great expressions of joy that fell from many, Luke 13:17. Then said he, "Lord, are there few that be saved?" As if he had said, This seems very strange and almost incredible. To see the way to heaven strewed so thick with people, and the means of salvation in such request, and yet but few saved at last! how can this be? Now mark our Saviour's unriddling this mystery. "And he said unto them (it seems the man spoke more than his own scruple), Strive to enter in at the strait gate; for many, I say unto you, will seek, and shall not be able," Luke 13:24. As if Christ had said, You judge by a wrong rule. If profession would serve the turn, and flocking after sermons, with some seeming joy at the word, were enough to save, heaven would soon be full. But, as you love your souls, do not boult[7] or try yourselves by this coarse sieve; but "strive to enter," a)gwni/zesqe—fight and wrestle, venture life and limb, rather than fall short of heaven. "For many shall seek, ... but shall not be able;" that is, seek by an easy profession, and cheap religion, such as is hearing the word, performance of duties, and the like. Of this kind there are many that will come and walk about heaven-door—willing enough to enter, if they may do it without ruffling their pride in a crowd, or hazarding their present carnal interest by any contest and scuffle; "but they shall not be able!" that is, they "shall not be able to enter'—because their carnal cowardly hearts shall not be able to strive. So that take Christians under the notion of "seekers," and by Christ's own words they are "many." But consider them under the notion of "strivers," such as stand ready shod with a holy resolution to strive even to blood—if such trials meet them in the way to heaven—rather than not enter, and then the number of Christian soldiers will shrink, like Gideon's goodly host, to a "little troop." O how easy were it to instance in several sorts of Christians—so called in a large sense—that have not this gospel shoe to their foot, and therefore are sure to founder and falter when once brought to go upon sharp stones!

I guess Gurnall would be an advocate of "Striver-Sensitive Churches"

 

[Semper Fidelis]

To piggy back on Rev Winzer's and Rich's posts. I highly recommend Sermon 4 of Durham in "Christ Crucified" where he lays out many of the different similitudes the Bible uses to teach the nature of saving faith.

Here is an excerpt:

You see then what you are called to. It is to open Christ, to come to him, to marry him, to roll yourselves on him, to commit yourselves to him, to give him credit, etc. And is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you? And if they be very reasonable and advantageous (as indeed they are), we would exhort you to come to him, to receive him, to apprehend him, to flee to him, to take hold of him, to marry him, etc. Believe on him, and by believing, be united to him, and get a right to him, and to all his purchase; give him the credit of saving your souls. This we call for from you; and if you do it not, the complaint in the text will stand against you, Who hath believed our report? Pg. 99

So very beautiful.

I was listening to R.C. Sproul yesterday as he profoundly reflected on how Paul marvelled at the love of God: "What love is this that we should be called sons of God?!"

He mentioned that modern theology regarding the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man has flattened out this wonder into a yawn by most Christians.

For me, the more I encounter Christ the more I want to to marvel at Him, the more I want to pursue Him.

For some reason I always relate to Jacob wrestling with God and I commend to other Christians to lay hold of Christ and refuse to let go of Him until He blesses us. I think of the lepers who refuse to be quiet and cry out "Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!"

I think some people think of faith as so trivial that they don't realize how profound it is that God should take notice of us.

 

[KMK]

To piggy back on Rev Winzer's and Rich's posts. I highly recommend Sermon 4 of Durham in "Christ Crucified" where he lays out many of the different similitudes the Bible uses to teach the nature of saving faith.

Here is an excerpt:

You see then what you are called to. It is to open Christ, to come to him, to marry him, to roll yourselves on him, to commit yourselves to him, to give him credit, etc. And is there any of these unreasonable or prejudicial to you? And if they be very reasonable and advantageous (as indeed they are), we would exhort you to come to him, to receive him, to apprehend him, to flee to him, to take hold of him, to marry him, etc. Believe on him, and by believing, be united to him, and get a right to him, and to all his purchase; give him the credit of saving your souls. This we call for from you; and if you do it not, the complaint in the text will stand against you, Who hath believed our report? Pg. 99

So very beautiful.

I was listening to R.C. Sproul yesterday as he profoundly reflected on how Paul marvelled at the love of God: "What love is this that we should be called sons of God?!"

He mentioned that modern theology regarding the universal fatherhood of God and the universal brotherhood of man has flattened out this wonder into a yawn by most Christians.

For me, the more I encounter Christ the more I want to to marvel at Him, the more I want to pursue Him.

For some reason I always relate to Jacob wrestling with God and I commend to other Christians to lay hold of Christ and refuse to let go of Him until He blesses us. I think of the lepers who refuse to be quiet and cry out "Jesus! Master! Have mercy on us!"

I think some people think of faith as so trivial that they don't realize how profound it is that God should take notice of us.

I love that analogy!

I happened on this as I was reading this morning. From Spurgeon's Sermon, "On Who's Side Are You?"

I. First then, here is DECISION, or being on the Lord’s side. It is a decision upon the most sublime and important
theme which can ever come under a man’s notice. Here are the two camps, God and Satan, truth and falsehood, holiness
and sin. On which side are we? When I see a man pausing, as it were, between the two hosts and saying to himself, “Which
shall have my heart? Which shall command my service?” I feel that he tarries in a position at once hazardous and sublime,
for whichever that choice shall be, it means eternity—it means Heaven and all its glories—or it means Hell with all its
terrors.
Whether the man shall be for God or for God’s enemies will mean, for that man, kinship with angels, or league with
devils! It shall mean for him the white robe and the everlasting song of adoring praise, or it shall mean the blackness of
darkness and the perpetual wailing of unending misery. Hence a man is placed in a most solemn position when this question
is put to him, “Are you on God’s side, or are you His enemy?” About all other matters, you should go to work with
such a measure of consideration as they deserve. But to this business you must bring your weightiest thought. You must
concentrate all your wit and wisdom and judge and decide upon this matter with all calmness and deliberation—but
with all solemnity of resolution and sternness of determination, so that, having once made your choice by the directing
Grace of God—you may stand to that choice world without end.

 

[sotzo]

This comes as quite a surprise to many to think that Christ would not always be apparently obvious to the casual observer but we're not called to be casual observers of His teaching but to follow after Him. His disciples had things explained but not those who just wanted the highlights.

I think it is the case that not just the casual, faithless observer, but the faithful too struggle with Christ's teachings...in the sense that many are difficult to understand and many have what appear to be ultimatums that point to works as a means of salvation...the rich young ruler, the rich man and lazarus, the pharisee and the publican, etc. Sometimes, even his response to his disciple's questions are difficult to understand...Luke 17:37 for example.

What I'm wrestling with is how Jesus' mission to carry out the work of the Father, specifically with regard to salvation, required a more "cryptic" approach than would appear to be the case if one reads the Epistles first. the Epistles are quite clear on the indicative driving the imperative, but Jesus' teachings often appear as the reverse notwithstanding the Pharisee's insistence on prideful strict law observance. I can see where some theologians like FC Baur wrestled with the reconciliation of Paul and the Gospels for example.

I make these observations in faith, that desires to follow what Jesus taught...at the end of reading the Gospels though, I feel quite hopeless in being able to follow him as he is asking me therein!!!!!!

 

[KMK]

What I'm wrestling with is how Jesus' mission to carry out the work of the Father, specifically with regard to salvation, required a more "cryptic" approach than would appear to be the case if one reads the Epistles first.

Perhaps the answer lies in Mark 4:11,12

And he said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mystery of the kingdom of God: but unto them that are without, all [these] things are done in parables: That seeing they may see, and not perceive; and hearing they may hear, and not understand; lest at any time they should be converted, and [their] sins should be forgiven them.

 

[Semper Fidelis]

This comes as quite a surprise to many to think that Christ would not always be apparently obvious to the casual observer but we're not called to be casual observers of His teaching but to follow after Him. His disciples had things explained but not those who just wanted the highlights.

I think it is the case that not just the casual, faithless observer, but the faithful too struggle with Christ's teachings...in the sense that many are difficult to understand and many have what appear to be ultimatums that point to works as a means of salvation...the rich young ruler, the rich man and lazarus, the pharisee and the publican, etc. Sometimes, even his response to his disciple's questions are difficult to understand...Luke 17:37 for example.

What I'm wrestling with is how Jesus' mission to carry out the work of the Father, specifically with regard to salvation, required a more "cryptic" approach than would appear to be the case if one reads the Epistles first. the Epistles are quite clear on the indicative driving the imperative, but Jesus' teachings often appear as the reverse notwithstanding the Pharisee's insistence on prideful strict law observance. I can see where some theologians like FC Baur wrestled with the reconciliation of Paul and the Gospels for example.

I make these observations in faith, that desires to follow what Jesus taught...at the end of reading the Gospels though, I feel quite hopeless in being able to follow him as he is asking me therein!!!!!!

I'm not trying to be flippant about them but it certainly seems to be the key to the whole issue when Christ states that He was purposefully obfuscating by His teaching only to explain it to His disciples. Thus, it makes perfect sense that His actions or words could be taken a number of different ways by the casual watcher of events and, if you're not reading the explanation, you might come to wrong conclusions.

About 10 years ago the Jesus video was all the rage. People were asking for $$ so that the videos could be sent by the millions to the 10/40 window. A lot of people watched the video of what Christ did in the Gospels. When interviewed, you'd be shocked to hear how these people filled in the blanks about what it all meant to see a guy walking around, healing people, casting out demons, and then having an angry mob kill him.

The Gospels are like that. They're, generally speaking, historical narrative and if people don't take the time to go from the more plain to the other than they'll have problems. I can also imagine how some people will really struggle reconciling the two because they always want to paint Jesus as the uber-"nice guy" who would never want to obfuscate or be mean. Paul is the mean one after all. Those who have that pre-supposition are going to have their ability to reconcile things colored, which is why they feel at liberty to edit things out that Paul wrote because they're "culturally conditioned".

Not all the Gospel narratives are obscure after all. John 6 shows a Christ offending thousands and He preaches on hell more than anyone else in the Scriptures.

If the problem is that you're trying to fit certain stories into the "Apostolic grid" then consider, finally, that some of the stories might be harder to reconcile because you need to understand the culture a little bit better that Christ teached in. For that, I commend to you The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah by Alfred Edersheim.