From Mary Moore Rabb
"Lord, will those who are saved be few?" Luke doesn't specify who asks him this, but I imagine that it was one of his disciples or close followers. In this someone's voice, I almost hear a weary defeat, preceded by a long and sad sigh: "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" As they've traveled from town to town, there have been many receptive to their message, and many who do not receive them. In these latter instances, Jesus has taught the disciples to shake the dust off their feet (Luke 9:5). I picture someone asking Jesus this question after one of those dust-shaking occasions: "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" They have shared the message of Christ, and Christ is there, in the flesh! Still, there are those who do not believe.
The answer that Jesus gives to his question is almost parable-like. He encourages, "strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able" (v. 24). He then describes the master of the house, who will shut the door and deny that he knows those who are knocking. They have crept near the door, but never inside. "Enter", he says. Unless we enter in to Jesus with all of who we are, we will not be welcome.
This passage is both challenging and encouraging for us as believers today. We can relate to the weary "Lord will those who are saved be few?"; our generation is just like Jerusalem, and it can be heart breaking to see His truth rejected in our world. Jesus answers us in the same way--"strive to enter the narrow door"--you trust me, you have faith in me. I want to trust him and have faith in him, and questions still arise. How will I know that I'm having enough trust, enough faith? What about my lost friends and family? Will those who are saved be few?
Although these questions are genuine and felt, I think Jesus deflects because he knows that they only serve as distractions for us. We cannot enter into him when we have so many bulging questions; they won't fit through the door that's so narrow. We cannot know what is to come, or how many will be saved. And yet Jesus rewards us for our faith, for taking up our crosses and following him. For entering in.
I pray that we may enter in to Christ with urgency this week, leaving everything outside the narrow door and trusting him with all of who we are.
"Seek the Lord while he may be found, call upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6)
I am wife to McLean, art-teacher-by-day and artist-by-night. I love happy clothes and sad movies and I would live life on roller blades if that were possible.