Luke 13:22-30
Luke’s reason for recording
- What Jesus says here is a warning against trying to hold on to false beliefs and ideas. There is only one way to heaven and in order to get there a person must humble themselves and repent.
Parallel Accounts
- Matthew 7:13-14 and 7:21-23
Though there are similarities there are many differences.
| Luke:
Context: Answering a question |
Matthew
Context: Sermon on the Mount |
| Wide Door: thyra | Wide Gate: pyle |
| No path mentioned | Wide path mentioned |
| Encourages to “strive” to enter | Warns the path is hard |
| Many will seek to enter, but won’t | Few will find the gate and path |
| Parable about a master | Identifies himself as the Lord |
| Those who can’t enter will claim familiarity with Jesus | Those who can’t enter will claim they have done miracles in his name |
| Jesus will claim he does know where they come from | Jesus will claim he does not know them |
| Jesus seems to be focused on Israelites | Jesus’ general teaching |
Again, similar words spoken in different contexts which reveal that Jesus may have used this analogy more than once.
Jesus reveals himself to be the narrow entrance
John 14:6 “I am the way, the truth and the life….”
The “wide” way and entrance
- The entrance is to destruction (i.e. hell)
- The way leading to it is easy
- Religion = a false sense of control
- Philosophy = a false sense of security
- Within Christianity
- Legalism/liberalism
- False theology
- False philosophy
- Ultimately it comes down to the heart
Is salvation faith and works or faith alone?
- It is not true that a person can earn their way to heaven. Ephesians 2:8-9
- It is true that one must struggle to change their belief.
- Repent means to change one’s belief and then do things differently based on the new belief.
- We are expected to do things differently once our belief has been changed. Ephesians 2:10
I don’t know where you come from/who you are
- Familiarity with Jesus does not get one into heaven.
- Mere belief doesn’t get you into heaven.
What gets you into heaven?
- Faith (belief and trust) combined with repentance (changing one’s mind and therefore actions)
- The evidence of faith and repentance is transformation (thinking and doing things differently) Romans 12:1-2 & James 2:14-26
- Those who truly believe will not be “workers of evil” (injustice or unrighteousness) or “lawlessness” (violation of God’s law) implies faith and repentance evidenced by works.
Transformation Expectation
- “Christians” are to be people who believe Jesus is Savior and Lord and act accordingly.
- True Christians are constantly in a state of transformation.
- Continue to change in thinking and action.
- What is the next step for you?