Sermon: Strive to Enter

13th Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

Luke 13:22-30

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

Last month, when we were in Texas, we stopped in San Antonio. Of course, we decided to go downtown and see the Alamo. First, we ate lunch in the shopping mall. Then, we meandered through the shops. Next, we got on the river boat ride for a relaxing cruise. Then, we went back into the shopping mall. Now we were ready to head to the Alamo. When we had arrived at the Alamo, to our surprise, it was closed. We were unable to get into the Alamo. Visiting hours were over. We took our pictures so that we could remember the day that we were locked outside of the Alamo. Now it didn’t matter that we desired to go into the Alamo. Once the door was shut, it was too late. We were stuck on the outside. I sure wish we would have bothered to find out the operating hours. We will remember the Alamo a little bit differently than other people.

In our Gospel text, Jesus says, “When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’” (Luke 13:25, ESV) Now there is no true comparison between being stuck on the outside of the Alamo and being shut out of the kingdom of God. But if we can contemplate for a moment upon the angst of temporal discouragements, how much more do we want to avoid the angst of the eternal discouragement of seeing “Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out” ? (Luke 13:28, ESV) This is one of those sayings of Jesus that is difficult to hear.

Now before we jump to the liberal so-called scholar mode of interpretation and convince ourselves that Jesus couldn’t have said this because it doesn’t sound nice, let us realize that our God is not an idol that we can form and shape into our own image. Now before we jump to the American so-called evangelical mode of interpretation and just assume that Jesus is talking about those who don’t come to church, let us realize that the words of law and gospel are spoken to the church.

Let us be disciples and learn from the voice of the master who controls the door. Our Gospel text opens with these words," [Jesus] went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?”" (Luke 13:22-23, ESV) That is a strange question. Now at this point, the liberal so-called scholar would expect Jesus to say, “Oh no. You need not worry about these things, because everyone will be saved.” But, that is not what Jesus says.

Listen to Jesus. He says, "“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luke 13:24, ESV) We cannot mix God’s attributes of love and justice. God is love and desires all people to be saved. God is holy and divine justice must be met. For this reason, the Father sent the Son, out of love, to be the atoning sacrifice for all. The Bible does not teach universalism in which all people will be saved.

Instead, the Bible teaches universal atonement in which Jesus died on the cross for the sins of the world. All are sinners. All people have forgiveness in Jesus alone. Either you are a repentant sinner that trusts in this forgiveness or you are an unrepentant sinner who rejects this forgiveness. Only through Jesus can one enter into the kingdom. Those who seek to enter and are not able are those who do not put their trust in the sacrificial death of Jesus that alone gains access to the kingdom. God is holy and His holiness demands justice. Either justice is met in the death of Jesus for our sins or justice is met in the death of the sinner for his own unbelief. "Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him." (John 3:36, ESV)

At the same time, we don’t want to fall into the mode of the American so-called evangelicals who assume the Christian life is to be a bed of rose filled with nothing but happiness in which God gives to you everything your heart desires. The problem with these two different modes of interpretation is that they are motivated from a hatred for discipline and they end up casting God’s word away (Psalm 50:17).

Jesus says, "“Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luke 13:24, ESV) The Greek word for “strive” is ἀγωνίζομαι which means to compete, fight, struggle, or to make an intense effort. We can hear our English word “agony.” This is the same word that is used for an athlete. As St. Paul says, "Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable." (1 Cor. 9:25, ESV) If an athlete struggles for something temporal, how much more should we put forth an intense effort for the eternal prize? This is not a sprint it is a long distance marathon.

This is the same Greek word found in today’s epistle lesson which reads, "In your struggle against sin you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood." (Hebrews 12:4, ESV) Of course, verse one of that same chapter opened with the image of a runner running a race with endurance.

It is the same Greek word in which Paul encourages Timothy to"Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses." (1 Timothy 6:12, ESV) And then Paul tells Timothy, "I have fought the good fight , I have finished the race, I have kept the faith." (2 Timothy 4:7, ESV) It is the word that the Holy Spirit uses to express the seriousness of keeping the teaching of the Apostles. The church is to struggle to keep the doctrine pure. We are called to struggle individually against sin. This is not an easy task.

We are called to strive, to struggle, and to fight in order to enter through the narrow door. We are warned now so that we do not find ourselves on the outside of the closed door saying ‘Lord, open to us,’ and ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ (Luke 13:25-26, ESV) To such people Jesus will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’"(Luke 13:27, ESV) Listen and learn these words now so that you will not need to hear them at the end of time. Now we struggle so that we can rest then.

We cannot boast at that time, “We built a new church building for you dear Redeemer and we even named it after you. We went into the doors of our new church building and ate and drank in your presence. You taught us their.” This boast is in vain if we do not strive, struggle, and fight to enter through the narrow door. We are in a battle.

When Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and the others took refuge in the Alamo in those days, they did not just close the doors of the mission and wait for their death. They strove, they struggled, and they fought to the end. Now our fight is not against flesh and blood. We fight against the spiritual forces of evil. We struggle with sin in our own lives. We are called to fight it and put it to death. We strive to enter into the narrow door that leads to eternal life.

Let us not concern ourselves with how many will be saved by entering through the doors of our new building. How successful will it be? Are there going to be a few or a lot? That is the Lord’s job. Knowing that there will be few, let us strive to enter in. Strive to enter in so that you are a part of the few. As we gather to learn, to eat and to drink in the presence of Christ, we do so confessing our sins. We speak the words of Psalm 6 saying, “O Lord, rebuke me not in your anger, nor discipline me in your wrath.” And again, “Turn, O Lord, deliver my life; save me for the sake of your steadfast love.” As we say these words in faith now then the words of Psalm 6 will not be said against us then which say, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’" (Luke 13:27, ESV) We are to depart from the sin in our own hearts now trusting that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes our sin away.

Listen to the boasting of the people outside the door at the end of time. They say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence” not that we believed in your promises in the eating and drinking. “[Y]ou taught in our streets” not that we learned anything though. (Luke 13:26, ESV) At least we showed up to the divine service doesn’t that count for anything?

Jesus will say, “No, it doesn’t. Depart from Me you workers of unrighteousness.” You see at the End of Time at the Final Judgment we will stand before the Judge. Either we will stand as a worker of unrighteousness or as righteous worker. With faith we have the righteousness of Jesus. Without faith all we have is our own unrighteousness. We know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the good news is that Christ became unrighteous for us so that we maybe righteous. He came to die on the cross to earn, to win, and to give to us the kingdom as a gift. The Apostle Paul tells us we were workers of unrighteousness, "But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:9-11, ESV) In baptism you have been washed and made holy. You have been justified, that is declared righteous based upon the works of Jesus.

We don’t gather in His presence now so that we can just say, “Yeah, you use to teach us, we ate with you, drank with you, and we even named our church after you.” No, we gather in His presence to receive the kingdom now. He gives to us His own righteousness and takes away our own wretchedness. We come before Him humbly confessing our sins. "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9, ESV) We stand in His mercy.

Jesus is the one at the door. He is the One who lets the people in to the kingdom. Either we enter in through his righteousness or we stand outside in our own unrighteousness. Jesus is the Judge and we already know the verdict: Not guilty, because He removes our guilt. We are waiting for that time here in Los Alamos. We do not sit back and merely wait for the end to come. We strive, we struggle, and we fight to the end. We are not fighting against flesh and blood. We are in a spiritual battle. We are in a fight here in Los Alamos and we gather to take refuge in this building now and in the new building in the days to come. We shall remember the Alamos differently. Strive, struggle, and fight knowing that your confidence is built upon His righteousness. Jesus is the Redeemer of this church not in name only, but in reality. Amen.