The Lutheran Hour
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"The Door is Narrow … But It’s Open!"
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Text: Luke 13:22-30
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Grace, mercy, and God’s peace to you – in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Let us begin with a word of prayer: Lord, we are often troubled by many things. We may even fear of our faith. We tend to forget You and to credit any success unto ourselves. This shows our weakness, our sinful pride, and forgetfulness of You. Help us dear Lord to remember what You have done for us, and in that remembrance, cause us to trust in You for all of our needs; never doubting that You are God and we are Your beloved children. In that knowledge, help us to live joyfully and confidently – through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Well, there I was, just a dad – one of a number of parents – going along for the ride on the field trip. I had volunteered to go with my daughter’s 4th grade class and we were making our way through the famous Mark Twain Cave in Hannibal, Missouri. Nothing to be nervous about right? I wasn’t scared of the dark or worried about bats or anything. And besides, we had a professional tour guide, a leader to walk us through.
So what was with this anxiety I was feeling? I had read the informational brochure stating that the cave remains at a constant 52 degrees year round. Then why was I breaking out in a cold sweat? I mean, it’s the kids who should be nervous, not me. I was the chaperone. I was the adult, the “big dad.” And that was the problem: It wasn’t the “dad” part that made me uneasy, it was the “big” part.
About half-way through the tour, our guide had stopped the journey and announced: “Up ahead, as we turn the corner, we’ll come to a bit of a tight squeeze. It’s the narrowest part of our cave tour this morning. We like to call it ‘Fat Man’s Misery'” he chuckled.
My daughter looked at me and was sizing me up – I couldn’t believe it. And so I gave her one of those looks back that said: “Who me? I’m not fat, I’m…husky. Just big-boned is all.” Besides, this is no big deal, hundreds of people take this tour every day, and no one actually gets stuck. Nah, no way – I convinced myself. But still, in my head I was more than curious to know if I would make the squeeze. Our guide’s words weren’t exactly comforting to a 240-pounder like myself. Fat Man’s Misery? Just how narrow was this opening?
Perhaps similar concerns are felt as one comes across the words of Jesus as found in Luke chapter 13. Beginning with verse 22, Jesus is leading a tour of sorts, through the towns and villages, teaching as He made His way towards Jerusalem. And someone asks Him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?” Jesus said to him, “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, 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.’ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’
“There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. People will come from east and west and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”
Wow! Do those words from the Guide make you start to sweat? Weeping and gnashing of teeth? The door is narrow and many will try to squeeze in and won’t be able to? Sounds like “Fat Man’s Misery” to me.
This narrow door that Jesus speaks of opens up into the house in which the end-time banquet is about to be celebrated. Oh, how all will wish that they might come in – but few will. Therefore, let’s ask: “Just what is it going to take to make it through that narrow door?” Because not everyone will, and so we had better find out what are the dimensions… what are the rules… what are the constraints?
Just how narrow is this opening? And do you think you will fit? Will you make the squeeze? Well, let’s see. First, look into the mirror of God’s perfect requirements: His Law, the Ten Commandments; and then take a look at yourself. Do you like what you see? I don’t. According to His demands, I don’t have a fat chance, and neither do you.
The condition for admittance is perfection. And no amount of belt-tightening, struggling, or effort will get you through. That door is far too narrow and our sin is just too big. What then shall we do?
Turn to your guide. Look at Him. That’s what we do. We look to our leader. That’s what I did that day in the cave as I faced “Fat Man’s Misery.” I looked at that narrow opening, and then I turned to the one who would lead me through it. And as I looked at him, I smiled confidently, certainly knowing that I would make it through. How did I know? Because my guide was bigger than me!
That’s who we turn to – our Guide. He knows the way and He’s way bigger than we are. He’s bigger than the poundage of sin that we carry. He is Jesus Christ – our Leader and our Guide. “Do not let your hearts be troubled,” He tells us. “I am going on ahead. In My Father’s house are many rooms. I am going there to prepare a place for you. I will pass through first. Follow Me. I am the way. No one fits through except through Me.”
Dear friends, it is a narrow door. It is the narrowest of doors, in fact. And there is just one way – only one – exactly one way through. It is through faith in Jesus Christ. The door is narrow… but it’s open! He opens the door through the gift of faith given in baptism. A baptism of repentance to the forgiveness of sins with the gift of the promised Holy Spirit – provides all that is necessary for entrance.
The door is narrow… but it’s open. Now, for those who ignore the open door, it will be too late when the final feast arrives at Jesus’ return. The door will be forever shut. The judgment is forever. “Depart from me” the owner will say. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth…for they have chosen death by rejecting Christ.
But those who believe and are baptized, they shall be saved…they shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever! God’s Word tells us that “Baptism saves you.” Baptism saves me! I will fit through the narrow door to dine in His house forever. How do I know? What makes me so sure? For me, it’s July 3rd 1966. It’s the day the promise was made at my baptism.
Baptism assures us. Baptism connects us to Christ. All who have been baptized into Christ have been baptized into His death and into His resurrection; meaning this – we can with all boldness and confidence say: I will fit through that narrow door to dwell in the house of the Lord forever!
This is one of the beautiful benefits that baptism brings: a sure and certain hope! Christ is all our confidence! We are confident because it is Christ who does all the saving. He does all the work. It is not dependent upon us. We could never save ourselves. It is about our Guide who has already gone through and has opened the door for us.
Baptized believers in Christ, do not let your hearts be troubled about whether you shall pass through, as narrow as that door is. Our Lord doesn’t want you going through life in fear and doubt. And so He gives us a physical sign, something we can see, something we can feel, something we can date, something we can recall, and that is: water and His Word combined in a marked moment in history called your baptism, in which He claimed you for His very own.
As a baptized child of the Heavenly Father, you need not doubt or worry over the question whether you will pass through the narrow door or not. “Yes, but what of these extra pounds?” you ask. “What of this bulky sin that weighs on me? Oh how I try to resist, but I’ve got no will power. I drop a few pounds here and there, but then I blow it. You don’t know the sinful things I’ve done, the things that I’ve said, the things that I’ve thought.” In despair you think, “Oh, I’ll never get through, the door isn’t wide enough for someone like me.”
And yes, I suppose if your salvation was dependant upon your goodness and your ability, you’d have a point there – you would be stuck. But it doesn’t, and so you won’t. For it’s not about you; it’s about your Leader, your Guide, your Savior. It’s about Him, His goodness, His ability, the things He has done, the words He has said, what He has thought. Look not at yourself. Look to your Savior!
The first shall be last and the last shall be first. That’s it! God in His great love for you, slammed the door on His only Son. Jesus was rejected on the cross in order to open the door to you and for all humanity. God’s firstborn was made to be last – so that you could be first.
He died for you and took your sins with Him; all the way to Calvary, all the way to the cave, dead and buried. But three days later, He does rise! The tomb could not hold Him, the stone has been rolled away and the door is open!
The door is narrow…but it is open. Because salvation is by grace – an undeserved gift – because salvation is by grace through faith in Jesus Christ, then we are in for a great surprise come heaven.
Because it is grace, then there will be all sorts of people, a countless multitude, standing in front of the throne of Jesus, dressed in white holding palm branches in their hands, and who (in this world’s opinion) should never have been able to make it through. How in the world did these kind of people fit through that narrow door? Again, He declares, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved!”
And so, former prostitutes will be there, and cheaters will be there, and addicts will be there. They will come from the east and west and north and south. Those with poor church attendance will be there, and those who hardly cracked a Bible, and those who gave but a pittance back to God, and those who had their cake and ate it too. There will be deathbed converts there, and those who were in prison, and the lazy will be there. The gossipers, the gripers, the complainers, the self-centered, and those who were afraid to evangelize; they’ll be there too. Those kinds of people will be there.
There they are. There we are – the multitude who so wanted to be faithful, who at times got defeated, who carried around way too much sin; soiled by life, beaten by trials, but through it all, clung to faith – sometimes faith so small as a mustard seed – but now dining at the great table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Oh, you’ll be there all right. You’ll fit through that narrow door with no problem whatsoever. Why? Because He wants you to. Oh, do you know how much He loves you? Probably not. We could more easily push an elephant through “Fat Man’s Misery” than we could comprehend the wild, uncontainable love of God. True, we don’t quite get it. We don’t quite understand it all yet. We see dimly, as but a poor reflection in a mirror; then we shall see face to face.
In the meantime, we journey the cave, and it can be quite cold and damp and dark at times. But we follow our Guide. We listen to the voice of our Leader. He has gone up ahead and He calls us encouragingly, telling us to: “Stay close, just around the corner is the narrow door.”
If you listen, you can almost hear an echo of what is to come. There’s music. Sounds like a party. Sounds like a celebration. Sounds like cups overflowing. Familiar sounds of the saints who have gone before us, and they’re having the time of their lives. Sounds like a truly wonderful house to live in.
“Do not let your hearts be troubled” He calls. “Trust in God, trust also in Me.” In just a moment you’ll come to a door, it’s narrow, but it’s open. “And don’t worry,” says the Savior. “You’ll make it through just fine. It’s big enough for Me, therefore; it’s big enough for you.” Amen.
And now, may the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard and keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, as we journey towards the narrow door leading to life everlasting. Amen.
LUTHERAN HOUR MAILBOX (Questions & Answers) for August 26, 2007
Topic: If Jesus already died on the cross for our sins, why do we have to ask for forgiveness now?ANNOUNCER: Stay with us now for Questions and Answers with Pastor Ken Klaus. I’m Mark Eischer. Here’s a question that came into our Response Center: “If Jesus already died on the cross for our sins, why do we still have to ask for forgiveness?”
KLAUS: Well, with that question, you know, there is almost always a companion question. If you die without confessing a sin will you be condemned?
ANNOUNCER: I seem to think we’ve answered that one on a previous program, but perhaps we could cover both questions in the time we have today?
KLAUS: Let’s give it a try. Answer the companion question first: Will you go to hell if you die without having confessed a sin?
ANNOUNER: How would you answer that?
KLAUS: The answer, for a Christian, is, “No.”
ANNOUNCER: You said, “for a Christian.” Does that make a difference?
KLAUS: Oh, it does. According to the Bible the only cause for someone being lost, for being damned is not having faith in Jesus as their Savior. Of course, such a person, not recognizing Jesus as their Redeemer, would have no reason to confess their sins, or expect to be forgiven. So, without faith, these folks are lost.
ANNOUNCER: And for a Christian, what happens if they were to die without having confessed a particular sin?
KLAUS: For a Christian, they still go to heaven.
ANNOUNCER: You sound pretty sure of that.
KLAUS: I’m sorry if I only sound pretty sure. I should sound absolutely, positively sure. If we have to confess every single one of our sins, we are all in big trouble.
ANNOUNCER: How so?
KLAUS: Mark, every day you commit all kinds of sins of which you’re not even aware. Sins that just kind of slip on by your conscience and consciousness. How can you possibly confess sins that you didn’t know you did?
ANNOUNCER: And I would guess I’m not the only one here that has these unrecognized sins?
KLAUS: Absolutely not. Everybody has them. You have them. I have them. Our engineer, Brian, in the control room has them.
ENGINEER: Me, too?
KLAUS: Everybody. If we had to make a list, check it twice, and not miss a single one of those sins in our confession, we’re not going to make it to heaven.
ANNOUNCER: It also seems to me that if we have to confess all of our sins in order to get into heaven, it’s almost like we are doing something to earn salvation.
KLAUS: And that’s obviously not true. The Bible says that the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life which comes to us through Jesus Christ our Lord. (cf. Romans 6:23) And you don’t earn a gift.
ANNOUNCER: Which takes us back to our original question. If we’re forgiven of our sins, why do we still have to make a confession of them?
KLAUS: There are a number of real simple answers to that question. First, we confess our sins because the Bible, in any number of passages, tells us to do so.
ANNOUNCER: Could you give us an example of that?
KLAUS: How about 1 John 1: 8-10? “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar and His word has no place in our lives.”
ANNOUNCER: But I think our listener would like more of an answer than just, “the Bible says so.”
KLAUS: I agree. We can help with that. When a sinner comes to God, confessing his sin and asking for forgiveness, he is showing a proper understanding of the relationship that exists between him and God. Confession recognizes that God is the Giver and we are the receivers. Even more, we show that we are appreciative of the fact that Jesus entered this world, suffered, died, and rose so that we might be the beneficiaries of this forgiveness. A person who confesses his sins says he gets it. He realizes that he is already forgiven even before he mentions a specific sin.
ANNOUNCER: So, to be clear, confession is not a good work that we do to earn forgiveness.
KLAUS: No, it is merely stating that we acknowledge the truth of God’s Word when it says that we are, with faith in Jesus, forgiven sinners, gratefully assured, and sure of God’s grace.
ANNOUNCER: Before we close today, anything else?
KLAUS: Yes, I think there is one more reason to ask for forgiveness, Mark.
ANNOUNCER: And that is?
KLAUS: It helps us stay on track. It keeps us from saying, “I’m forgiven, I can do whatever I want to do.” Confession leads us to realize, “I’m forgiven, and, in thanks to the Savior for what He has done, and by the power of the Holy Spirit, I’m going to try to avoid those sins of which I am aware and lead my life in a way that glorifies Him and points others to the power of His redemption.”
ANNOUNCER: Thank you, Pastor Klaus. This has been a presentation of Lutheran Hour Ministries.
Music selections for this program:
“A Mighty Fortress” arranged by John Leavitt. Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“With a Voice of Singing” performed by the Kammerchor, Concordia University-Wisconsin. Used by permission.
“All Who Believe and Are Baptized” arranged by Henry Gerike. Used by permission
“Lift High the Cross” by John Behnke. From For All Seasons, vol. 1 by John Behnke (© 1996 John A. Behnke) Concordia Publishing House/SESAC
“Allegro from Concerto in b minor” by Johann Gottfried Walther. From Richard Heschke at the Hradetzky in Red Bank by Richard Heschke (© 1993 Arkay Records, San Jose)