The right truth - August 30, 2010
The right truth - August 30, 2010
Then Jesus went through the towns and villages, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" He said to them, "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."
Luke 13:22-30
"The early bird gets the worm." "If you want a job done well, then do it yourself." Some of these "truths" of life we adopt and others we discard. The people among whom Jesus lived and taught had their own "truths" too. Some believed their day-by-day goodness won them God's love. Others believed their nationality was key to a relationship with God. Today many still believe their day-to-day goodness wins them God's love. Others believe instead that believing anything is fine because God is love.
Some of these "truths" can seem really appealing to us at times. It can feel good to list our accomplishments or compare ourselves to somebody else. It's much easier to say that what we believe or do in life doesn't really matter. All the hard conversations go away then. Different as they seem, all of the world's truths are basically the same. All of them either ask sinners to please a perfect God or to demand that God accept us as we are.
It's because of "truths" like these that Jesus was earnestly teaching. He knew that many will find out what they thought was important only locks them outside God's love in punishment for sin. Jesus says it like this: "The last . . . will be first, and the first . . . will be last." It doesn't matter who we are or what great things we did in the world. The truth is: God doesn't supply a wide-open, anything-goes way into heaven. There is only one, narrow way by which God will know us and let us in.
This was what Jesus was teaching the people as he made his way to Jerusalem. There he would die. Dying on the cross, he would open the door to heaven by paying for the guilt of sin. Jesus once said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me" (John 14:6). By faith in Jesus' work, God knows us just as he wants us to be. All the sins that would keep us out of heaven are removed through Jesus. Everything that pleases God we have through Jesus. Access to heaven is ours through Jesus.
The world will tempt you with many other "truths" as long as you live. When you're tempted, toss this truth back to the world, "Getting into heaven is all about whom you know . . . and I know only Jesus."
Dear Savior Jesus, help me remember that you are the only way into heaven. Teach me your Word every day so I can help others understand this truth too. By your grace, forgive my sins and bring me into your glory. Amen.
Today's Devotion is brought to you by WELS and www.WhatAboutJesus.com
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