Two parables

Luke chapter 13: 24-30  the parable of the narrow door

I have now lived long enough to have experienced a number of approaches to evangelism.  In my lifetime, in order to make the gospel understood, a number of approaches have been used.  One of them involved a booklet that took the readers through the facts of the gospel and at the end if you agreed with them there was a sinners prayer and the person was declaired a Christian. 

I now find that very much at odds with what Jesus had say. In fact he warns us in his parables and I have selected two that are about doors

In the coming weeks, I will select parables about nature and parables about lost and found and try to draw some lessons out of them

Today we are going to look at two parables about doors.

Jesus spoke in parables because this was one of the signs of being the messiah

The question Jesus answers is, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

We are not told WHO asked the question, nor are we told HOW it was asked

In other portions of scripture we are told that he was asked questions to trap him.  We do not know if this was one of those occasions, but if he had said yes or no there could have been repercussions.  If he had said Yes the scribes and Pharisees would have been angry. How dare he say such a thing, they were good men and surely God would let them into heaven.  If he said no then they could have said what then is the point of your ministry?

Jesus knows the hearts of men, and his answer is intended to make us search our hearts.  It is not for us to know how many will be saved.  What we need to know is are we saved? Is my heart right with God?

I believe that it is to prompt that question in us that Jesus tells this parable.

In this parable we are told to make every effort to enter the narrow door to heaven.  This suggests that we need to strive with all that we have to enter.  It is not easy believism

I do not believe that he is saying that our salvation can be earned by our own efforts. We know from other passages of scripture that he is not saying that.  I think that what he is saying is that we need to be sure of our salvation.  We need to be sure that we have truly trusted Jesus in our hearts.  That he is known to us and that he knows us.  That our names are indeed written in the lamb’s book of life.

We are told in this parable that the door will be closed and thereafter, no one else will get in.  Those who are unsaved will be shut out and endure eternal punishment.  We are told that there will be much wailing and gnashing of teeth.  This is a picture of suffering and mourning.  The worst agony that the jews could contemplate.

In this parable we see that everyone seemed to be the same. They all seemed safe until the day the door closed

Verses 26 and 27 those who were shut out gave their reasons for believing they deserved to enter.

They had fellowshipped with him, they listened to his teaching, they ate and drank with him.

Then he will give this terrible and chilling reply, “I DON’T KNOW YOU.  AWAY FROM ME ALL YOU EVILDOERS”.

You see that all they did was not enough and Christ will call them EVILDOERS.     And this will be things they thought they were doing for him, ie listening to him. Fellowshipping with him, and thinking that they were saved, when in fact they were still far from him

A Godly man once said, “Tasting Christ, is not the same as making him you own”.

It is at this point that we need to do as he says in this passage, we need to strive to enter by the narrow door.  Our will needs to bend and submit to his will.  Let us not fool ourselves into thinking that just because we believe the facts of the gospel that we are saved.  Let us soften our hearts and strive to enter the narrow door.

I now look at a second passage about a door that will be shut. 

Mathew chapter 25: 1-13 the parable of the ten virgin

This would be recognisable to the original hearers as a customary practice for a wedding.  The bridegroom would come to the brides house, but there was no way of knowing exactly when he would come and if he came at night, his way to the house would be lit by the bridesmaids.  Hence the reason that they had lamps.  He would then be escorted into the house with his friends.  Once everyone had entered, the door would then be shut.

In this parable all the virgins ( the bridesmaids) appear to be ready for the bridegrooms arrive.  They all have lamps, and all can light the lamps.

However the bridegroom does not appear, he tarries, and all the virgins have their lamps lit while they wait, and they fall asleep.

The time comes, when they are told that the bridegroom has arrived.  The foolish virgins find that they are not prepared.  They are running out of oil, their lamps are going out.  They ask the wise ones to share their oil, but are told that if they do there will not be enough.  It had been the responsibility of each of the five foolish ones to ensure that they had enough.  They seemed to be just as prepared as the wise ones, until the moment came, and the bridegroom arrived. 

The bridegroom, is symbolic of Jesus.  One day, he will return and gather the church to himself as a bride, and that door that divided the wise who are saved and the foolish who are unsaved will close never to admit them as they had presumed they would.

The foolish ones asked for a share in the oil, but we cannot be saved through the salvation of others.  I and I alone, am responsible for my position before the lord.  Am I like the foolish virgins who did not take enough oil, or am I like the wise ones.

I think that self examination, with honesty in the light of Gods word is a good thing.  It can reassure us, or it can tell us the truth that we are not right before god and we need to get right while we still can.

 I think both of these parables are sound warnings to see that the state of our souls is good.  That our faith in the lord is not just because we have heard his word and appreciated it, but that we have heard his word and acted upon it.