NOTES for Luk 13:18-35
18 Then said he, Unto what is the kingdom of God like? and whereunto shall I resemble it? |
19 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and cast into his garden; and it grew, and waxed a great tree; and the fowls of the air lodged in the branches of it. |
20 And again he said, Whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? |
21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. |
22 And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. |
23 Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, |
24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. |
25 When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: |
26 Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. |
27 But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. |
28 There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust out. |
29 And they shall come from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. |
30 And, behold, there are last which shall be first, and there are first which shall be last. |
31 The same day there came certain of the Pharisees, saying unto him, Get thee out, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. |
32 And he said unto them, Go ye, and tell that fox, Behold, I cast out devils, and I do cures to day and to morrow, and the third day I shall be perfected. |
33 Nevertheless I must walk to day, and to morrow, and the day following: for it cannot be that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem. |
34 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee; how often would I have gathered thy children together, as a hen doth gather her brood under her wings, and ye would not! |
35 Behold, your house is left unto you desolate: and verily I say unto you, Ye shall not see me, until the time come when ye shall say, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord. |
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We have read many times already that Christ's Kingdom is not like all our human "kingdoms." It is like salt in food, like yeast in dough, like a seed in the ground that has not yet sprouted. It is real, but not visible to the "naked eye." It cannot be defined by our concepts, but its presence irreversibly changes this world.
That is exactly why it is so hard to limit "membership" in this Kingdom, however much "chosen ones" of every kind try to do so. The question asked of Jesus about the number of those being saved, that is, the participants in God's Kingdom, in essence means a demand to mark the boundaries of salvation: "who is inside, and who is outside?"
This question remains unanswered: instead of a limited sect, there is a call for everyone. Yes, entering by the "narrow gate" is hard, and the chance of being left out is quite real. But the gate is not closed; it is merely narrow. And everyone for whom this is truly important and necessary can find himself at Christ's feast with those who have also passed along this path.
Readings for 19 March 2026
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