THE NARROW DOOR Part-1 Hi good morning!! How are you doing?? For today's reflection and study, the passage is taken from Luke 13:22-30. It goes like this. 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). Luke starts this section with a focus on Yeshua's ongoing journey to Jerusalem (13:22) which began in Luke 9:51. Further Luke also refers to passing through many towns and villages and teaching people – probably about the Kingdom. Bible has titled this section as "The Narrow Door”. This has both a historical and spiritual context. First let's understand the history. Historically, the narrow door was the door to the side of the large doors of the walled City of Jerusalem. The narrow door, designed to allow one person through at a time. It was for protection, and had a wall in front of the door, so one must take an immediate left; then another wall, so one must take a right; and then a final wall, where one takes another left. In this way the left right left right walk will reach you inside the temple. Yeshua is using the metaphor of this narrow door to give a larger spiritual message. Here in this passage the reference on a narrow door means two things. One is the individual transformation to be part of the Kingdom of God to become a Kingdom worker. This is an individual affair. An individual will be responsible for his or her act alone. Secondly narrow indicates taking tough, difficult, hard decisions and choices in life which may lead to voluntary suffering and willful sacrifice. Remember the three step formula in Luke 9:23 which is to deny self, take up the cross every day and follow the footprints of the master. It's once again a reminder of leaving aside the world's systems and structures to let the divine one enter your mind, body, soul, spirit, thoughts and action. #faith #scripture #bibleverse to be continued....