Christ Lutheran Church
Cleveland, Ohio
August 25, 2025
by: Rev. Dean Kavouras
Pentecost 11
Sobering
As He was making His journey to Jerusalem He passed through town and village teaching when a certain man said to Him, “Lord! Will those who are saved be few?”
He said to them, “Strive with all your might to enter through the narrow door because many people, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When the master gets up and locks the door, then you will stand outside and knock on the door saying, “Lord! Open for us.” But he will answer and say to you, “I do not know where you are from.” Then you will counter, “We ate and drank in your presence; you taught in our streets!” And he will answer you thusly, “I do not know where you are from? Get away from ME all evil doers.” There, there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you look and see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the Prophets in God’s Kingdom, while you yourselves are excluded. And they will come from east and west and north and south and feast in God’s Kingdom.
And Behold! There are those who are Last who shall be First; and there are those who are First who shall be last.” Luke 13:22-30 (DKV)
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Today’s gospel is sobering. Jesus is not exaggerating. Many who think they will be saved will not. They will plead their association with the Lord. They will remind Him that they ate and drank with Him, and that they heard his teachings in the streets of their city. But when the door is closed, which means when the final judgment takes place, they will find themselves on the outside looking in; and hear this sentence: “Get away from me evil-doers, I do not know where you come from.”
Sobering to be sure, but the Lord does not leave us without hope; but He empowers us instead to “Strive with all your might to enter the narrow gate.” Now when we do the math the reasoning is plain. Those who heard His teaching did not take it to heart; did not repent; did not change their ways or stop perpetrating the things that are contra-indicated by divine fiat, and injurious to one another. And so in the end they are adjudged “evildoers” and as such are excluded from the Kingdom of God – and there is nothing worse than that.
But there are two more points that we must reckon with today. First that today’s gospel includes a brilliant proclamation of salvation for sinners when Jesus says: “There are those who are Last that shall be First, and those who are First that shall be Last.”
What does this mean?
It means that Jesus who is First made Himself Last for our sake. And we who were Last because of our addiction to self-gratification are made First by Him!
Said another way, “He who was rich became poor for our sakes, so that by His poverty we might be made rich.” (2 Cor. 8:9). And again, “He who knew no sin became sin for us, so that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” (2 Cor 5:17).
But that is not the end of the matter because in today’s epistle we learn that there is a method by which our Father keeps us in “the paths of righteousness” so that we should never hear the terrible judgment spoken in today’s gospel: “Get away from me evildoers, I don’t know where you come from.”
His method? It is Fatherly discipline as we learn in today’s epistle: “My son do not discount the Lord’s discipline nor grow weary when reproved by Him. For the one whom the Lord loves, He disciplines; and he scourges every son whom He receives.”
What does this mean?
When trouble, loss, suffering, shame and poverty come our way we must be sure to understand these things properly. Our first thought is this: Is God punishing me for my sins?
While an unbeliever, or the Old Adam within us might ask that question, the New Adam does not. Does not because he knows and believes and trusts that our wrongs were expunged on the cross.
And so the answer is no! We are not being punished for our sins however richly we might deserve it. But as we hear in today’s epistle, “Whom the Lord loves He chastens, and scourges every son he receives.” And so the Bible further counsels us not to despise such correction, or grow weary of it. But we are counseled, rather, to endure it patiently because by such sufferings God is conforming us into the image of the Son (Rom. 8:29). To the Beautiful Savior who makes us beautiful, and there is nothing better than that.
The preacher of this sermon to the Hebrews asks further, “What son is there whom his father does not discipline?” And he states quite plainly that if we are left without discipline – as so many are today much to their own great harm – then we are illegitimate children and no sons at all.
But there is still more. We also find in today’s epistle what we already know to be the fact: that discipline is not pleasant at the time, but quite to the contrary dismal, depressing and disheartening; and often feels like it will never end.
But it will! And sooner than you think. And when it does it will yield a bumper crop of what Hebrews 12:11 calls “peaceful fruit.”
We know how this works. Nobody likes to go to the gym, but they go. People pay a lot of money, take major chunks of time out of their busy days between travel time, showering and changing clothes afterwards. They avow noble platitudes about how wonderful it makes them feel. Still no one likes to do it. But they do it anyway. Not because they love to exert themselves, but for the benefits that such self-discipline brings.
Divine discipline is the same. Once we have endured trial and tribulation we emerge sturdier, more confident, more sure of our abilities to cope and ready to take on any challenge. Above all we obtain stouter faith in our God which in turn yields greater calm and sweet peace of mind.
To this end Saint Paul writes in Phil. 1:29 “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.”
And so let us embrace the things we learn in today’s readings. That in Christ we who were Last, are made First. And that by the blessings of divine discipline our God will keep us in the narrow way; and make us strong, firm and steadfast. And that we will in fact sit at the Great Feast with the Patriarchs, the Prophets and all the company of heaven. Amen.