The beloved physician Luke wrote concerning Jesus, “Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and has shut to the door, and you 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 who you are”, and in chapter thirteen and verse twenty-six of his book Luke shared how Jesus said the people shall, “begin to say, we have eaten and drunk in your presence” where we read:
Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence,
and you have taught in our streets.
The verse reads, “Then shall you begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in your presence, ...” Luke began with the words, “then shall you begin to say” or “at that time the people who were listening to Jesus and would be outside the door knocking will respond and start to utter, declare and proclaim”, “we have eaten and drunk” which means “we, the people outside the door, say they have consumed, devoured and imbibed” “in your presence” or “within your sight and before your eyes”. Luke shared how the people standing outside the door knocking respond to the statement of not knowing them which was given by the master of the household begin to make a defense concerning their “being known” by God. They proclaimed how they “ate and drank” before His eyes.
The verse goes on to say, “... and you have taught in our streets.” Luke continued with words, “and you have taught” or “and you, master, have given didactic teachings, instructions and held discourses” “in our streets” which means “within the people outside the door's traveled roads and passage ways”. Luke shared how the people outside the door knocking also referred to how they were in attendance when the master was “giving instruction and doctrine” along their traveled roads.
When we meditate upon Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus said the people outside the door who were knocking and appealing to be let in used “familiar” settings where they were with the master of the house. They ate and drank in His presence, and they heard him teach in their passage ways, but they were not allowed into the dwelling place. God loves people, and He desires to have a personal relationship with them through His Son Jesus. Because they have “eaten, drank and heard teachings” in the presence of God does not mean they have a personal relationship with Him. In other words, living before God and hearing the teachings of God in or outside the church does not make a person a “Christian”. Only those who have yielded their lives to Jesus by trusting in, relying upon and clinging to Him will He identify as those He “knows”. All others will not be allowed entrance into the Kingdom of God regardless of how many meals they've eaten, drinks they've drunk or teachings they have heard.
Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “he shall say, I tell you, I know you not who you are”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until
tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book
“Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the
marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the
Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms
Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County"
in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com
; http://www.barnesandnobles.com
; download to e-books, and find it locally at
www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
All references are from "Strongs Concordance".
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