They Practice Virtue but Produce No Fruit

Table Fellowship with our DSs from Puerto Rico. A 
foreshadowing of the marriage supper of the lamb. 

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Scripture:

Luke 13:22   Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. ²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, ²⁴ “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. ²⁵ When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ ²⁷ But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ ²⁸ There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

Observation:

The journey to Jerusalem continues, but no moment is wasted. Jesus uses every opportunity to teach about the kingdom of God. The questions posed by those listening become a springboard for teaching and clarification. 

There is a narrow path that leads to salvation and there will be many who will convince themselves that they are entering the kingdom. A time will come when the door will be shut — it’s a time of judgement. Thinking that eating and drinking with Jesus is simply enough, these people will be confused when they are not allowed into the kingdom. 

At the beautiful marriage supper of the lamb, people will come from all corners of the earth, by invited into this fellowship. Those on the outside will be weeping because they are not included. The upside-down perspective of the kingdom comes into focus as the last become first and the first become last. 

Current behavior has an impact on future judgement. Those who are being saved today, will be able to participate in the end-time salvation. 

Cyril of Alexandria wrote on this passage: 

“Wide is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” What are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency toward carnal lust and a shameful and pleasure-loving life. It is luxurious feasts, parties, banquets and unrestricted inclinations to everything that is condemned by the law and displeasing to God. A stubborn mind will not bow to the yoke of the law. This life is cursed and relaxed in all carelessness. Thrusting from it the divine law and completely unmindful of the sacred commandments, wealth, vices, scorn, pride and the empty imagination of earthly pride spring from it. Those who would enter in by the narrow door must withdraw from all these things, be with Christ and keep the festival with him. 

You may count certain others among those able to say to the judge of all, “We have eaten and drunk in your presence, and you have taught in our streets.” Who again are these? Many have believed in Christ and have celebrated the holy festivals in his honor. Frequenting the churches, they also hear the doctrines of the gospel, but they remember absolutely nothing of the truths of Scripture. With difficulty, they bring with them the practice of virtue, while their heart is quite bare of spiritual fruitfulness. These will also weep bitterly and grind their teeth, because the Lord will also deny them. He said, “Not everyone that says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven, but he that does the will of my Father who is in heaven (COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 99).

Application:

There are certain parts of Jesus’ teaching that are hard to hear. Ideas of punishment and accountability are rather unattractive and it would be so much easier if we could simply avoid some of these hard truths. Jesus makes it clear that there is a narrow path that leads to the kingdom. This means that not everything in life is permissible in the kingdom of God. 

The church has often swung between legalism and antinomianism. “Antinomianism comes from the Greek meaning lawless. In Christian theology it is a pejorative term for the teaching that Christians are under no obligation to obey the laws of ethics or morality” (theopedia.com). While I was growing up we were coming out of legalism, but I’m wondering whether we have swung too far in the other direction. Along with much of the secular world, we embrace an “anything goes” kind of attitude. No longer is there right or wrong, or real truth, but everything has become relative. Virtue is determined by an entirely new set of constructs that is affirmed through saying the right words, but can be entirely disconnected from action. Where is the fruit? 

Jesus continually reiterated that a right heart would lead to right actions. Walking the narrow path is the result of the work of God in true salvation. Following Jesus is costly, and we will live and respond to the law of God working in our lives. If we don’t — if we only hear the words and enjoy the fellowship without the willingness to follow the narrow path, we will find ourselves on the outside. To practice real virtue, is to live in Christlikeness, and genuine Christlike virtue will bear fruit.

Prayer:

Lord, please help me to have the grace to live on your narrow path. Amen.