Dear COA Family,
Have you ever wondered why Jesus does not answer questions directly sometimes?
In Luke 13:23, a person came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”. To many of us, this seems like a perfectly legitimate question. The answer could help us know how much effort to put in to be saved or if other people we know and love will join in God’s kingdom aswell.
Yet Jesus did not reply with a simple “Yes” or “No” to the question. Instead, he replied: “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door” (Luke 13:24).
What can we learn from Jesus’ answer?
I believe that he is directing all of us as his disciples to the right priority and perspective of a continued trust and obedience to his leading and commands. We are not to be sidetracked with what our neighbours’ end would be like so that we can pronounce some judgments on them. In other words, we are not to be busybodies nor even to play God!
This has a great implication on our lives.
How many of us are overly concerned with the affairs of others and neglect our own spiritual lives? Unfortunately, we are all prone to such a temptation because it relieves us from the difficulty and pain of addressing our own weaknesses. But that would be of no benefit to us.
The apostle Paul writes to us as believers to “make it your ambition to lead a quiet life: You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody” (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).
Mind your own business – that may be a very sound advice to us in our lives!
God bless,
Revd Ian