devotional post #1,995

Luke 13:25-27

Luk 13: 25 Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will be standing outside and knocking on the door and begging him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will respond to you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’
Luk 13:26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’
Luk 13:27 But he will respond, ‘I don’t know where you come from! Go away from me, all you wrongdoers!’

knowing all about Jesus

Some people in the crowds around Jesus had remarkable access to him. They heard his teaching firsthand. They watched his miracles unfold in real time. Some even sat at the same tables, shared meals, and enjoyed the same gatherings. They were close enough to see the light of the kingdom breaking in, close enough to taste its goodness. And yet, they remained uncommitted. They admired Jesus without trusting him. They were familiar with him without surrendering to him. They stayed near the door but never walked through it.

Jesus’ warning to such people is sobering. On the day when all things are revealed, he says that mere familiarity will not count for anything. Knowing about him is not the same as belonging to him. Being around the things of God is not the same as being known by God. Those who never entrusted themselves to him—no matter how much they observed, learned, or appreciated—will find that the relationship they assumed existed never actually began. The tragedy is not that they were hostile; it is that they were indifferent. They hovered near the kingdom but never entered it.

This is where Jesus’ words press into our own lives. The question he raises is not how much information we possess, how many sermons we’ve heard, or how many Christian environments we’ve been part of. The real question is relational: does Jesus know us? Have we entrusted ourselves to him? Have we crossed the threshold from admiration to allegiance, from interest to surrender, from proximity to belonging?

Many of us build walls without realizing it—walls of hesitation, fear, pride, or self‑protection. We tell ourselves we will commit “someday,” when life settles down or when we feel more ready. But Jesus’ warning is meant to break through those illusions. The door is open now. The invitation is real now. And the relationship he offers is not partial or tentative; it is wholehearted, mutual, and life‑giving.

Jesus is not looking for perfect people. He is looking for people who will trust him. People who will let themselves be known. People who will step fully into the life he offers.

LORD, break the walls that keep us from committing to you 100%.