Luke 13:23

And one said unto him, Lord, are there few that are saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in by the narrow door: for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the kingdom of God, and yourselves cast forth without. And they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.

Are there few that are saved ...? Jesus did not answer that question, rather stressing the fact that every man should make it as sure as he can that he himself is saved. The questioner who proposed this was not further mentioned, for Jesus did not address him, but "them."

Strive to enter in by the narrow door; for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able ...

CASUAL SEEKERS AT THE STRAIT (NARROW) GATE

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I. Behold here is a door which it is most desirable that man should enter.

A. Because it is the gate of man's spiritual home,

1. Our citizenship is there (Philippians 3:20).

2. Our treasure is there (Matthew 6:20).

3. The hope of every man is there (Hebrews 6:19).

4. Our Lord is there (John 14:1-3).

5. Our names are written there (Luke 10:20).

B. Because it is the gate of the city of refuge (Hebrews 6:18).

C. Because it is the gate of eternal life.

D. Because it is the gate of escape from the fate of the wicked.

II. How is it that some shall seek to enter and not be able?

A. Some may not enter because of the pride of life (1 Peter 5:6).

B. Procrastination will prevent some from entering (2 Corinthians 6:2).

C. The casual seeker cannot enter. The word "strive" in the text means "agonize."

D. Some carry contraband. Many things must be abandoned by all who would enter this door.

E. Some wait until the "door is shut."

F. Some never try at all, thinking they are already in.

Illustration: The case of Abner (2 Samuel 3:33).

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And hath shut to the door ... These words have the effect of placing the scene Jesus spoke of here at the final judgment. Only then, may it be said that the door is shut. "Jesus does not say that many strive in vain to enter, but that there will be many who seek in vain to enter, after the time of salvation is past."[27] Lamar also taught the same thing, "Jesus does not say nor mean that many will seek to enter in at the strait gate and not be able; - but that they will seek to enter heaven without going through the strait gate."[28] "STRAIT is an old English word meaning NARROW."[29]

The east and the west, and north and south ... The universality of the kingdom of God is seen in these words which are similar to Isaiah 49:12.

Abraham ... Isaac ... and all the prophets ... Here is a categorical statement by the Christ that these ancient worthies are to be reckoned among those eternally saved; and, in view of the sins of which these, and other Old Testament worthies, were guilty, there must be found a vast ground of encouragement for disciples of all ages. Not sinlessness, but the proper repentance and acknowledgment of their need of forgiveness were their dominant characteristics.

Sit down with Abraham ... etc. "This graphically portrays the messianic banquet, a symbol of the joys of the age in which the Messiah shall rule";[30] but the passage goes beyond that to include the eternal joys of the redeemed in heaven.

Weeping and the gnashing of teeth ... The expression regarding eternal punishment is found six times in Matthew, but only here in Luke.

They indicate, as far as merely earthly words and symbols can, the utter misery of those unhappy ones who find themselves shut out from the kingdom in the world to come.[31]

And ye yourselves thrust out ... Many of the fleshly seed of Abraham, through their rejection of Christ, shall fail to attain unto the promise of Abraham.

Last who shall be first ... and first who shall be last ... These words mean that the final judgment will bring many surprises, a fact Jesus often stressed.

[27] Alfred Plummer, Gospel according to St. Luke (New York: T. and T. Clark, 1922), en loco.

[28] J. S. Lamar, op. cit., p. 189.

[29] Everett H. Harrison, op. cit., p. 239.

[30] Ray Summers, op. cit., p. 171.

[31] H. D. M. Spence, op. cit., p. 5.