Luke 13:22-30--The Narrow Door

Luke 13:22-30
English Standard Version
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The Narrow Door
22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 And someone said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then he will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’ 28 In that place 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 but you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

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Luke wants us to know that Jesus is still on His way to Jerusalem.  He's going through the surrounding towns and villages when someone asks, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?"  Whoever this person is who asked seems to have been listening to the recent parables and come to the conclusion that God will save a remnant, but it's hard to square with teachings that say the the kingdom of God is going to take over everyone and everywhere (the last two parables and the dream in the book of Daniel about the Rock that no tool had touched destroying the kingdoms of this world and becoming a mountain that grew so large that it took over the whole world).

Jesus says that it is a narrow door (or gate) by which people must enter the kingdom of God.  There is only one Way to come in, and that's through Jesus.  Jesus indicates some will be "seekers" but will never find the one and only door to enter into, still others will be shut out, for at some point, Jesus indicates that the door that is now open will be closed.  This is probably when judgment arrives much like with Noah.  God caused all the people and animals He was going to save to go into the Ark and He closed the door tight behind them so that no one from the outside could get in and no one from the inside could get out.  So then the day of salvation is not eternal and seems to come to an end when the great and terrible day of the Lord falls upon those who have not entered through the one and only narrow door.

Jesus has also compared this time to those who were late to the wedding feast and the doors were closed when the wedding started and no one is going to stop the wedding ceremony and open the doors for someone who received an invitation far in advance and decided to come late to the wedding.  We are to be ready for His imminent return.  In all these cases where people try to come in late, the Master denies knowing them and will not grant them entry.  Jesus refers to them as workers of iniquity or lawlessness.

These who are left on the outside will be condemned to the place of torture that many of us call hell, but their ultimate end is the lake of fire that was meant only for the devil and his angels.  However, Jesus says there will be people that do come from all over (east, west, north and south) implying that God will save people from among the Gentiles, not just the Jews and probably means that God desires to save a remnant from every people group.  The kingdom of God will be a place for them to rest and be filled.

Jesus then says that some of those we expect to be outsiders will inherit the kingdom while some we expect to inherit the kingdom will be left outside.  Some of the ones who are last now will be first in the kingdom there and some whom we imagine to be first in the kingdom now will be last in the kingdom there.  Those who are seeking earthly recognition will find it but not have any eternal reward for their actions.  Those who do not seek after the praise of men can expect their Father in heaven to see their good words and proclaim them before all men (at least all those in heaven) and great is that man's reward that he will be able to put at the feed to Jesus.