Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 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.’
Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’
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. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Deeper Dive
Luke situates Jesus “on his way to Jerusalem.” In Luke’s Gospel, this journey motif is not just geographical, it is theological. Everything is moving toward the cross and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. The towns and villages represent ordinary, everyday spaces where the kingdom message is proclaimed, not just in big cities or to elite audiences. The questioner asks: “Lord, will only a few be saved?” In first-century Jewish thought, many believed Israel alone would be saved, and sometimes even a smaller faithful remnant within Israel. Jesus doesn’t give a numerical answer. He shifts the focus from speculation about others to personal responsibility.
“Strive to enter through the narrow door” The Greek word for “strive” (agonizomai) carries the sense of intense effort or struggle — even athletic competition. The “narrow door” metaphor suggests urgency, limited opportunity, and the need for decisive commitment. It’s not about earning salvation by works, but about responding wholeheartedly while the opportunity is open. Once the “owner” (representing God) shuts the door, entry is no longer possible. The imagery draws on ancient hospitality customs: once the feast began and the door closed, latecomers were excluded. The people outside claim association — “We ate and drank with you” — but Jesus points out that proximity to Him is not the same as discipleship. The phrase “I do not know where you come from” points to relational distance: they never truly belonged to Him.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a Jewish idiom for deep anguish and regret. The shock is that outsiders — from east, west, north, and south — will be included at God’s banquet. This reflects the Gentile inclusion promised in Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 25:6–8; 45:6). “Some are last who will be first…” is a reversal motif central to Luke’s Gospel. The kingdom of God upends worldly status, privilege, and presumption.
Jesus went through one town and village after another, teaching as he made his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 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.’
Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’
But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’
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. Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
Deeper Dive
Luke situates Jesus “on his way to Jerusalem.” In Luke’s Gospel, this journey motif is not just geographical, it is theological. Everything is moving toward the cross and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan. The towns and villages represent ordinary, everyday spaces where the kingdom message is proclaimed, not just in big cities or to elite audiences. The questioner asks: “Lord, will only a few be saved?” In first-century Jewish thought, many believed Israel alone would be saved, and sometimes even a smaller faithful remnant within Israel. Jesus doesn’t give a numerical answer. He shifts the focus from speculation about others to personal responsibility.
“Strive to enter through the narrow door” The Greek word for “strive” (agonizomai) carries the sense of intense effort or struggle — even athletic competition. The “narrow door” metaphor suggests urgency, limited opportunity, and the need for decisive commitment. It’s not about earning salvation by works, but about responding wholeheartedly while the opportunity is open. Once the “owner” (representing God) shuts the door, entry is no longer possible. The imagery draws on ancient hospitality customs: once the feast began and the door closed, latecomers were excluded. The people outside claim association — “We ate and drank with you” — but Jesus points out that proximity to Him is not the same as discipleship. The phrase “I do not know where you come from” points to relational distance: they never truly belonged to Him.
Weeping and gnashing of teeth is a Jewish idiom for deep anguish and regret. The shock is that outsiders — from east, west, north, and south — will be included at God’s banquet. This reflects the Gentile inclusion promised in Isaiah (e.g., Isaiah 25:6–8; 45:6). “Some are last who will be first…” is a reversal motif central to Luke’s Gospel. The kingdom of God upends worldly status, privilege, and presumption.
