Section 89, The Narrow Door

Section 89
THE STRAIT GATE, WARNED AGAINST HEROD
(Peræa)
LUKE 13:22-35

"And one said unto him, Lord, are they few that are saved?
Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." 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.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!’" -Luke 13:23-27

Illustration from Kingsway Bible School

This parable reads like a nightmare to me.  It brings out the worst of my works based fears-the thought that I would miss the main point, arrive too late, be left out and excluded from the best.  How am I to interpret this warning?  To whom was it addressed?

From Robertson's Word Pictures: Strive (agōnizesthe). Jesus makes short shrift of the question. He includes others (present middle plural of agōnizomai, common verb, our agonize). Originally it was to contend for a prize in the games. The kindred word agōnia occurs of Christ’s struggle in Gethsemane (Luk_22:44). The narrow gate appears also in Mat_7:13, only there it is an outside gate (pulēs) while here it is the entrance to the house, “the narrow door” (thuras).

Matthew Henry points out that Jesus made the question particular to the individual who asked, "Our Saviour did not give a direct answer to this enquiry, for he came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, “How many shall be saved?” But, be they more or fewer, “Shall I be one of them?” Not, “What shall become of such and such, and what shall this man do?” But, “What shall I do, and what will become of me?” -Matthew Henry

The abstract, the other, the "not me" is always easier, but Christ is consistent in directing our gaze and focus back to ourselves.

The BKC views it as speaking specifically about Israel and most of Israel missing the gate.

"It is likely that this question was asked by a Jew, and that the two parables illustrating the smallness of the kingdom's beginning suggested it to him. The Jews extended their exclusive spirit even to their ideals of a world to come, so that they believed none but the chosen race would behold its glories. The circumstances attending to the conversion of Cornelius, recorded in Acts, show how this exclusiveness survived even among Jewish Christians. The questioner wished Jesus to commit himself to this narrow Jewish spirit, or else to take a position which would subject him to the charge of being unpatriotic."
-Fourfold Gospel

Regarding the reference to Cornelius:

In Acts 10, we learn that Cornelius was a centurion stationed in Caesarea who was known for his godly acts and morals.  He prayed often.  Cornelius receives a vision from an angel who tells him to send his servant to Joppa to talk with Peter.  Meanwhile, Peter has a separate vision of animals being lowered in a cloth and a voice from Heaven telling him to eat.  He realizes that this is a message that he is to extend his preaching to the Gentiles.  Peter follows the servant back to Caesarea and Cornelius where the Holy Spirit descends on all there.  Cornelius and his followers are baptized and the issue of Gentiles being converted is eventually raised at a Jerusalem council.

Taking these two pieces together helps me to understand how the Jews viewed their faith as very exclusive and elitist.

At that time there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Matthew frequently mentioned this reaction to judgment (Mat_8:12; Mat_13:42, Mat_13:50; Mat_22:13; Mat_24:51; Mat_25:30), and Luke mentioned it once (Luk_13:28). Each time it is used, it refers to judgment on sinners before the Millennium is established. “Weeping” suggests sorrow and grief (emotional agony of the lost in hell), and grinding of one’s teeth speaks of pain (physical agony in hell) -BKC

These remarks were revolutionary to Jesus’ hearers. Most of them assumed that because they were physically related to Abraham they would naturally enter into the promised kingdom.However, His next words were even more revolutionary - in fact devastating - to those who assumed that only the Jewish nation would be involved in the kingdom. Jesus explained that Gentiles would be added to the kingdom in place of Jewish people (Luk_13:29-30). People coming from the four corners of the world represent various population groups. Those listening to Jesus’ words should not have been surprised by this teaching because the prophets had often said the same thing.-BKC

I leave this parable with many questions still lingering:

*How exactly did the Jews view salvation?  As the Christian concept is fully hammered into my mind and the Jewish history far away, I'm not precise on their beliefs on this.

*Why is it that the Lord is so definitive in shutting the door?  Another commentary referenced the story of  the flood when Noah shut the door.  There is a sense of long suffering about the Lord but also a time when He acts definitively.  His actions with regard to time and timing are mysterious.

Matthew Henry asserts that its for the benefit of the holy:

"As to those that are filthy, shut the door upon them, and let them be filthy still; that those who are within may be kept within, that those who are holy may be holy still. The door is shut to separate between the precious and the vile, that sinners may no longer stand in the congregation of the righteous."

It helps me to understand God's perspective when I consider that the people on the outside of the door were those who were familiar to Him, just noncommittal.  They wanted both heaven and the world on their terms:

"What grounds they had for this confidence. Let us see what their plea is, Luk_13:26. First, They had been Christ's guests, had had an intimate converse with him, and had shared in his favours: We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, at thy table. Judas ate bread with Christ, dipped with him in the dish. Hypocrites, under the disguise of their external profession, receive the Lord's supper, and in it partake of the children's bread, as if they were children. Secondly, They had been Christ's hearers, had received instruction from him, and were well acquainted with his doctrine and law....Thou hast taught in our streets - a distinguishing favour, which few had," -Matthew Henry

They were familiar enough with Christ to be able to make the correct decision but chose not to.

More from Matthew Henry to consider: "New Testament sinners will be thrust out of the kingdom of God. It intimates that they will be thrusting in, and will presume upon admission, but in vain; they shall be thrust out with shame, as having no part or lot in the matter. Thirdly, That the sight of the saint's glory will be a great aggravation of sinner's misery; they shall thus far see the kingdom of God that they shall see the prophets in it, whom they hated and despised, and themselves, though they thought themselves sure of it, thrust out."

"Let us be provoked, as Paul desires the Jews might be, to a holy emulation, by the zest an forwardness of the Gentiles, Rom_11:14. Shall I be outstripped by my juniors? Shall I, who started first, and stood nearest, miss of heaven, when others, less likely, enter into it? If it be got by striving, why should not I strive?" -Matthew Henry

This comment by Alexander MacLaren takes me in another line of questioning:

"We are not saved by effort, but we shall not believe without effort. The main struggle of our whole lives should be to cultivate self-humbling trust in Jesus Christ, and to ‘fight the good fight of faith.’"
-Alexander MacLaren

"It puts stress on two things-the absence of any vital relationship between Him and them, and their moral character....Let us learn that, while faith is the door, without holiness no man shall see the Lord. The worker of iniquity has only an outward relation to Jesus. Inwardly he is separated from Him, and, at last, the outward relation will be adjusted to the inward, and departure from Him will be inevitable, and that is ruin." -Andrew MacLaren

The warning in our current culture is to professing Christians who have an outward show of godliness but not with inward examination or change. A person who knows the Lord will be changed over time.