The Narrow Door^(A)

²² Jesus was teaching in every town and village as he traveled toward Jerusalem. ²³ Someone said to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”

Jesus said, ²⁴ “·Try hard [Strive; Exert yourself] to enter through the narrow door, because many people [^LI tell you] will try to enter there, but they will not be able. ²⁵ When the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you ·can [^Lbegin to] stand outside and knock on the door and say, ‘·Sir [Lord], open the door for us.’ But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’ ²⁶ Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in the streets of our town.’ ²⁷ But he will say to you, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who ·do evil [practice unrighteousness; Ps. 6:8]!’ ²⁸ [^LThere; In that place] You will cry and ·grind [gnash] your teeth [^Cindicating pain and remorse, or perhaps anger at the master; see Ps. 35:16] when you see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets in God’s kingdom, but you yourselves thrown outside. ²⁹ People will come from the east, west, north, and south and will ·sit down at the table [^Lrecline; ^Cthe posture for a banquet or dinner party] in the kingdom of God [^Cthe messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s final salvation; Is. 25:6–8]. ³⁰ [Indeed; ^LLook; ^TBehold] There are those who are last now who will be first in the future. And there are those who are first now who will be last in the future.”

The Way to Heaven Is Hard^(A)

¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate. [^LBecause] The gate is wide and the road is ·wide [broad; spacious; or easy] that leads to ·hell [^Ldestruction; ruin], and many people enter through that gate. ¹⁴ But the gate is small and the road is ·narrow [or difficult; hard] that leads to true life. ·Only a few people [And there are few who] find that road.

²² On ·the last day [judgment day; ^Lthat day] many people will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, ·we spoke for you [^LDid we not prophesy in your name…?], and ·through you we forced out demons [^Lcast out demons in your name…?] and did many ·miracles [^Lmighty works in your name…?].’ ²³ Then I will ·tell them clearly [declare to them; publicly announce to them], ‘I never knew you. ·Get away [Depart] from me, you who ·do evil [break God’s law; practice lawlessness; Ps. 6:8].’

¹¹ Many people will come from the east and from the west and will ·sit and eat [^Lrecline; ^Cthe posture for a banquet or dinner party] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven [^Cthe messianic banquet, a metaphor for God’s restoration of creation; Is. 25:6–8]. ¹² But ·those people who should be in [the heirs of; or the subjects of; ^Lthe sons of] the kingdom will be thrown ·outside into the darkness [into the outer darkness], where ·people will cry and grind their teeth with pain [^Lthere will be weeping and gnashing of teeth; ^Cmetaphors for agony and torment].”

³⁰ [^LBut] Many who are first now will be last in the future. And many who are last now will be first in the future.