The parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “narrow gate” is, like the previous parables, part of the Sermon on the Mount, as recorded by Matthew. Luke gives us the same parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More but in a completely different context.

It is noteworthy that the Lord Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount, in which He develops the principles of the Kingdom of HeavenIt was announced in the OT as the kingdom that the God of heaven will establish (Dan 2:44). Predicted in the NT as a new era due to the rejection... More, with four warnings. Each of them contains two things that have the same overarching characteristic but are otherwise as different as possible: two gates and ways (Matthew 7:13, 14), two trees (verses 17–20), two kinds of confessors (verses 21–23), and two builders (verses 24–27).

In the context of this work, we are only concerned with the first and last pair. First, we turn to the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “narrow gate and the narrow way” in the Gospel of Matthew.

The narrow gate in Matthew

“Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:13.14).

We have probably all seen the well-known image depicting the narrow and broad paths. In the past, it was more common in the homes of believers. Many people are crowded together on the broad path. They carry all kinds of loads and luggage with them. The broad way itself runs straight and without much bending, past all kinds of places of entertainment. Finally, it leads to a wide gate, behind which the flames of hell"Place" prepared for the devil and his angels (demons) (Mt 25:41), but into which everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will also be thrown (Rev... More are hidden. The narrow way, on the other hand, is steep and barren and winds upwards with many bends. Only here and there will you find a traveler struggling to reach the summit. At the end of the path, you can see a depiction of the gate to heaven. I have looked at this picture many times myself, and it has always impressed me. Yes, that is how it is: these two paths exist – and so do these two endpoints! If only people knew where they were going!

Even though this image draws many details that are visible, it still differs in one crucial point from the image that the Lord Jesus gives us here: in His image, the narrow gate and the wide gate are at the beginning of the respective paths. One can only reach the narrow path that leads to life by going through the “narrow gate.” This is the teaching that is to be given to us here. The emphasis is on the narrow gate and on the necessity of using it. The narrow way then follows.

In John 10, the Lord Jesus calls Himself the “door” and says, “If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture” (verse 9). Only by believing in Him and thus by the new birthThe new birth is a unique experience at conversion. God gives new (eternal) life to people who were dead in their sins. This makes them children of God (John 1:12,... More can one enter the way of life (John 3:3-16). But why is the gate “narrow”? Because “repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More toward God” must also be connected with “faith in our Lord Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More” (Acts 20:21). Man must be brought to recognize what sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More is in the sight of God, and he must recognize himself as completely lost and corrupt. This is no easy matter. When Peter presented the Jews with their sins on the day of PentecostThis name (Greek) is used twice in the New Testament and means "the fiftieth day.” This refers to the 50th day after the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. This day... More, “Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, 'Men and brethren, what shall we do?'” But Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy SpiritThe Holy Spirit is God, a divine person in the Trinity of God; in the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit works, for example, in creation or on individuals. The Holy... More” (Acts 2:37-38).

How difficult it is for religious people in particular to realize that they must give up all their own supposed righteousness and can only throw themselves on the mercy of God! They would like to “earn” God's favor in one way or another. In doing so, they are not infrequently of noble disposition and spare no effort to do good and uphold Christian values. But when passing through the narrow gate, they would have to strip away all self-righteousness and leave behind everything that the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More boasts about. But because this, in particular, usually meets with their inner resistance, so many of them find themselves on the broad way that leads to destruction.

The wide gate lies invitingly before them, but it is an entrance that they have made for themselves according to their own ideas. They think that by observing Christian practices and bypassing the new birthThe new birth is a unique experience at conversion. God gives new (eternal) life to people who were dead in their sins. This makes them children of God (John 1:12,... More, they can enter the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More and enjoy the blessings of Christianity. But in truth, they are on the way to destruction, and they are going down it together with all the “ungodly sinners.” Isn't that a shocking realization?

The two ways

One is either on one path or the other. There is no middle way, nor is there a middle place after this time. Let us note what the Lord presents: He shows two gates, two ways, two groups of travelers, two destinations. In this life, one is either on the narrow or the broad way; one is either headed for life or for destruction in eternity.

When the Lord speaks of destroyers, He uses a word (Gr. apoleia) that does not mean “dissolution” or “destruction” (Scripture does not know this idea), but “uttermost, final ruin or destruction, irrevocable destruction.” In this sense, this word is repeatedly used in the New Testament to describe the state after death and the eternal separation from true, divine life (John 17:12; Romans 9:22; Philippians 1:28; 3:19; 1 Timothy 6:9; Hebrews 10:39; 2 Peter 2:1, 3; 3:16; Revelation 17:8, 11).

The reality that everyone must face is the narrow way or the broad way, life or destruction in eternity. The fact that many choose the broad way does not prove that it is right. The truth is not found among the masses. In the Old Testament, God already warned: "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).

Even after one has entered through the narrow gate, it takes great energy and a sincere decision of the heart to separate oneself from the masses and to follow the personal, “narrow way” at all costs. Daniel had already made this firm decision of the heart (Daniel 1). Barnabas exhorted the young believers in Antioch to persevere with a firm decision of the heart in the Lord (Acts 11:23). To endure in the Lord, to persevere in faith, and to be ready to enter the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More through many tribulations (Acts 14:22) – this aptly describes the narrow way.

It is certainly no coincidence that the GreekUnlike Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews; Acts 6:1; 9:29), Greeks, in the narrow sense of the word, come from Greece and have at least one Greek parent (Acts 16:3 in connection with... More word for “narrow” (Gr. tethlimmene = “narrowed”) is closely related to the word “thlipsis,” which means “affliction, distress, oppression, tribulationIn the Bible, tribulation stands for oppression and persecution, such as the first Christians had to go through (2 Thes 1:4) and in particular the earthly people of God, Israel,... More, need, fear.” Just as conversion and rebirth are the gateway, holinessIt generally denotes something separate from the ordinary or even evil. Holiness is, above all, an attribute of God; He is glorious in holiness, He sits on his throne of... More is the hallmark of the narrow way. But in a worldThe word is used with different meanings. It can mean the whole of humanity (Gen 41:57) or the created world (Rom 1:20), but also a moral system that is opposed... More hostile to God, this includes tribulationIn the Bible, tribulation stands for oppression and persecution, such as the first Christians had to go through (2 Thes 1:4) and in particular the earthly people of God, Israel,... More, adversity, and persecution. It is anything but a joyless way, but realizing the holinessIt generally denotes something separate from the ordinary or even evil. Holiness is, above all, an attribute of God; He is glorious in holiness, He sits on his throne of... More of God and following His will makes it a “narrow” way.

If only a few find this way, it is not because of the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More of God, but because they refuse it. They want to enter through the wide gate and walk on the broad way, taking in everything that pleases the eye and that the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More loves. I can hardly imagine a more apt description of the “broad” and “narrow” way than the words from the first letter of Peter: “... that he no longer should live the rest of his time in the fleshThe term "flesh" is used in different meanings in the Bible: a) as an expression of physicality or humanity, which is inextricably linked to our life on earth. Examples: “the... More for the lusts of men, but for the will of God” (1 Peter 4:2). Let us consider it more: The “pleasure of sinThe Bible carefully differentiates between sin and sins. • Sin: the evil power at work in man that causes him to engage in sinful activities (Rom 7:17, 18). God pronounced... More” is only for a short time (Hebrews 11:25), but the end of everything is eternal – it is hell"Place" prepared for the devil and his angels (demons) (Mt 25:41), but into which everyone whose name is not written in the Book of Life will also be thrown (Rev... More, eternal damnation!

But those who walk the narrow way have found it or the narrow gate (both are grammatically and contextually correct): “Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it” (Matthew 7:14). This is certainly not their own merit but is to be attributed solely to the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More of God, of which we just spoke. The wide gate and the broad way, on the other hand, do not have to be “found”; they are open to all and widely visible. But the narrow gate and the strait path are “found” by the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More of God. It is as if the thought of joyful surprise resonates with this finding, as with the three parables in Luke 15.

The narrow gate and the strait gate in Luke

The occasion for the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “narrow gate” in Luke is that someone asked the Lord if there were few who would be saved. The entire section places the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More in a Jewish context. The questioner probably wanted to know whether the Jewish remnantWe speak of a remnant when the majority of God's people have become apostates and have turned away from God. God calls the remnant the few who remain faithful to... More that would be spared from the coming judgment would consist of many or few. The Lord does not directly address this essentially idle and speculative question. His answer is aimed not at the “how many” but at the “who”:

“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).

To accept the Lord Jesus during the time He was here meant to enter through the narrow gate. The Jews should strive for this. We have already seen that this could only happen through repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More and faith. Indeed, the Lord answers with a double parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More. He adds to the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “narrow gate” the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “shut door”:

“When once the master of the house has risen up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, Lord, open for us,' and he will answer and say to you, 'I do not know you, where you are 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 you, where you are from. Depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity.' There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More, and yourselves thrust out. They will come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and sit down in the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More. And indeed, there are last who will be first, and there are first who will be last” (Luke 13:25-30).

When the Lord Jesus says in verse 24 that many will seek to enter and will not be able to, He does not assume and does not say that they sought to enter through the narrow gate. Those who earnestly desire to enter through the narrow gate will, by the graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More of God, succeed in doing so. No, He simply says that they will seek to enter the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More and will not be able to do so. The problem or difficulty they had to fear was not that the gate was too narrow, but that the door would one day be closed. Therefore, the only correct way to understand this statement of the Lord in the last part of verse 24 is to add the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the closed door to the explanation. From this, it also becomes clear that the Lord's answer is not only addressed to the one questioner but also warns all those who heard and rejected His message at the time.

The bulk of the Jewish people were indifferent or even hostile towards Him. If they remained in this attitude, the Lord warned them, it would happen that one day they would be left out. Deep exercises of the heart, a sincere struggle, were necessary at that time to enter the kingdom of GodEssentially, it refers to the same thing as the kingdom of heaven, whereby it is less about a period and more about the moral characteristics of the kingdom. God is... More. But if they now tried to enter without these exercises of the heart, such as repentanceWhile remorse (Greek metamellomai) means to regret a previous act or behavior and to have a different way of thinking about it, Repentance (Greek metanoia) goes further than that: It... More and faith, then they would stand outside one day. Then they would indeed “struggle,” would earnestly call and knock, and find a closed door. In other words, if they rejected the Lord Jesus in His humiliation, they would be rejected by Him in the day of His glory.

It is the idea of wrestling that connects the two parables and makes the Lord's answer both vivid and serious. The word used by the Lord for "wrestling" (Gr. agonizomai = “to wrestle, to strive, to strive for something with great zeal”) is often used in connection with athletic competitions. The range of meanings of the GreekUnlike Hellenists (Greek-speaking Jews; Acts 6:1; 9:29), Greeks, in the narrow sense of the word, come from Greece and have at least one Greek parent (Acts 16:3 in connection with... More word also makes it clear that it does not refer to the attainment of eternal bliss, but to a serious striving. This meaning of the word is emphasized by its occurrence in Colossians 4:12: “Epaphras, who is one of you, a bondservant of ChristA title of the Lord Jesus, which is also used as an epithet; Messiah (Hebrew) and Christ (Greek) mean "anointed one". The title refers to the fact that Jesus is... More, greets you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” The common theme of these two parables is: “Strive for the right now, so that you may not strive in vain later.”

This is the Lord's instruction in the Gospel of Luke – a figurative teaching and warning that also applies to all of us today. How many profess Christianity outwardly but are not willing to take the easy way of salvation, as we have considered it. One day, they too will stand outside knocking at the door saying, "Lord, Lord, open for us!” But the time of graceTo the one who earns something through performance, the reward is not according to grace but according to debt (Rom. 4:4). Grace is a favor that is not given by... More is past, and the door remains closed to them. From within they hear the voice of the Lord, which they have here disparaged: “I tell you, I do not know you, where you are from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity!” (cf. also Matthew 7:22-23).

A closed door is mentioned several times in the Lord's parables. When the Lord is depicted as being behind the closed door, as being inside, it illustrates the terrible thought of being forever excluded from the blessings of God's Kingdom and Heaven. Apart from here, we have this view again in the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “ten virgins” (Matthew 25:1-13): the Lord inside and the hypocrites and lifeless confessors outside. In the parableA parable is a pictorial representation of messages that are not directly stated and require interpretation. God already used parables in the Old Testament to convey messages to his people... More of the “master returning from the wedding feast” in Luke 12, on the other hand, He is outside, knocking: He expects His servants to wait for Him and His return in a way that is dictated by love (verse 36). However, we will address the further details only when we examine these parables.