The Call To Enter And Be Saved (13:23-24).
This appeal, following the description of how the Kingly Rule of God will spread, parallels the descriptions of the Galileans and men of Siloam who perished. Those too ‘perished', they were unable to enter in. And the warning was then given that they should enter in while they may, ‘except you repent you will all perish similarly'. So is it easy not to enjoy the privilege of entering into the Kingly Rule of God, and it is therefore rather necessary that they ‘strive' to enter in.
It can be analysed as follows:
a And one said to him, “Lord, are they few who are saved?” (Luke 13:23 a).
b And he said to them, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door.” (23b-24a).
a “For many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.” (Luke 13:24 b).
Note the contrast of ‘a', ‘few will be saved', with the parallel ‘many will not be able to enter in'. Central in ‘b' is the need to enter the narrow gate.
‘And he said to them, “Strive to enter in by the narrow door, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in, and will not be able.”
The Lord refuses to answer their technical question (it was a popular question among some of the learned). Rather than thinking speculatively, they should be thinking personally. The question is, Are they themselves being saved? He therefore tells them to strive (agonise) to enter in by the narrow door, the door into the Kingly Rule of God. The idea has been compared with that in Matthew 7:13-14 but it was clearly spoken at a different time, and the emphasis, while similar, is not the same. Matthew is talking about passing through a gate with the purpose of walking in a way, and the emphasis is on the way. Here the emphasis is on the need for a decision to pass through a door. It is clearly a difficult decision, and the door is ‘narrow' (stenos). Only few can enter at a time, and others are pressing in to get through it. The word ‘stenos' is associated with the ideas of affliction and sorrow, and this ties in with Luke 9:24. It is a door that is demanding, and yet it must be entered before it is too late, and it takes effort. They must not be satisfied until they have passed through the door. The Kingly Rule of God suffers violence, and the violent are to take it by force (Matthew 11:12). This door signifies commencing the hard way of discipleship. It signifies thrusting all else aside and choosing to enter under the Kingly Rule of God. Nothing must be allowed to stop them entering it (what a contrast to our ‘easy believism'). We can compare here Jesus declaration, ‘I am the door, by Me if any man enter in he will be saved' (John 10:9). The idea is the same. Response to the Shepherd King assures salvation. They will, of course, then enjoy the presence of the master of the house, but that is not described here. The concentration is on the decision to enter, and the determined effort that they should put into it.
We should note that then as now salvation was a gift. But Jesus was making them aware of the final cost of the gift. It would initially cost them nothing, all they had to do was press through the door, but it would then demand everything. For it is the door to the Kingly Rule of God, and it involves God becoming King in their lives. It is equally true today. Salvation is yours if you but receive Christ. But beware, for you are welcoming in the Kindler of Fire (Luke 12:49). You are a fool if you think otherwise. Any other Christ than One Who will take possession of you is not the Christ of the Gospels. The striving was because of the thought of what they would have to leave behind. There was no room through that narrow door for their baggage.
We should also note that there is only one door, and that a narrow one. ‘There is no other name under Heaven given among men by which we must be saved' (Acts 4:12). Not for Jesus one of many doors. There is only one.
But there will come a day when even that door can no longer be passed through. The implication is that it will have been closed. Hope will have gone. And men will seek to enter in and will not be able. His listeners would rightly have in mind the end of the world. Jesus certainly would too, but possibly He also had in mind the dreadful and savage slaughter that would take place during the coming rebellion against Rome and the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 13:35), when many would then wish that they had listened to Jesus. However, even more certainly He Himself also has in mind the day of His coming to gather His elect (Matthew 24:31). Both these would be final events which meant that for those caught out it would be too late. They would find themselves unable to truly repent. They would suffer remorse, not spiritual transformation, and they would be lost. All because they had failed to enter through the door while it was open.