18 And he said, To what is the kingdom of God like? and to what shall I liken it? 19 It is like a grain of mustard [seed] which a man took and cast into his garden; and it grew and became a great tree, and the birds of heaven lodged in its branches.
20 And again he said, To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? 21 It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal until the whole was leavened.
22 And he went through one city and village after another, teaching, and journeying to Jerusalem.
23 And one said to him, Sir, [are] such as are to be saved few in number? But he said unto them, 24 Strive with earnestness to enter in through the narrow door, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter in and will not be able. 25 From the time that the master of the house shall have risen up and shall have shut the door, and ye shall begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he answering shall say to you, I know you not whence ye are: 26 then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten in thy presence and drunk, and thou hast taught in our streets; 27 and he shall say, I tell you, I do not know you whence ye are; depart from me, all [ye] workers of iniquity. 28 There shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but yourselves cast out. 29 And they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall lie down at table in the kingdom of God. 30 And behold, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 13:18-30
Commentary on Luke 13:18-22
(Read Luke 13:18-22)
Here is the progress of the gospel foretold in two parables, as in Matthew 13. The kingdom of the Messiah is the kingdom of God. May grace grow in our hearts; may our faith and love grow exceedingly, so as to give undoubted evidence of their reality. May the example of God's saints be blessed to those among whom they live; and may his grace flow from heart to heart, until the little one becomes a thousand.
Commentary on Luke 13:23-30
(Read Luke 13:23-30)
Our Saviour came to guide men's consciences, not to gratify their curiosity. Ask not, How many shall be saved? But, Shall I be one of them? Not, What shall become of such and such? But, What shall I do, and what will become of me? Strive to enter in at the strait gate. This is directed to each of us; it is, Strive ye. All that will be saved, must enter in at the strait gate, must undergo a change of the whole man. Those that would enter in, must strive to enter. Here are awakening considerations, to enforce this exhortation. Oh that we may be all awakened by them! They answer the question, Are there few that shall be saved? But let none despond either as to themselves or others, for there are last who shall be first, and first who shall be last. If we reach heaven, we shall meet many there whom we little thought to meet, and miss many whom we expected to find.