23 and a certain one said to him, 'Sir, are those saved few?' and he said unto them, 24 'Be striving to go in through the straight gate, because many, I say to you, will seek to go in, and shall not be able; 25 from the time the master of the house may have risen up, and may have shut the door, and ye may begin without to stand, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, lord, open to us, and he answering shall say to you, I have not known you whence ye are, 26 then ye may begin to say, We did eat before thee, and did drink, and in our broad places thou didst teach; 27 and he shall say, I say to you, I have not known you whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of the unrighteousness. 28 'There shall be there the weeping and the gnashing of the teeth, when ye may see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all the prophets, in the reign of God, and yourselves being cast out without; 29 and they shall come from east and west, and from north and south, and shall recline in the reign of God, 30 and lo, there are last who shall be first, and there are first who shall be last.'
31 On that day there came near certain Pharisees, saying to him, 'Go forth, and be going on hence, for Herod doth wish to kill thee;' 32 and he said to them, 'Having gone, say to this fox, Lo, I cast forth demons, and perfect cures to-day and to-morrow, and the third 'day' I am being perfected; 33 but it behoveth me to-day, and to-morrow, and the 'day' following, to go on, because it is not possible for a prophet to perish out of Jerusalem. 34 'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, that is killing the prophets, and stoning those sent unto her, how often did I will to gather together thy children, as a hen her brood under the wings, and ye did not will. 35 'Lo, your house is being left to you desolate, and verily I say to you—ye may not see me, till it may come, when ye may say, Blessed 'is' he who is coming in the name of the Lord.'
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 13:23-35
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.
Commentary on Luke 13:31-35
(Read Luke 13:31-35)
Christ, in calling Herod a fox, gave him his true character. The greatest of men were accountable to God, therefore it became him to call this proud king by his own name; but it is not an example for us. I know, said our Lord, that I must die very shortly; when I die, I shall be perfected, I shall have completed my undertaking. It is good for us to look upon the time we have before us as but little, that we may thereby be quickened to do the work of the day in its day. The wickedness of persons and places which more than others profess religion and relation to God, especially displeases and grieves the Lord Jesus. The judgment of the great day will convince unbelievers; but let us learn thankfully to welcome, and to profit by all who come in the name of the Lord, to call us to partake of his great salvation.