The Pulpit Commentary — Luke — Volume 2 — Section 4

gato : for many, I ■ ay nnto you, will aoek chilrlrcn of men. It hos been o.skecl-To to entor in, and shall not be able. 'fhe what time does the Master refer in th., Master, as woe frequently his custom, gave words" when once"? It cannot be the epoch no direct answer to his questioner, but his oC the ruin of Jerusale:n and the breaking teaching which immediately follows con- up of the Jewish nationality, for then there tilincd the answer to the query. The older was nothing in the attitude of the doomed authorities, in place of "at the strait gnte," people to answer to the standing without, rend "through the narrow door." The to the knocking at the door, and to the mrnning of the image, however, is the same, imploring cries, "Lord, Lord, open unto whichever roo.ding be adopted. The image us," portrayed here. It cannot be the second 'll'o.s not a new one. It ho.d been used before coming of the Lord; surely then his people by the Lord, perhaps more than once (see will not call on him in vain. It refers, l\Io.tt. vii. 13, 14), and not improbo.bly had without doubt, to the day of judgment, when been suggested by some town or fortress 1he dread award will be pronounce,! upon hard by tl10 spot where he was teaching- the unbelieving, the selfish, and the evil- a fort on a hill with a narrow road winding liver. up to a narrow door. In the rabbinical Vers. 26, 27.-Then shall ye begin to say, schools he frequented in his youth, he We have ea.ten and drunk in thy presence, might, too, have heard some adaptation of and thou hast taught in our streets. But he the beautiful allegory known as the' Tablet' shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence of Cebes, the disciple of Socrates: " Dost ye are; depart from me, all ye workers ot thou not perceive a narrow door, and a path- iniquity. A very stern declaration on the way before the door, in no wo.y crowded, but part of Jesus that in the day of judgment few, very few, go in thereat?" The teaching no special favour would be granted to the of the Master here is, that the door of sal- souls of the chosen people. It was pa.rt of vation is a narrow ono, and, to po.ea through the reply to the question respecting the it, the man must strit•a in real earnest. "fewness of the saved." The inquirer " See," he seems to say; "if only few are wished to know the opinion of the great saved, it will not be because the Jews are Teacher on the exclusive right of Israel to few and the Gentile nations many, but salvation in the world to come, and this because, of the Jews and Gentiles, only statement, describing sal va.tion as something a Jeic really strive. Something different independent of all questions W! to mce, was from race or national privileges will be the the Master's reply. test at that ncurow door which leads to life. Ver, 28.-There ab3.ll be weeping and "Many will seek to enter in, and shall not gnashing of teeth, when ye shall see Abra- be able." The reason for the exclusion of ham, and Isaao, and Jacob, o.nd all the those many is to be sought iu themselves. prophets, in the kingdom of God, and you Tliey wished to enter in, but confined them- yourselves thrust out. No less than six selves to wishes. They mude no strong, times is this terrible formula, which e:s.- vigorous efforts. Theirs was no life of stern presses the intensest form of anguish, found self-surrender, of painful self-sacrifice. To in St. Matthow's Gospel. St. Luke only wish to puss through that narrow door is gives us the account of one occasion on not enough. which they were spoken. They indicate, Ver. 25.-When onoe the master of the as far as merely earthly wor<.ls and symbols house is risen up, and hath shut <to the door, can, the utter misery of those unhappy ones and ye begin to stand without, and to knook who find themselves shut out from the at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open llll.to kingdom in the world to come. "Abraham, us; and he shall allSwer and say unto you, and Isaac, and Jacob." In his revision or I know you not whenoe ye are. The great St. Luke's Gospel, Marcion, the famous Teacher here slightly changes the imagery, Gnostic heretic, in plo.ce of these names, The narrow door no longer is the centre of which he strikes out, inserts "all the just." the picture ; one, called the "master of the Ha did this with a view to lower the value house," becomes the principal rigure. The of the Old Testament records. door now shut may still be, most probably Ver. 29.-And they shall come from the is, the narrow fort or hill-city entrance, nnu eo.st, and from the west, and from the north, t ho one called the master is the governor and from the south, and shall sit down in of the Place of Arms, into which the door the kingdom of God. Instead of "shall sit or gate led. It is now too lato even for the down," 11 clearer and more accurato render- earne•t striver to enter in. Sunset probably ing would be, 8hall recline as at a banquet. -the silo.des of night, had the Divine This image of the heaven-life as II banquet, Painter furnishecl the imo.gery-would ho.ve at which the great llebrew patriarchs were been the signal for the final closing of the present, was L\ well-known one in popular door of the fortress. Death is the period Hebrew teaching. '!'here is au unmis- wheu tho door of snlvution is shut to the takable refereuce to Isa. xiv. G a.ml xlh. 12  6 THE GOSPET, ACCORDING TO ST. LURE. [err. xm. 1-35,