Lucas 13:24

Jesus did not answer the question directly. Instead of giving an impersonal answer He explained how a person could enter the kingdom. A narrow door pictured an unpopular and difficult entryway (cf. Matthew 7:13). Jesus meant the door was the way He taught in contrast to the more popular way that the religious leaders taught. Striving consisted of believing Jesus in spite of the intrinsic difficulty of believing and the opposition of others (cf. John 10:9). Many people would seek to enter the kingdom through ways other than the narrow door but would be unable to enter. One writer argued that the striving in view involves submitting to Christ’s lordship. [Note: John F. MacArthur Jr., The Gospel According to Jesus, pp. 182-83.] But submitting to Christ’s lordship is nowhere a condition for entrance into the kingdom. Only faith in Jesus is.