ESV 22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching and journeying toward Jerusalem. MSG 22 He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem. ESV 23 And someone said to him, "Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, MSG 23 A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?" ESV 24 "Strive to enter through the narrow door. For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. MSG 24 "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. ESV 25 When once the master of the house has risen and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, 'Lord, open to us,' then he will answer you, 'I do not know where you come from.' MSG 25 Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.' ESV 26 Then you will begin to say, 'We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.' MSG 26 "You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' ESV 27 But he will say, 'I tell you, I do not know where you come from. Depart from me, all you workers of evil!' MSG 27 only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' ESV 28 In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God but you yourselves cast out. MSG 28 "That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. ESV 29 And people will come from east and west, and from north and south, and recline at table in the kingdom of God. MSG 29 You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in - and wondering what happened. ESV 30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." MSG 30 This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.
MSG 22 He went on teaching from town to village, village to town, but keeping on a steady course toward Jerusalem. MSG 23 A bystander said, "Master, will only a few be saved?" MSG 24 "Whether few or many is none of your business. Put your mind on your life with God. The way to life - to God! - is vigorous and requires your total attention. A lot of you are going to assume that you'll sit down to God's salvation banquet just because you've been hanging around the neighborhood all your lives. MSG 25 Well, one day you're going to be banging on the door, wanting to get in, but you'll find the door locked and the Master saying, 'Sorry, you're not on my guest list.' MSG 26 "You'll protest, 'But we've known you all our lives!' MSG 27 only to be interrupted with his abrupt, 'Your kind of knowing can hardly be called knowing. You don't know the first thing about me.' MSG 28 "That's when you'll find yourselves out in the cold, strangers to grace. You'll watch Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets march into God's kingdom. MSG 29 You'll watch outsiders stream in from east, west, north, and south and sit down at the table of God's kingdom. And all the time you'll be outside looking in - and wondering what happened. MSG 30 This is the Great Reversal: the last in line put at the head of the line, and the so-called first ending up last.