The Parables And Teaching Of JesusSample

The Parable of the Narrow Door and the Messianic Banquet

Jesus’ kingdom is filled with all sorts of surprising people. The people who think they already belong will find themselves excluded. The Dead Sea Scrolls community was absolutely certain about those who were going to participate in the Messianic kingdom, but Jesus created uncertainty among his audience. It’s hard to know if Jesus was also hinting at a person’s eternal destiny or only at a person’s participation in the present reality of the kingdom. The idea of a relatively small number of “saved” was already part of Jewish literature. The book of 4 Ezra says, “Many have been created, but only a few saved” (4 Ezra 8:3).

What did this parable teach you about God?