¹⁴ But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.

²³ Someone asked him, “Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?”

He said to them, ²⁴ “Make every effort to enter through the narrow door,^(A) because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. ²⁵ Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door, you will stand outside knocking and pleading, ‘Sir, open the door for us.’

“But he will answer, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from.’^(B)

²⁶ “Then you will say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’

²⁷ “But he will reply, ‘I don’t know you or where you come from. Away from me, all you evildoers!’^(C)

²⁸ “There will be weeping there, and gnashing of teeth,^(D) when you see Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, but you yourselves thrown out. ²⁹ People will come from east and west^(E) and north and south, and will take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God. ³⁰ Indeed there are those who are last who will be first, and first who will be last.”^(F)

¹⁴ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.”^(A)

²⁴ Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^{(A) 25} For whoever wants to save their life^[a] will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it.^(B)

² Do not conform^(A) to the pattern of this world,^(B) but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.^(C) Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is^(D)—his good, pleasing^(E) and perfect will.

The Way of the Cross

³⁴ Then he called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.^(A)

²² strengthening the disciples and encouraging them to remain true to the faith.^(A) “We must go through many hardships^(B) to enter the kingdom of God,” they said.