What is the difference between seeking and striving to enter the narrow gate?
Question:
I know in the Bible if say many shall seek but only a few shall find then it says to strive. So what’s the difference between seeking and striving? What’s the definition Bible-wise. Can give me an example? And the example can be about anything between a seeking person and striving. I ask because a few and many is a serious matter so I want to know the difference between the few and the many.
Answer:
"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it" (Matthew 7:13-14).
"Then one said to Him, "Lord, are there few who are saved?" And He said to them, Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able" (Luke 13:23-24).
The Greek word agonizomai is translated as strive. It is mainly a word describing an athletic contest. It refers to the competition and drive to succeed. Paul talked about it in more detail when he said, "Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified" (I Corinthians 9:24-27). The point is that you can't just drift into heaven. It takes effort to get there -- lots of effort.
Seek translates the Greek word zeteo. It means to look around, to look for something, or to desire to have something. In this particular context, Jesus is saying that many people will look for heaven, but since they don't put much effort into it, they just never manage to find it.
