The Saving Of Many

Πολλοὶ ἀπὸ ἀνατολῶν καὶ δυσμῶν ἢξουσι, καὶ ἀνακλιθήσονται μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ Ἰσαὰκ καὶ Ἰακὼβ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν. Εἰ στενὴ καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἐστὶν ἠ ὁδος, καὶ ὀλίγοι οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτην, διὰ ποίας οἱ πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται; περὶ γὰρ πλατείας καὶ εὐρυχώρου λέγει, ὅτι πολλοὶ εἰσελεύσονται δι' αὐτῆς. Καὶ φαμεν, ὅτι ὁ μὲν Σωτῆρος λόγος εἴρηται, ἐπειδὴ ὀλίγοι ἀπὸ τοῦ Ἰσραὴλ ἐσώζοντο· οὐ πολλοὶ γὰρ ἐπίστευσαν εἰς αὐτόν. Διὸ καὶ ἔλεγε· Μὴ φοβοῦ μικρὸν ποίμνιον, ὅτι εὐδόκησεν ὁ Θεὸς ἐν σοὶ. Προφητικῶς δὲ ἐλέχθη τὸ, Πολλοὶ ἤξουσιν· ὡς περὶ τῶν μελλόντων πιστεύειν εἰς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν. Πολλοὶ, φησὶν, ὡς πρὸς τοὺς μετὰ τὴν παρουσίαν μὴ πιστεύσαντας, οἱ ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἀνακλιθησόμενοι μετὰ Ἀβραὰμ καὶ τῶν ἐξ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν· καὶ τῷ ἀριθμῷ δὲ πολλαπλασίους οὗτοι τῶν ἀπὸ Ἰσραὴλ καὶ τὸν Ἰησοῦν Χριστὸν ὁμολογουμένων. Ὠριγένης, Εἰς Τὸ Κατὰ Ματθαιον Ἐπαγγελιον Source: Migne PG 17.292d-293a

Many will come from the east and from the west and rest with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. 1 If the way is narrow and difficult and few find it, how shall many enter there? For concerning the broad and easy way He says that many walk in it. 2 We say, then, the word of the Lord was spoken as if few from Israel were saved. For not many believed in Him. Concerning which He says, 'Do not fear, little flock, because God delights in you.' 3 And so this was said as prophecy, that many shall come, certainly the many who shall believe in Him from the Gentiles. He says 'many' as a comparison with those who after His coming did not believe, those who from the Gentiles shall rest with Abraham and those born from him in the kingdom of heaven. For in number these are much more than those who were from Israel and confessed Jesus Christ. Origen, On the Gospel of St Matthew, Fragment 1 Mt 8.11 2 Mt 7.14 3 Lk 12.32