Those highly praised my the World (the first in a worldly sense) will be that last in the Kingdom of God. Those regarded as the least by the world will be the first there. God's ways are not ours, and He does not judge as we often do.
As for the second part, I have always understood it to mean that salvation is offered in some manner to everyone, but many don't accept it.
They don't say, "Few will respond" but I think that is what they mean. If I were not typing this on my laptop from bed, a bed in which i an about to sleep, I would look at the Haydock Bible and see what the commentary says.