Isaiah 66:18-21; Hebrews 12:5-7.11-13; Luke 13:22-30
Introduction
“Lord,
will only a few people be saved?” This is the question the man asked Jesus in
the gospel. But don’t we also sometimes ask
this same question?
·
As Catholics we might look at Baptists
and ask: “Will they also be saved?” As
Christians, we might look at Muslims and ask: “Lord, surely you did not die for
them too?”
·
Don’t we wonder about the fate
of those who are different from us in other ways, like people of a different
race, occupation, political party, secretly wondering: “Surely, Lord, you are
not going to save them too, are you?”
·
And then you have the people
who are personally disagreeable to us: the ex-husband or ex-wife, that horrible
neighbour or terrible boss, the corner drug-dealer or prostitute. We wonder: “Will they also be saved?”
Let us return to the gospel itself, to hear
how the Lord answers this question.
Scripture and Theology
The man in the gospel was probably looking
for Jesus to confirm the notion that only a few people, only the Jewish people
would be saved. After all, they were
God’s chosen people. Why else would God
invite anybody else?
But Jesus does not give a simple "Yes"
or "No" answer, the kind we get from some of our politicians. His answer is complex, complete, both
"Yes" and "No."
On the one hand he says: "Yes,"
only a few will be saved. That is why he
urges: “Strive to enter through the
narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong
enough.” In other words only those few,
who will strive to enter through the narrow gate, who be saved. Those who will fail to get through the narrow
gate, will not be saved.
What was this narrow gate? The cities of that time were protected by
high walls, many of which you can still see in the Middle East and Europe. These high walls kept enemies away, especially
at night or in war. The only way to
enter a city like Jerusalem was by passing through specific gates. There was also the narrow gate, to be used at
night, something like the night depository in many banks. According to Bible scholars, this gate was so
small and so narrow, that a threefold contortion of the body was needed to
enter through the eighteen-inch doorsill. Only those with the physical and athletic
abilities, like some of those we are seeing in the Olympics, could perform the extraordinary
manoeuvres needed to pass through this narrow gate.
If physical strength and fitness were
required to do the lifting, bending and twisting of the body to enter the
physical gate leading into the city, it is spiritual strength and spiritual fitness
that will be needed to enter the narrow gate that leads to heaven. This spiritual fitness is achieved by
observing the threefold rigorous demands of God, namely, believing in God,
worshipping God and living according to his commands. And so, only those who accept God's help and
invitation, and put in the work will be admitted to God’s kingdom. And so, to the question: "Lord will only
a few be saved?" the answer of Jesus is, "Yes, only a few will be
saved, those who will respond positively to God's invitation."
But then Jesus goes on to expand his answer;
there is Part B to his answer. "No,
more than a few people will be saved."
For although there is a condition for entering heaven, Jesus has changed
things by opening that condition to all. Jesus says: “And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and
the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” These are the Gentiles. In the first reading God had already promised
that he would “come to gather nations of
every language” and that he would “bring
all your brothers and sisters from all the nations . . . to Jerusalem, my holy
mountain. . . .”
Before Jesus came the invitation to enter heaven
was given only to those of Jewish birth, thus excluding all non-Jews. But now, the criterion is the narrow gate,
through which anybody is invited to enter, if they so wish. Even the close disciples of Jesus could not
be guaranteed free admission. For we
heard Jesus say, that if they showed up and all they had to say was: “We ate and drank in your company and you
taught in our streets,” Jesus will say: “Depart from me, all you evildoers!”
For them too, the criterion for admission is the narrow gate of firm
belief, worthy worship and faithful living.
And so, although the man was expecting a
“Yes” or “No” answer to the question “Will only a few be saved?”, Jesus has
given a “Yes” and “No” answer.
·
“Yes,” only those few who
respond to God’s invitation to the great banquet by meeting the rigorous
requirements of the narrow gate will be saved.
·
But “No”, more than a few will
be saved, because now the invitation has been extended to all nations and
indeed to every person. And so, if they too
respond well to the invitation, then more than a few people will be saved. Now
everybody has a chance to take up or reject the invitation and therefore
present oneself and one’s credentials at the narrow gate.
Christian Life
This twofold answer of Jesus applies to you
and me directly in two ways.
First, when Jesus answers that “Yes” only a
few will be saved, he is challenging you and me to be concerned about being
counted in that number. Am I passing
through that narrow gate? Am I keeping
myself spiritually fit, so that I can twist and turn and squeeze through that
narrow opening? Have I responded to that
invitation card God sends me every week in the Sunday readings or every time I
pray, so that when I show up at the heavenly wedding banquet, there will be a
seat reserved for me, plus one, my spouse, if I am married?
Secondly, when Jesus answers “No”, saying
that more than a few will be saved, he is challenging you and me to stop excluding
others from his love. Let us leave to
Jesus, the speculating about who will or will not be saved. The fact is that God
has sent the invitation to many other people, even those whom I think don’t
deserve it. God wants the banquet to be more
lively and that is why he invites more people; the more the merrier. Deciding who enters heaven is really above my
pay-grade. Even if I suspect that because
of their behaviour certain people might be excluded, I must leave it to God, to
make that determination; who knows, in his mercy, he might just admit them,
just as he treats me better than I deserve. If, from the evidence before me, I suspect
that someone might be going the wrong way, my job is to help them return to the
right path, perhaps by talking to them or by praying for them, but certainly
not by despatching them to hell.
Conclusion
Perhaps like the man in the gospel, some of
us might find Jesus' long-winded answer a little wishy-washy. We want a simple direct answer to our
question. Let us get some consolation
from the fact that we are thinking as man thinks, not as God. God's world is far more complicated than ours.
Let us be happy that all have received the
invitation. Some like us have received
the invitation via priority mail, which is by hearing the gospel and receiving
the sacraments. Others have received the
invitation via a slower route, which is natural reason in their hearts. The bottom line, the common denominator for
both, however, is that we ready ourselves, we arm ourselves, we strengthen
ourselves to enter that narrow gate.
It is my prayer that I get to heaven, and
moreover, that when I get there, I am not alone – I am with all the children of
God.
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