Twenty-first Sunday in Ordinary Time
If salvation or heaven was not integral to our faith, how many of us would be religious? For intensity sake, let me reframe the question. If at the end of our lives, our virtuous living could not guarantee us heaven, would we still be believers? Christianity, in particular, is a very demanding religious tradition. It invites us to take up our cross, to be humble, to die to ourself, to give beyond measure, to be poor in spirit, to forgive our enemies us and to sacrifice our life for our faith . After fulfilling these expectations if all we could expect was some earthly reward, would you and I still be Christian? The human heart longs for immortality and salvation. Without the assurance of salvation, religion would lose its purpose. In fact, religion IS the quest for salvation.
The central question of salvation is the focus of today’s readings. Someone asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” And who have have thought that a simple question like that would result in a complex answer. Jesus’ answer, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate,” leaves us asking even more questions. What shall we make of Jesus’ answer?
1. All Can be Saved. The first reading from the book of Isaiah makes God’s intentions known to us. God says, “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.” In other words, God wants every person to be saved. Would you not want your entire family to be saved? In the same way, God wants all of creation to be saved. This is repeated in today’s gospel reading when 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.” The entire Christian story is the story of a God who loved the world so much that God gave God’s only son for our salvation. God desires the salvation of even those people, we think, do not deserve heaven.
2. Salvation is Not a One Way Street. Even as we become aware of God’s desire to save us all, salvation requires human cooperation. Salvation is as much a free choice as much it is a free gift. From Jesus’ perspective salvation requires that his followers make a choice to “enter through the narrow gate.” The narrow gate symbolizes a striving — an earnest desire which requires hard work. Practically, what does that mean for us? It means that we pattern our thoughts, our words and our actions according to the life and teaching of Jesus. That is the “narrow gate.” If revenge and hate seem normal today, Jesus’ invitation to enter through the narrow gate is an invitation to kindness and forgiveness. If amassing wealth seems normal today, Jesus invitation to enter through the narrow gate is an invitation to compassion and generosity. If focusing on the self, seems normal today, the invitation to enter through the narrow gate is an invitation to consider others first and ourselves last. If we must be saved, the only way to get there is through the “narrow gate.”
3. Be the Last. The conclusion to today’s gospel reading is also the climax of today’s gospel. Jesus disassociates salvation with superficial faith in him. There will be people, Jesus says, who assume salvation but they will find themselves excluded. Whereas it is very hard to assume those who might be excluded, it is very clear that will be included. Jesus suggests that the ones who will be saved are those who consider themselves last. In reality, the first and last in Jesus’s statement referred to Pharisaical Judaism in opposition to the tax collectors and sinners. It was this latter group who were open to Jesus. Pharisaical Jews on the other hand, took salvation for granted. What does this mean for us practically since the context in which the gospel was written is not ours? For us, the practical implication is that, if we must strive to enter through the narrow gate we must be strive to be last like Jesus was. He was divine, but he became human. He was rich but he became poor. He was powerful but he became weak. He was the highest but he loved the least. He had nothing but he gave it all to us.
The person in the gospel reading asked Jesus, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” Let us pray that all of creation will be saved. Amen.
- Fr. Satish Joseph