Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem to accomplish the mission he was sent for. This journey begins in Luke 9:51. Somebody asked Jesus a seemingly stupid question.
"Lord, will those who are saved be few?" (Luke 13:23).
How should Jesus answer? Should Jesus tell him that everybody would be saved, such as 1 Timothy 2:4? Or should Jesus give him an exact number say 144,000 (Revelation 7:4)? These answers would lead to terrible consequences. If everybody would be saved, why bother? Christians would be complacent after baptism. They have acquired an admission ticket. If only a fixed number of people would be saved, a lot of struggles and fightings would result. Moreover, the Christian God is not good enough to believe in. That is the reason why I think the question is stupid.
However, we should not be discouraged from asking questions, no matter how stupid they seem. It is because learning to ask the right question will help us discover the truth. Jesus is a great teacher. He is able to make use of even stupid questions to show us the right way. He makes use of the opportunity opened up by stupid questions to tell us the truth. So, ask questions to clarify our doubts and misunderstandings!
When Jesus finished his Galilean ministry and began to turn to Jerusalem, his followers were afraid (Mark 10:32). Indeed, the person who raised the question did not want a number. He was worried and wanted some reassurance from Jesus. So, instead of giving them a definite answer, Jesus described how one could be saved.
"Strive to enter by the narrow door." (Luke 13:24)
Many scholars have offered many different interpretations on the meaning of "the narrow door". Fr. Milanese gave us a few such interpretations during his homily today. Some suggest that the narrow door refers to the front door of a sheepfold, the proper entry into the fold. In the gospel of John, Jesus said he is the door of the sheep (John 10:7). This makes sense because Jesus is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). So Jesus is actually saying that believing in him is the way to salvation.
Some suggest that only children can pass through a narrow door. So, this verse is another expression of Jesus' advice to receive the kingdom of God like a child (Mark 10:15) etc. These are very good interpretations because they agree with the teachings in other gospels. This is the meaning of analogy of faith.
Jesus concludes his teaching with a paradox.
"And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last." (Luke 13:30)
This saying appears in all three Synoptic gospels. Therefore, this must be an authentic saying of Jesus. Traditionally, we interpret this saying to mean that since the Jews, to whom God had first revealed, rejected Jesus, they would come last in salvation whereas the Gentiles would take the place of the Jews in the kingdom of God. This interpretation has been popular because of an anti-Jewish mentality built up with the rise and acceptance of Christianity in the Roman Empire down through the ages. Christians feel comfortable and perhaps are happy with this interpretation. But such an interpretation is flawed.
First of all, they cannot ignore the Patriarchs and the prophets. Jesus explicitly names them in the kingdom of God.
"There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out." (Luke 13:28)
Worse still, those "you" will be "thrust out". It means they were once "in the kingdom of God"! Otherwise, how could they be kicked out? This understanding is supported by an earlier verse. They claimed that they ate and drank with Jesus Christ who had taught in their streets (Luke 13:26). What are they if not Christians who take part in their liturgy! Though they were baptized and have become Christians and obtained an admission ticket to the kingdom of God, they will be kicked out because they are "iniquity workers" (Luke 13:27). Christians, you cannot afford to be complacent!
Moreover, who will take their places in the kingdom of God?
"And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God." (Luke 13:29)
I would say, they are Buddhists, Confucians, Jews, Muslims and Shintoists etc. They are believers of other religions and even atheists who are "men of good will". They may not know or confess Christ but they lead their life according to their conscience which only God can judge.
Christians, can you afford to be complacent?
Dear Lord, allow me to work hard to enter by the narrow door. Amen.
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