Through The Narrow Door!

 (Homily 21^st Sunday in Ordinary Time, Yr. C)

     The liturgical texts of today move between two poles: the universal call to salvation and the need for a personal courageous commitment. Isaiah in the first reading speaks of God’s salvific will for the salvation of all peoples: “I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They will come to witness my glory” (Is. 66:18) and in the Gospel Jesus says: “And people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God” (Lk. 13:29). The Gospel gives a further glaring indication that the door to enter into the Kingdom of God is narrow, and only those who are committed courageously for the cause of the Kingdom will pass through it. The readings therefore presented God as a God of infinite love, for he calls all to salvation, but he is also a God of justice. Little wonder, Jesus invites us to be conscious of the fact that our personal actions and inactions will determine our eternal destiny. The second reading on its part deepens the dimension of the personal courageous commitment, for in our struggle for this commitment, the Lord accompanies us with his paternal pedagogy of correction, in order to remold us in a shape suitable for the narrow door.

     The first reading (Is. 66:18-21) presents the scenario of the gathering together of people from all walks of life at Zion at the beginning of the messianic times. This is a common image in the Old Testament prophecies, especially that of Isaiah. Some Christian theologians see the fulfillment of the prophecy of the gathering of people from east and west, north and south, in the gathering of all nations into one Holy Catholic Church and also in the future coming of Jesus Christ, for He will come to gather all the nations of this world into his Kingdom. For God there are no limitations and preferences for entrance into His Kingdom, no geographical, biological or physiological limitations. The psalmist echoes his voice in the universalistic view of God’s redemptive act in Christ, by inviting all nations to praise the name of Yahweh: “O praise the Lord, all you nations; acclaim him, all you peoples” (Ps.117:1). Thus, it serves as a suitable response to the first reading that hinges on the gathering of all peoples in Zion.

     The message of the Gospel (Lk. 13:22-30) culminates in the proclamation that many shall come from east and west, north and south, to take their place in the Kingdom of God. Thus, it evidences the universality of the Christian message. It is for all men, and it is offered through Christ. As Luke presented in the episode, while Jesus was walking towards Jerusalem, as it is common with Luke to present Jesus walking always towards the city where his sacrifice will be consumed, of which he was fully aware, on the process an anonymous interlocutor posed him the question: “Sir, will there be only a few saved?” (v.23). The question is a reflection of a domineering problem that was attracting the interest of many, at that time. The responses given in the Jewish context are variegated. Some were very optimistic, and they maintained that “all the Israelites will have part in the future world’; others instead maintained a rather pessimistic view that “only few persons will participate in the future world”, and there was a widespread belief amongst them that pagans will be excluded from the Kingdom of God and from salvation; irrespective of the fact that the prophets repeated incessantly that all are called to salvation. Jesus did not give a direct response to his interlocutor, to the question of how many that will be saved, he responded with an image of the door that leads to salvation. Certainly the number of the people to be saved is irrelevant, that is why Jesus invited him to personalize the concern, and thus, what is important is that each person makes sure he or she is saved. Then, the question ought to be: how can I be saved or what should I do in order to be saved? Instead of answering the question Jesus gave a formula for attaining heaven. He preferred to address all present, and thus invited them:

     First, “try your hardest to enter by the narrow door” (v.24), by this, he intends to let them know that even though salvation is free but it is not without a cost. Even though Jesus has given it to us free, yet it costs us sacrifice, perseverance, self-abnegation and renunciation. It is not even to be considered as an acquired right or a given privilege as in the case of the Jews. The possibility of salvation is given to all; there are no privileges and preclusions whatsoever. To try one’s hardest to enter through the narrow door entails two things: renouncing oneself (the struggle against pride, egoism and all the evil inclinations) and following Christ (to make specific choices in conformity with the will of God without conforming to the mentality of this world). In fact, already in the passage of the first reading the Lord announced: “I am coming to gather every nation and every language. They will come to witness my glory” (Is. 66:18). In the words of St. Paul, with Christ “God’s grace has been revealed to save the whole human race” (Tit. 2:11) and again to Timothy: “He wants everyone to be saved and reach full knowledge of the truth” (1Tim. 2:4). However, the door is narrow as Jesus warned, there is therefore need of making effort to enter. Little wonder, in another occasion Jesus said: “If anyone wants to be a follower of mine, let him renounce himself and take up his cross every day and follow me” (Lk. 9:23). Let us strive to ward off anything that will prevent us from entering or passing through the narrow door. When Jesus says: “Let the little children come to me, and do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Lk. 18:16); we are therefore, reminded that to enter through the narrow door we must become like little children: innocent, dependent, trustful, lovely, honest, pure, simple-hearted without heavy loads, possessions and bad behaviors that will block our entrance to the narrow door. Jesus counts on us, but basically on our readiness to share in his destiny of suffering. At a deeper level, the narrow door is a Person. Jesus himself says: “I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me will be safe: such a one will go in and out and will and pasture” (Jn. 10:9). Jesus is the door of access to salvation and God’s favor and grace.

     Second, Jesus warns that there is an established time within which one has to decide, a profitable time to have access to the Kingdom, after which the door is closed. In his words, “Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself standing outside and knocking at the door” (v.25). This indicates the necessity of an urgent decision for Jesus and his message and the readiness to allow one’s choice in life be determined by the Gospel of Christ and equally the effort to live in accordance to it, in order to avoid the risk of being excluded from the Kingdom of God. These two admonitions are to be taken very serious and imprinted in our hearts. In that moment, whoever is inside remains inside, and whoever is outside remains outside. It will be of no use shouting: “Lord, open to us” or to claim rights: “we are descendants of Abraham” or to re-vindicate privileges: “we once ate and drank in your company, you taught in our streets”. And the Lord will respond: “I do not know where you come from” (v.25). With this discourse, Jesus was sending an important message and signal to the Jews. They as the descendants of Abraham were heirs of the divine promises of salvation. They were the first to be called to the kingdom of God, but if they do not profit that favorable moment and do not accept him as the Messiah, they could be equally excluded. Jesus therefore, foresees that the call is extended to all peoples scattered all over the world. The message of salvation will be more favorable amongst the pagans than the Jews, for this he said: “people from east and west, from north and south, will come and sit down at the feast in the Kingdom of God”. Little wonder, the discourse concluded thus: “Look, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last” (v.30). Indeed, there will be surprises on the last day in the Kingdom of heaven. Jesus has illustrated the two different ways of approaching God’s salvation: the way of those who pretend to possess the kingdom of God because of some privileges of birth or for passed merits and the way of those, instead who seek for this salvation day after day, with humility, through the following of Christ. This reveals two categories of Christians in the Church 

     Behold, the words of Jesus are quite demanding, they are words addressed to men and women of all times, so that they can come to the decision and make fundamental choice to be on His part, and therefore embrace the Gospel of salvation, in order not to run the risk of being locked out of the Kingdom of God. For us Christians today, we need to make effort to guide against falling into the same false security of the Jews. Remember the words of St. Paul: “Everyone, no matter how firmly he thinks he is standing, must be careful he does not fall” (1Cor. 10:12). Having received Jesus in the Eucharist, having listened to his Word, having invoked him in prayers, all these are not enough to save us. Instead, we have to “try our hardest to enter by the narrow door”, the door of self-abnegation and renunciation from sin, the door of acceptance of suffering and sacrifices. This is the door that the choice of and for the Gospel comports, and which the Lord uses for our correction and to educate us for our sanctification (second reading). Indeed, the teaching on the narrow door finds an eloquent expression in the second reading: “The Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts” (v.6).

      The second reading (Heb. 12:5-7.11-13) dwells on the divine discipline of the faithful. The discipline that the sacred writer talks about in this passage is probably not a grave persecution. The discipline referred to in the passage is the disciplining of the Lord to his people. However, it is noteworthy that the discipline in question is a sign of God’s love to his people. This passage touches a very important and sensitive question: why does God permit trial and sufferings? Why is it that many a times, those who suffer more are the good ones or however, those who make effort to live in accordance with the law of God? No doubt, this passage offers us some precious considerations, for the writer tried to explain why God allows or permits trials and sufferings. The sacred writer makes reference to the book of Proverb thus: “My child do not scorn correction from Yahweh, do not resent his reproof; for Yahweh reproves those he loves as a father the child whom he loves” (Pro. 3:11-12), and our author re-affirms: “My son, do not scorn correction from the Lord, do not resent his training, for the Lord trains those he loves, and chastises every son he accepts” (vv.5-6). And he concluded thus: “God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? (v.7). God follows the pedagogy of a father who uses even strong and strict ways of educating well his children that he loves. Thus, this passage reminds us that existential trials, and challenges are not signs of God’s absence, rather of his presence.

     Furthermore, the author sustains that God permits that we pass through sufferings, “he does it all for our own good, so that we may share his own holiness” (v.10), (though this verse was omitted by the liturgical text of today. It is important because it clarifies the positive sense of divine correction and education through suffering). Be that as it may, extrapolating from this, we may well affirm that trial and suffering in God’s design has the following scope: to render our faith more pure and coherent; to increase our love, for love is manifested in pains; to purify our hearts from sins; to make us participants of Christ’s crucifixion so as to participate in his glory. Therefore, trials and pains are not punishment from God or a sign that he has abandoned us, but a way of drawing us closer to Himself. They serve as means of our sanctification. Again, the author added that “any discipline is at the moment a matter for grief, not joy; but later, in those who have undergone it, it bears fruit in peace and uprightness” (v.11). Thus, sufferings whether moral or physical are to be considered a sort of spiritual training, which at the moment may be fastidious, but it produces the fruit of holiness, peace and progress in good life. In moments of suffering, a Christian should by no means doubt the love of God and his providence.

     From the foregoing, it is obvious that salvation is God’s initiative and however it comports the human commitment. In that bid, for man it is impossible to save himself single-handedly, it is God who saves. But God does not impose salvation on man; rather He offers it to us! We remember when the apostles were worried and afraid of the exigencies of the Gospel, and they exclaimed and asked Jesus: “Who then can be saved?” And Jesus responded them thus: “Things that are impossible by human resources are possible for God” (Lk.18:26-27). God is able! May He give us the grace to accept his divine pedagogy of correction as a means of passing through the narrow door that leads to God’s Kingdom, our eternal destiny! Lord Jesus have mercy on us and may your divine grace enable us to unload from our hearts all that may prevent us from attaining Heaven. Amen!!!

(Fr. Vitus M.C. Unegbu, SC)