IN THIS week’s gospel, taken from Luke 13:22-30, Jesus was asked if only a few people will be saved. He did not answer the question directly but he said, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
The issue Jesus focused on was not the number of people who will go to heaven; rather, he chose to teach us the gate to heaven, which as he described it, is narrow. And which is, or who is, this gate? Elsewhere, the Bible has made it clear. Jesus is the narrow gate. “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,” Jesus declares in John 14:6. Thus, although man may devise his own ways, as many did through the ages, to attain salvation, Jesus has already warned us that all these ways will be futile. He is the only way; apart from him we can do nothing.
But why is the gate narrow? Because following Jesus is not easy. In Luke 9:23-24, Jesus said, “If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.”
Christianity is not all about a “good-feel” religion where life is problem-free. Christianity is about having faith in Jesus in words and in deeds, even at the cost of being opposed, resisted or persecuted. In the gospel the Lord tells us that when he comes, many people will be knocking saying, “Lord, open the door for us.” Jesus will answer them, “I do not know where you are from.” The people will build their case arguing, “We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.” Notice what Jesus had to say,” I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers.”
We can mimic religiosity. We can appear to be so pious and saintly, but God looks at our hearts. In the First Reading (Is. 66:18-21), God says that he knows our works and our thoughts. Do we really love him, and do we show that love by our obedience and submission to him? Do we accept God’s discipline as his sons and daughters, as the Second Reading (Heb. 12:5-7, 11-13) instructs us, so our paths may be straightened and our lameness be healed?
True, salvation is not easy; it is even impossible if we rely only on our selves. But we can take courage on the truth that our faith in Jesus will see us through. In his discourse with the young man who asked Jesus what good he must do to gain eternal life, the Lord had this conclusion, “For human beings this is impossible, but for God all things are possible” (Mt. 19:26).