The narrow door
(Luke 13:22-30)
It is a horrible feeling to find yourself locked out of home. It can instil panic. What will I do now? It is even worse if those inside won’t let you in, or even recognise you. Worse still if the house is full of strangers.
There is no mistaking the sense of warning in this passage of Luke’s Gospel.
Over the last few weeks, the gospel has presented Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem and his teaching about how to live our lives as disciples and the hard choices involved. The readings this week continue in this vein and point to the difficulty in being authentic to God and being prepared. If we are not properly prepared, whoever we are, we will not see the Kingdom of God – remember the phrases of recent Gospel readings: ‘stand ready’, ‘lamps lit’, ‘dressed for action’.
Jesus’ teaching in the towns and villages sparks a sense that things are nearing a climax. This provokes the question about how many will be saved. Jesus refuses to speculate about numbers, instead turning the question into a warning not to miss the opportunity while it is still available. Otherwise, a person may very well find themselves locked outside.
Through what Jesus will accomplish in Jerusalem, all will have the opportunity to be part of his kingdom. He will open the door.
Being a disciple is not about following Christ in name only. Our relationship with Jesus is not gained by casual acquaintance with his words and actions but by thoroughgoing conversion (repentance) – the ‘narrow gate’. So, we need to honestly and purposefully attempt to live out our humanity, social concerns and faith through action and prayer, in the light of Christ, in his spirit and according to his teaching.
The disciple can only share fully in the life of Christ through true conversion of heart - that’s the ‘narrow door’ through which we enter the Kingdom, our true home.
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 21th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] (3.23 MB)
- default Celebrating At Home - 21th Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub] (3.96 MB)
- pdf Celebrando en Familia - 21 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (822 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - XXI Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (822 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em Família - 21 Domingo do Tempo Comum (835 KB)
