“SEEDS OF LIFE”
Sunday, 21st August 2016.
Twenty First Week of Ordinary Time
Is 66: 18-21; Ps 116: 1-2;
Heb 12: 5-7, 11-13;
Lk 13: 22-30.
HURRY! ENTER THE NARROW DOOR!
In the opening words of today’s Gospel, we see Jesus walking towards Jerusalem. The act of Jesus walking towards Jerusalem (his earthly destination) metaphorically expounds to us to walk towards the New Jerusalem (Jesus’ and our actual destination-heaven). Jesus during his ministry of teaching in the towns and villages shows us his eagerness to prepare us to enter the door of heaven which he refers as ‘the narrow door’.
Jesus today sends out an urgent call to hurry up and enter the narrow door before it is shut. It quizzes our mind ‘why entering through a narrow door is connoted to entering the Kingdom of God?’ Entering the narrow doors in some homes, elevators, trains during the rush hours or while moving in and out through the revolving doors is a common happening in our lives. If we go empty handed or if we have less baggage, we pass through these doors with ease. However it becomes difficult to pass through these doors with loads of baggage, sometimes in both our hands. So also on our spiritual journey, all our sin, our possession becomes a hindrance to one who is seeking to enter the Kingdom of God.
It was the belief among Jews that only those circumcised and those who kept the Law of Moses were saved. The pagans were considered as outcasts and unredeemable. The question thus asked by a man is: “Will only a few be saved?” seems obvious. Jesus today drives away this conception with a new metaphor of the ‘narrow door’, Everyone will be saved provided they can enter through the narrow door.
We Christians believe that after our death we will be taken to heaven or the New Jerusalem. Most of us crave for a luxurious life with riches, power, honour etc. As a consequence, we burden our souls with unnecessary baggage adding to the vices of greed, lust, avarice and others. How can then such an inflated soul enter through the narrow door? Of course the burden has to be reduced, the baggage has to be shed in order to enter through this narrow door. Jesus further warns that this shedding of unwanted loads and baggage has to be done quickly. Indeed, Jesus here tells us that we are here on earth for a definite time which is a very short for we never know the moment of our death.
Being followers of Christ as baptized Christians, we may think that we would be among the first ones to enter heaven and share in His Kingdom. But in the concluding words of today’s Gospel, Jesus says that we could be wrong. Unless we are able to enter through the narrow door we will remain outside the Kingdom and still worst that we remain outside the door while it is shut forever for us. Let us then heed this call of Jesus and respond quickly, remembering that He called us because He really wants all of us to be with Him in His Kingdom.
Prayer: Lord, May I live be according to your Gospel, May I have a poor spirit and be partaker to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen
