21th Sunday in Ordinary Time – Year C: Trust, yes – complacency, no!

Trust, yes – complacency, no!

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.”
Luke 13:22-30

This Sunday’s Gospel reminds us that we are journeying with Jesus towards Jerusalem. To be on a journey is the condition, the modus vivendi of the Christian. “For here we have no lasting city, but we seek the one that is to come” (Hebrews 13:14). We are “strangers and pilgrims” (1 Peter 2:11). We are pilgrims towards a goal set before us, always “further on”. We must never forget this essential reality of Christian life.

On the road, the Master has many encounters. Today someone asks him: “Lord, will only a few people be saved?”. This person could be one of us. Indeed, he calls him “Lord”. We too consider the question important. What is at stake, in fact, is our salvation. Let us see how Jesus responds to this question.

1. “Strive to enter through the narrow door”

We expected figures or percentages, but Jesus, as on so many other occasions, refuses to satisfy our curiosity. A direct answer could either foster false security on the one hand, or on the other frighten and discourage us. As a prophet, Jesus instead admonishes his listeners: “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able”. In the parallel passage in Saint Matthew we read: “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Mt 7:13-14). Thus, not only is the door narrow, but the road that leads to it is also restricted!

What is the narrow door? The Door is Christ (cf. Jn 10:7,9). But why narrow? Because it passes through the cross. And it is narrow not only in space, but also in time. It is a door that sooner or later will be shut. This perspective makes the author of the Letter to the Hebrews say: “Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called ‘today’” (Heb 3:13).

This Gospel passage can be further illuminated by what Jesus says after the failed vocation of the so-called rich young man: “How hard it is for those who have riches to enter the kingdom of God. Indeed, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God” (Lk 18:24-25; cf. Mk 10:23-25; Mt 19:23-24). Here it speaks of passing through the “eye of a needle”! Jesus uses a Semitic hyperbole: an intentionally exaggerated and paradoxical image to indicate the impossible.

Some authors have suggested that Jesus was referring to a small side gate in the walls of Jerusalem called the “needle’s eye”, so low and narrow that a camel could only pass through it by kneeling and stripped of its load. Even if this is probably a later symbolic elaboration, the image is suggestive. The camel, ritually unclean, was a symbol of wealth, trade and abundance. We must ask ourselves: will our “camel” pass through the “eye of the needle”? Only by becoming small, by kneeling, and by being stripped will it succeed!

2. “I do not know where you come from”

“When once the master of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’, then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from’.”

We are faced with one of the hardest words in the Gospel. Saint Luke is the evangelist of Christ’s mercy and gentleness, yet here Jesus astonishes us with language that seems too drastic. How can this be reconciled with the parable where all are invited to the banquet: “the poor, the crippled, the blind and the lame” (Lk 14:15-24)? We were looking for a reassuring answer, but instead the Lord unsettles our certainties.

Jesus addresses his contemporaries, the people of Israel, but Saint Luke is thinking of the believers in his own community, where laxity had crept in, where some had grown complacent, believing themselves already “saved”, with full rights to the heavenly banquet.

Let us pay close attention: Jesus is speaking of us, who have listened to his word, eaten and drunk with him at the Eucharistic table. This reminds us that it is not enough to participate in Mass or attend the rites to be recognised by him. We must also recognise him on the roads of life: in the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and the imprisoned (cf. Mt 25:31-46).

This word of Jesus sounds like a threat, but God’s “threats” are meant never to be fulfilled! They are intended to wake us from our slumber, to remind us of the seriousness of life and the sense of responsibility! Therefore, trust in God’s goodness and mercy, YES. Always and in every circumstance! Complacency, NO! Never! There is no such thing as cut-price Christianity! Carelessness, lightness and presumption that “everything will be fine” regardless, lead us to build our house on sand. Humility and prudence, on the other hand, build it on rock (cf. Mt 7:24-27).

“Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!”. So is everything finished? Is it the final, irrevocable sentence? We are left with the word of Jesus: “What is impossible for human beings is possible with God” (Lk 18:27).

3. “Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last”

Let us expect surprises! Saint Augustine says: “On that day many who thought themselves inside will find themselves outside, while many who thought themselves outside will be found inside”. To our amazement, some whom we considered among the last will be welcomed into Paradise with the red carpet, while we will find ourselves forced to make ourselves small in order to pass through the little gate of the “eye of the needle”!

For personal reflection

Let us meditate on this text of Saint Paul: “Each one should take care how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If anyone builds on this foundation using gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay or straw, each one’s work will become evident; for the Day will disclose it, because it will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each person’s work. If what has been built survives, the builder will receive a reward. If it is burned up, the builder will suffer loss; but yet will be saved – though only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Fr Manuel João Pereira Correia, mccj

All are welcomed, but don’t be late
Gospel reflection

In Matthew’s Gospel, we find often on the lips of Jesus harsh words against the wicked: he speaks of hell fire, threatens to separate the sheep from the goats, and six times, he announces to sinners that weeping and gnashing of teeth await them.

Luke presents a Jesus who is more understanding, forgiving and always ready to side with the poor, the desperate, who has had a hard life. He always presents him so … except in today’s passage where, strangely, threats and condemnations appear. There is a narrow gate through which it is almost impossible to pass: it is even closed and who is in is in, who’s out is out. Latecomers are badly rejected: it’s too late!—cries the owner—get out of here! Away from me! I do not know you! There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!

(…)  It is not hard to guess what drove Luke to include in the Gospel these harsh words. In his communities, laxity, fatigue, the presumption of being right with God, arrogance, the belief that good intentions are sufficient and that salvation can be obtained cheaply have infiltrated.

Luke realizes that the risk of being excluded from the Kingdom looms on many Christians and he feels compelled to refute the false optimism that has spread. He uses images related to culture, environment, and age. We must keep this in mind or else we can misunderstand the meaning and consider them information about what will happen at the end of the world. The details are dramatic, the language is impressive, but the preachers of that time expressed themselves that way when they wanted to shake their listeners.

Let us grasp the real meaning of what is said. One day someone asks Jesus: “Is it true that a few people will be saved?” (v. 23). Some rabbis taught that all the people of Israel would take part in the banquet of the Kingdom. But others said: No, those who are lost are more numerous compared to those who are saved like a river is more than a drop of water. The prevailing opinion was: “This century the Most High has created a multitude, but the future for a small number. Many are created, but few will be saved.”

Jesus takes no position on the subject: the question is badly posed and in this case whatever answer is incorrect and misleading. If he answers yes, he creates a false security, if he answers no he causes discouragement. So he refuses to be the apocalyptic visionary. He did not come to reveal secret numbers and dates, as some dreamers of today rave. He prefers to change the subject. He does not enter into speculation about the end of the world and the eternal salvation. He insists to make clear how one enters the Kingdom of God, that is, how one becomes and maintains himself today to be his disciple.

The first condition is: “Do you best to enter by the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able” (v. 24).

That someone is not able to enter amazes. Clearly, he does not lack good will, but he misses the way. The reference is to the Pharisee who leads an impeccable and exemplary life, fasts twice a week, not a thief or adulterer, yet he does not enter.

To pass through a narrow door—we know—there is only one way: writhe, twitch, in short … make oneself small. Who is great and fat does not pass; he can try in every way, for straight or sideways, he will not make it! Here’s what he wants to make it clear on Jesus: one cannot be a disciple unless he gives up to be great if he does not make himself small and servant of all.

Here it is the fault of the Pharisee: the presumption, the trust placed in their sanctity, in their good works. He spares no energy, does everything to please God—Paul also recognizes it (Rom 10:3)—but he’s too big.

Little is one who knows of not meriting anything who, looking at himself, feels fragile and lost, who cannot but appeal to the mercy of God, only he can pass.

Who does not take the inner disposition of the small, whatever religious practice he performs—prayers, catechesis, preaching, devotions, even miracles (Mt 7:22) —does not enter into the Kingdom of God.

Jesus continues his speech, develops his call to struggle to take part in the banquet through a parable that introduces another requirement: one must hurry, there is no time to lose (vv. 25-30).

A man offers a free banquet to which anyone can take part, it is enough—as we have seen—to be sufficiently small and not to show up with claims. But be careful: at some point, the door is blocked.

The master is clearly God who, as promised by the prophets (Is 25:6-8; 55:1-2; 65:13-14), organizes the banquet of the Kingdom.

The scene now splits. We have the first group of people who remained outside, claim to enter shouting their reasons. They say: “We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets” (v. 26). But the host does not open and drives them calling them: “workers of evil” (v. 27).

Who are they? Let’s identify them: they knew Jesus well; they have listened to him, ate the bread with him. Consequently, they are not the pagans; they are members of the Christian community. They are those who have their names written in the records of baptisms, read the Gospel and participated in the Eucharistic banquet. They believe they have what it takes to get into the party, instead, they are being turned away because their knowledge of the Gospel message is not enough; it is necessary to adhere to it. Whoever does not make this choice on time is a worker of evil.

The severe sentence is given to lukewarm Christians who are contented with belonging externally to the community, celebrate empty liturgies which are reduced to external rites that do not transform life.

This condemnation is not intended as a conclusive rejection, not an exclusion from eternal salvation. Such an interpretation is shallow and dangerous because it contradicts the Gospel message.

The words of Jesus are for the present, belonging here and now to the Kingdom of God. They are a pressing invitation to urgently reconsider one’s spiritual life because many cultivate illusions of being disciples, but in reality, they are not at all. These people, if they are not immediately aware, will end in tears (when they realize that they have failed) and gnashing of teeth (a sign of anger of those who understand, too late, of having done wrong).

We come now to the second group, made up of those inside. Seated at the table are the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and all the prophets, finally, a great multitude, “coming from east and west, from north and south” (v.29). It does not say that all these people knew Jesus and walked beside him. Perhaps many do not even know he existed. What is certain is that, if they are able to enter, it means that they have passed through the narrow gate; the others are left outside (vv. 28-30).

Let’s go back a few pages. Chapter 9 of Luke’s Gospel says that one day, among the disciples, a discussion arose to know who was the greatest. Then “Jesus took a child and stood him by his side and said, ’The least among you all, is the one who is the greatest!”’ (Lk 9:46-48). Who does not strive to become small cannot take part in the banquet of the Kingdom.

Jesus did not want to scare with the threat of hell. His condemnation is directed against tepid, inconsistent, hypocritical life led today by many who consider themselves his disciples. Yet even in the face of his disturbing words, there are Christians who do not allow themselves to be touched by doubt that one day he will tell them: “I know you not.”

Luke—maybe a little reluctant, because it is not in his style—has introduced this text in his Gospel. Unlike Matthew who concludes in a gloomy and threatening way, “the heirs of the kingdom will be thrown out into extreme darkness; there they will wail and grind their teeth” (Mt 8:12), Luke closes the parable with the festive scene, the banquet and a significant saying: “Some who are among the last, will be first, and some who are among the first, will be last” (v. 30).

In the end, therefore, all will be welcomed, although—unfortunately for them—the last will have lost the opportunity to enjoy from the beginning the joys of the feast of the Kingdom of God.

Fernando Armellini 
Italian missionary and biblical scholar
https://sundaycommentaries.wordpress.com