Narrow Gate
Narrow Gate
The readings take us to reflect on God’s extravagant love and mercy. He is patient with us and generous in sharing his mercy. Ultimately, he wants us all in his heavenly kingdom.
The first reading from the book of Isaiah (66:18-21) comes from the time when the Jews were recovering from the Babylonian exile. They were trying to rebuild their cities, farms, and homes. It was not an easy time for them. The prophet sees great things for Jerusalem. He tells the people that one day, people of all nations will come to worship. The third part of Isaiah (56-66) tells us that He is God for all people rather than just the Jews. It shows us that God wants all people to be saved.
In the Gospel (Luke 13:22-30), Jesus was on the way to Jerusalem, and he was teaching. Some asked him an interesting question, "Lord, will only a few people be saved?" We may want to know the answer too. First, we have to depend on the grace of God. We read in Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this is not from you; it is the gift of God…” Second, it depends on our cooperation and obedience. We read in Philippians 2:12, “So then, my beloved, obedient as you have always been, not only when I am present but all the more now when I am absent, work out your salvation with fear and trembling.”
Jesus stresses the difficulties of entering through the narrow gate. There is a story behind the narrow gate. Narrow Gate was a small gate built into the much larger city gates. It allowed someone to enter after hours when, for security reasons, the main gates had been closed and locked. The gate was too small to enter with more than a few items. Animals, carts, weapons, and other large items had to remain outside the gate until the opening of the main gate in the morning. The night gate for the city of Jerusalem was nicknamed the “needle’s eye”. Jesus doesn’t answer the question regarding how many people will be saved. He was not interested in statistics. His answer was more personal…here’s how YOU can be saved. It is not easy to go through a narrow gate. You may have to wait or bend yourself. There will be challenges.
In the Gospel, Jesus used the image of the closed door. It was/is a warning to the Jews not to take their position as “chosen people” for granted. It is a similar warning for all of us, and the closed door reminds us that time will run out. Life is short, and none of us knows how long it will last.
There are challenges, but at the same time, God is patient and generous. This past Wednesday, we had the reading from the Gospel of Matthew 20:1-16 in which Jesus speaks about his generosity. He hired laborers at different hours of the day, but they all received the same wage. Those who came in the morning were not happy about the wage. The point is, God is generous. Those who worked their entire life and those who worked the last hour get the same wage. The same wage is eternal life.
Isaiah shared with the Israelites God’s message, saying, “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.” The words of Isaiah are fulfilled in Jesus. He came to save everyone through the Cross. In the Gospel, Jesus says, “People will come from the east and the west and the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God.” God wants all people to be saved.
The narrow gate is not easy. But we don’t have to be discouraged; however, he tells us this because he loves us. We needed to focus on the relationship with God. We have every means to enter the gate. All we need to look at the crucifix to know and experience his love for us. He gave us the sacraments, especially the Eucharist, food for our journey: we listen to his words, eat His body, and drink His blood. The question is “Do we have a strong relationship with him”? Are we ready to face the challenges to build up the relationship?