21st Sunday in Ordinary Time

Gospel Reflection

Luke 13:22-30

Today’s Gospel passage, like a few other recent ones,  presents us with teachings of Our Lord that touch upon our personal salvation and the need to be vigilant. This time the image used is that of a narrow gate. Jesus speaks in response to a question people still want to ask today: “Will there only be a few saved?” The answer many seek is one that gives assurance that there is nothing to be concerned about. However, Jesus does not give a direct answer. He gives no idea of numbers or percentages. Nor does he  imply that all are guaranteed a place in God’s kingdom. Instead he cautions that entry to heaven is not a foregone conclusion and that it, in fact, makes definite demands. These demands are the narrow gate. If a person deliberately ignores or rejects God’s requirements, he or she will not gain access to the eternal happiness of life with Him—the banquet of everlasting blessedness. Such an outcome will have nothing to do with a lack of generosity on God’s part. In fact, God goes out in search of lost sheep. He welcomes with a great embrace prodigal (wasteful and reckless) sons when they repent and return home. But if one is unwilling to put on the wedding garment of grace, of sincere repentance, simply knocking on the door and shouting will not do. Of little value is the mere fact that we might call ourselves Christians, that we have associated ourselves with the Church in some merely external manner. We must really want to be Christian, to be a sincere battler in the life of the Church. If, for instance, a person freely gives way to     hatred, rather than to forgiveness, that person cannot enter God’s kingdom. If someone is gravely abusive of power, acting in self-interest rather than for the good of those he or she is called to govern and thus serve, they cannot enter. If a man or woman abandons themselves to pride, lust, violence, or greed, they cannot enter unless they have turned and rejected  beforehand these vices and attitudes. Square pegs do not fit in round holes.
 
God does allow for final repentance, but who in their right mind would be confident of their own change of heart after a life carelessly lived at odds with God’s known will? The narrow gate, then, speaks of an on-going effort to live according to the commandments while inspired by the life of Jesus Christ and the good role models we find in sincere, committed Christians. In St. Matthew’s Gospel there is also mention of a “wide gate” and a “way” that is “easy” which many end up following, but which leads to destruction. Here Our Lord   reminds us that simply following impulse, self-interest, force of habit or comfortably remaining within group behaviour of a low standard is certainly easy but destructive in the long term. It certainly puts one at risk of losing one’s very soul.
 
There are two extremes a Christian needs to be wary of in the development of one’s conscience – laxity and anxious scrupulosity. By and large the more common extreme in our day is the first – a careless, insensitive approach, which neglects any proper examination of conscience. Blame for troubles is usually focused on others rather than self. Bad habits breed easily. Lax Catholics neglect personal prayer, sacramental confession and the most lax – not referring here to those who are simply uninstructed in Church teaching - even weekly Mass. Yet there are people who do suffer from scrupulosity or excessive anxiety over their own state of soul, losing sight of what constitutes deliberate sin or of how great God’s mercy and understanding is. Jesus knows “what is in man”. He knows a person’s basic good will and struggles against temptation. He knows our human limitations. He is compassionate and forgiving. We should never despair of our salvation nor of anyone else’s. As St. Paul says, and the first reading today implies, “God wants all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth”. (1 Tim 2:4).