He passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23 Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. 25 After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ 26 And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27 Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where [you] are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. 29 And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. 30 For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus passed through towns preaching repentance and exhorting those who came to him to take the more austere path demanded of disciples. They must strive to be true disciples and not presume that because they ate and drank with him that they will automatically be invited to the heavenly banquet. They must be more than casual followers who heard his words but never deeply embraced his teaching. The Gospel demands total commitment to Jesus so unless they imitate the way he lived and served they will find themselves on the outside.
By introducing Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and the prophets in the Kingdom of God, Jesus is introducing the topic of the end-time reign of God and divine judgment. God will judge us according to how we responded to His grace. Many will come from all over the world and be accepted into the Kingdom of God but those who do not heed the words of Jesus and repent will be “cast out (v, 28).” There needs to be an urgency because the “narrow gate” is open now and one should repent and try to find it before it eventually closes. Salvation does not depend on race. The offer of salvation was made first to the Jews, but some rejected it and will not enter the Kingdom, but some of the Gentiles who were offered salvation last, accepted and will be welcomed into the Kingdom.
Almighty God, grant us the grace to accept your offer of salvation and to unreservedly imitate the life of your Son so that we can find the narrow gate and be granted admission to Your Kingdom. This we pray through Christ our Lord. Amen.
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References
Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Expanded Edition, Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Upper Saddle River, NJ, United States, Prentice Hall, 1990.
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