The
question put to Jesus about whether only a few will be saved is not all that
surprising. On his way to Jerusalem,
Jesus had been talking to the people about salvation in terms of repentance, love,
mercy and forgiveness. Jesus shows how
important these qualities are in relation to the kingdom of God when he heals a
woman on the Sabbath, even though this seems to go against the Mosaic Law. Jesus does this on the Sabbath because it is
the right thing to do. In this way, he demonstrates
that love and compassion are the heart of the Mosaic Law. He also shows that love takes priority over
ritual and custom as a moral guide and means of salvation.
To
further illustrate his point, Jesus then compares the kingdom of God to the
tiny mustard seed that eventually grows into a large tree. He provides yet another comparison of the
kingdom to the small amount of yeast that eventually leavens the whole batch of
dough. The aim of these comparisons is
to show that the kingdom of God starts out small and grows into fruition over
time with small acts of love. Indeed,
this entire discussion that Jesus has with the people is meant to show that the
kingdom of God is inclusive—it is about salvation for all who are invited to
come through the gate with the keys of love and mercy.
This
is the point at which the gospel for today picks up the story. Apparently not everyone in the crowd is
convinced that salvation is for all.
For, at this point someone asks Jesus whether only a few people will be
saved. There is an interesting
psychology in putting the question this way.
The person does not ask how can I be saved, or will I be saved, or will
many be saved. He only asks whether a
few will be saved. It’s as if the person
is already sure of his own salvation.
Since he follows Jesus and hangs on his every word, he must be a
shoo-in. What he isn’t sure of is how
many others will be joining him. He really
wants to know if the kingdom of God is an exclusive club for the elite, like
him. Had he been truly bold
and forthright, he might have asked Jesus, will only a few be saved with
me?
Clearly,
Jesus is not taken in by this clever psychology, because he does not give the expected
response. Instead, he begins his answer with
an instruction. Jesus begins by telling
the person to “Strive to enter through the narrow gate...” This suggests that you can’t enter the
kingdom puffed up with pride and self-indulgence. Jesus conveys this instruction with a sense of urgency—soon the door
will be closed—and with a need for
strength—many will try but will not be strong enough—and with a warning—there will be agony when
you see yourself cast out. The message
is clear. The person who asks about the
few who will be saved ought not to worry about where others stand in relation to
himself. Rather, Jesus challenges him to
think about where he stands in relation to the kingdom.
It is
only after this sober challenge that Jesus actually answers the question, and
the answer he gives suggests that many will be saved. Jesus says that “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.” This parallels
today’s reading from Isaiah: “They shall bring all your brothers and sisters
from all the nations as an offering to the LORD…to Jerusalem, my holy mountain,
says the LORD.” Thus, Jesus makes it
clear that salvation is for everyone.
Salvation is our destiny. As to whether
there are some who will not be saved,
Jesus never reveals—it is apparently none of our business.
The lesson
is easy to forget. It is also easy to
forget at times that Jesus is the narrow gate through which we enter the
kingdom of God. For, Jesus says, “I am
the way and the truth and the life. No
one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:10). The love and mercy of Jesus is the way to
eternal life.
Following
Jesus into eternal life means that we imitate his love and mercy, we adopt his
attitude, we live in his Spirit, and we do his works. Jesus provides many examples of how we can do
this. One familiar example is the Sermon
on the Mount. From this, we learn the
attitude of Jesus. We learn that we
don’t need to solve all the problems of the world. All he asks of us is to reach out in love to
those in need whom we encounter in our own lives. Yet, another example is the parable about the
sheep and the goats. From this parable,
we learn that doing his works out of love for others is the same as doing it
for him. This is how we learn that Jesus
is in others as much as he is in us.
The challenge is to apply these
examples in our own lives. Jesus leaves
the details up to us. By following his
example, each of us learns how to promote justice, how to be a peacemaker, how
to show mercy. Each of us decides how to
feed the hungry, how to clothe the naked, how to visit the sick and the
imprisoned. The example of Jesus shows
that the kingdom of God is built on the foundation of small acts of love.
Jesus
doesn’t promise that it will always be easy to follow him or even to interpret
his message. Jesus
shows us the way, and doesn’t ask us to do anything that he has not already
done. Indeed, Jesus calls us to follow
him by taking up our cross every day in a spirit of self-denial and a life lived
for others. The Holy Spirit is our guide
and our helper. Jesus is the Good
Shepherd leading us home. With the Lord
as our Shepherd, there is nothing we shall want. With love as our shield, there is nothing we
shall fear.
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