The path to heaven: that is something most of us want to know. What do I need to do, to get to heaven. Fortunately, we don’t have to wonder. Jesus has told us what the path is: love God and love neighbor. That seems like a simple formula but unfortunately, following that path is hard. Jesus lays out specifics of what it means to love God and love neighbor. Jesus tells us in this Gospel that we need to strive to enter heaven through the narrow door: follow the path he has provided for us. As we read this Gospel let us pray for the wisdom to walk the path that leads us through the narrow door.
The Narrow Door
He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’ There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out. And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God. And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Luke 13 : 22-30
Scriptural Analysis
This passage opens by reminding the reader that Jesus is still on his journey to Jerusalem. Along the journey he continues to visit towns and villages just as he has been doing, teaching the people. Someone asks Jesus if only a few people will be saved. The Greek word used here, sōzō, can more properly be translated as “being saved”, are only a few people being saved, pointing to the mission of Jesus himself which is still in progress.
Jesus does not give a numerical response to the question. However, he contrasts the few that were represented in the question with the many that will not be saved. This is supposed to be a warning to the crowd that is following him. You are not going to back your way into heaven: you need to repent and be intentional with how you live.
Jesus then presents an image: that of entering through a narrow door. One has to strive or struggle to enter through that door. Despite God’s desire for all to be saved, many are not strong enough to enter through this door. Jesus takes the image a step further. The door has now been locked. The people outside the door try knocking to get in yelling Lord let us in. The Greek word used here for Lord, kyrios, suggests that Jesus is the Lord and master of the house. Their comment about eating and drinking with him and listening to his teachings in the street confirm that. The appeal to eating and drinking with Jesus here is an interesting one as a charge that was often leveled at Jesus is that he ate with sinners. Yet Jesus dined just as many times with the Pharisees.
Twice Jesus tells them that he does not know who they are. Although they know Jesus, they have not acknowledged Jesus as Lord but rather denied him. Thus they are now denied entry. Jesus tell them to depart, those workers of iniquities. This echos the Psalms, “Depart from me, all you workers of evil.” (Psalms 6:8) It is too late for these people to knock. Their opportunity for repentance has passed them by. All that is left for them to do is weep and gnash their teeth.
Those who are saved will see Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all of the prophets. They will come from the east, west, north, and south. This is a reference on one level to the restoration of Israel, of the reuniting of Samaritans and Jews, the descendants of the Northern kingdom of Ephraim and the souther kingdom of Judah, “He will raise an ensign for the nations, and will assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. The jealousy of Ephraim shall depart, and those who harass Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not be jealous of Judah, and Judah shall not harass Ephraim.” (Isaiah 11:12-13) At another level it refers to the inclusion of the Gentiles, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to restore the preserved of Israel; I will give you as a light to the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)
Those who do make it into the Kingdom will recline at table amidst a banquet that has been prepared for them. We see at the table that some who were last will be first and some who were first will be last. Some who were Gentiles will enter the Kingdom where as some in Israel may not.
Daily Application
There has been an attempt over the last several decades to water down Christianity and the teachings of Jesus. A modern formulation of the Christian message is, “Be a good person and you will get to heaven.” That formulation does not align with the Gospel. Jesus tells the crowds, “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.” Jesus does not provide statistics but he tells us, very directly, that MANY will want to enter but will be unable to. How much clearer can Jesus be: there are people who want to get into Heaven but they can’t. For us to have the best chance, we must strive to enter through the narrow door.
The problem with entering through the narrow door is that it is hard. It requires us to walk a tight path. It requires us to repent of our sinful ways and change our lives. It requires us to submit our will to the will of God. That means we can no longer do what we want to do but instead have to listen to the rules that God has laid down. That can be challenging, especially early on as we begin to gain mastery over any sinful tendencies we have. Remember, Jesus never once in the Gospel promised that the road to heaven would be easy. In fact, he tells us that we must pick up our cross. What he promised is that he would not leave us on our own: he would be with us always.
Instead of encouraging people to follow that path, which is unpopular, it is easier to preach a false Gospel, a Gospel where the gate is wide and almost any behavior can still get someone in. Now it is important to understand what I am saying here. No matter what your past life has been you have the opportunity to repent, to amend your ways. The mercy of our Lord is endless can your sins can never be greater than the mercy of God. However, as the Gospel tells us, there will come a point in time where you can’t repent: where it is too late. Therefore, it is critical to repent today and begin to walk the path that leads to the narrow door. Pick up that cross for as difficult as it may be to carry, that difficult pails in comparison to the glory of eternity in heaven.
If it has been a while since you have been to confession, then go. Repent of your sins and receive absolution, receive the mercy of the Lord. Stay close to the sacraments, to confession and the Eucharist. Stay close to the Church and her teachings grounded in two centuries of tradition. They will illuminate the path that leads to the narrow door. Then pray, pray for the grace to walk to path, the path that leads to salvation.
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