26/08/2007 - 21th SUNDAY in Ordinary Time - Year C
First Reading Isaiah 66: 18-21 Psalm 117
Second Reading Hebrews 12: 5-7; 11-13 Gospel Luke 13: 22-30
Jesus goes on in His way to Jerusalem. He knows this journey His a kind of
school for the spiritual formation of His disciples; they have to learn to offer
to God with Him their own life as a sacrifice, instead of the sacrifices offered
and burned on the unique altar of the temple in Jerusalem. In order to train
the disciples Jesus takes the opportunity of their own questions or the questions
and doubts they are bringing forth, or those of other people.
This time they hear the answer He gives to somebody asking about the number
of those who will be saved; or, in other words, the number of those who will
go in Paradise. The disciples think of the Paradise as a situation of happiness
and bliss, man can obtain by his good works or good qualities. They share the
opinions of the people around them, of the Scribes and the Pharisees.
For Jesus it is not easy to give an answer to that kind of questions. The disciples
are expecting the Master will tell them how many people will achieve to observe
the Law in a perfect way, so that they may be saved. But He will tell them who
are those He will save wit His death and resurrection: "Try to come in
through the narrow door." Which door is that narrow door? - It is the Cross
of Jesus. This is the door through which we may know the Lord. He will have
to say to many people I do not know you; because many, although they belong
to the People of God, although they have done good works, have never tried to
meet the Lord, have never taken part in His own life.
Actually it is not enough to have heard about Jesus, or to belong to a special
group, or to have heard some or other of His messages, to be able to say we
know Him. Those who know Him really are those who share His wishes, who accept
His life, who drink with Him in his chalice. Those who have been witnesses of
one of His interventions, do not necessarily belong to Him. Even those who slaved
in the life, may it be because of illness or work or for the satisfaction to
be a benefactor of humanity, it is not a guarantee for salvation. Those who
welcome the Son of God can have the new life, the life of God. Those who do
not welcome Him will remain far from Him; and thus also far from God.
Jesus has to disappoint his audience. The most of them who will be saved are
not belonging to Israel but will be coming from pagan nations, as long before
the prophets foretold. We have to pay attention to these words of Jesus. The
fact to born in a Christian people or country gives no guarantee at all. Each
of us has to welcome the Lord in his own life. And in order to do that, so that
our welcome will be worthy of His holiness and will bring salvation to the world,
we need help and amendment in our behaviour. A true Christian believer will
accept amendments! More still, the true disciple will welcome those amendments,
because he knows he is not perfect; in order to be like the Son of God he needs
help. Thus the good disciple of the Lord will try to find a mature believer
from whom he may get assistance, good advices for his behaviour or way of life.
So let us go with Jesus to Jerusalem and enter the narrow door. May someone
give us his hand so that we may go on together in the way of offering ourselves
to the heavenly Father.