Reflection on the Gospel of Luke 13:22-30

Another question led to this teaching. The thematic connection with Jesus’ words implying the small beginning of the kingdom should be obvious. As elsewhere, Luke recorded Jesus teaching lessons and using illustrations and expressions, which the other Gospel writers recorded Him using in other contexts. Jesus’ repetition is understandable in view of His itinerant ministry and His great skill as a teacher. Luke employed similar geographical summary statements in Acts, too, to indicate divisions in his narrative (e.g., 12:25; 14:27-28; 16:4). They give a sense of movement and progress, in material that is essentially didactic. Jesus’ general movement was toward “Jerusalem” and the Cross, though He seems to have proceeded without haste and with many pauses for teaching. The goal is the important feature, not how Jesus reached it. He gave the following teaching on the way.

Luke did not identify the questioner, who could have been a disciple or a member of the ubiquitous crowd. The questioner evidently wanted to know if he or she was correct in concluding, from Jesus’ previous teaching (e.g., Mark 10:23-26), that only “a few” people would experience salvation. For the Jews, and probably for the questioner, salvation meant entering the kingdom as well as entering heaven. The identity of the people to whom Jesus responded is indefinite and unimportant. Jesus did not answer the question directly. Instead of giving an impersonal answer, He explained how a person could enter the kingdom. A “narrow door” pictured an unpopular and difficult entryway (cf. Matt. 7:13). Jesus meant the door was the way He taught, in contrast to the more popular way that the religious leaders taught. Striving referred to believing Jesus despite the intrinsic difficulty of believing and the opposition of others (John 10:9).

“Many” people would “seek to enter” the kingdom through ways other than the narrow door, but would be unable to enter. One writer argued that the striving in view involves submitting to Christ’s Lordship. But submitting to Christ’s Lordship is nowhere a condition for entrance into the kingdom. Only faith in Jesus is. The revelation that God would soon shut the narrow door of opportunity—to enter heaven and the kingdom—should have moved Jesus’ hearers not to delay believing in Him. In one sense, anyone can believe as long as he or she is alive. In another sense, it becomes more difficult to believe as one procrastinates and as one grows older. However, in view of Jesus’ illustration of the banquet that follows, it is more likely that He was thinking of the beginning of the kingdom. When the kingdom began, it would be impossible for unbelievers to change their minds and be saved. Therefore, in view of the kingdom’s imminence—when Jesus uttered this warning—His hearers needed to believe without delay.

According to Dr. Constable’s Notes on Luke 2014 Edition, when the kingdom began, no amount of appeal—based only on friendship or familiarity with Jesus—would avail. Jesus had extended fellowship to His hearers, and had taught them the way of salvation, but they had rejected His offers. In Matthew, Jesus clearly identified the person who shut the door as Himself (Matt. 7:22-23). He will also be the person who will utterly forsake and pronounce judicial rejection on unbelievers for their lack of righteousness (Ps. 6:8). The phrase “weeping and gnashing of teeth” elsewhere describes eternal punishment in hell (Matt. 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30). There is no reason to conclude that it means something else here. “Weeping” expresses sorrow (Acts 20:37; James 4:9; 5:1), and “gnashing” or grinding the “teeth” pictures anger and hatred (Job 16:10; Ps. 35:16; 37:12; 112:10; Lam. 2:16; Acts 7:54). These feelings will arise in people outside the kingdom as they view others within it.

The judgment at the beginning of the kingdom is in view. Evidently God will raise dead Old Testament saints to life then, to enter the kingdom (Isa. 26:19; Dan. 12:2). The Old Testament revealed that Gentiles would also participate in the messianic banquet that will inaugurate Messiah’s earthly reign (Isa. 25:6-7; 60; 62:2-9; 65:13-14; Ezek. 34:12-14; 39:17-20). People coming from the four compass points would be Gentiles rather than the Jews, who lived primarily in Palestine. Jesus said that many Jews would not enter the kingdom (Matt. 8:10-12). Many of Jesus’ hearers were undoubtedly trusting in their Jewish blood and heritage to get them into the kingdom, so Jesus’ words would have shocked them. The people who are “last” in this context probably refer to Gentiles, whom the Jews regarded as least likely to enter the kingdom (Matt. 19:30; 20:16; Mark 10:31). The ones who are “first” were the Jews. They considered themselves to be superior to Gentiles in many ways. They were also the first and the foremost objects of Jesus’ ministry.

The Early Church Father St. Cyril of Alexandria in his sermons on Luke says, “For wide is the door, and broad the way that brings down many to destruction.” And what are we to understand by its broadness? It means an unrestrained tendency to carnal lust; a base and pleasure loving life; luxurious feastings, and revelling and banqueting, and un-resisted inclinations unto everything which is condemned by the law, and displeasing to God: a stiff-necked mind that will not bow to the yoke of the law: a life accursed, and relaxed in all dissoluteness, thrusting from it the divine law, and utterly unmindful of the sacred commandments: wealth and the vices that spring from it, scorn and pride, and the vain imagining of transitory boastings. From all such things must those withdraw who would enter in by the strait door, and be with Christ, and keep festival with Him.”

Reflection on Gospel of Luke 12:39-48

My brothers and sisters, in order to better understand today’s Holy Gospel; let us explore the context of both, the Hebrews of the time in which Jesus was speaking, and, the wisdom of the Gospel for today and forever. The Hebrew term for slave, eved, is a direct derivation from the Hebrew verb, la’avÖd (“to work”), thus, the slave in Jewish law really only a worker or a servant. The eved differs from the hired worker (sakhir) in three respects: he receives no wages for his work, he is a member of his master’s household; and, his master exercises patria potestas over him – for example, the master may choose a wife for the slave and retains ownership of her and he has proprietary rights in him.

Our Lord talks about the servant: the servant who is obedient to his master’s wishes and whom his master will find busy upon his arrival. He also does not mince words while talking about the one who knows the master’s wishes but does not carry them out and that he will be ranked among those undeserving of trust. He is very clearly speaking to each one of us. Many countries around the world have witnessed slavery. It has a very negative connotation to it and rightly so [considering] for example, the way it was carried out in America. But there is another kind of slavery that is a freely chosen slavery. That is, a slavery that we choose to make ourselves obedient to another.

In today’s Holy Gospel, our good Lord Jesus teaches us that, preparation is very important for so many things. A wise person would not begin to prepare a recipe without making sure that they have all the ingredients at hand. It’s not different when it comes to the spiritual life. Spiritually speaking we prepare ourselves to meet the master by daily prayer, by acts of sacrifice and charity, by reading sacred scripture. Most importantly we prepare ourselves by receiving the Sacraments of the Church, fortified with Sanctifying Grace. So we prepare by going to Confession and receiving the Lord in the Holy Communion as often as possible. Spiritually we need to be prepared to meet our master, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus talks about the master of the house possibly arriving at the “second or third watch of the night.” Being faithful isn’t a fling or a flash in the pan. We know that there will be “ups and downs,” moments of two steps forward and one back. Through it all we are called to persevere. Going the distance is not easy, but how beautiful it is! Pope Saint John Paul II gave us an indelible example of perseverance. What treasure does the Lord expect us to vigilantly guard in this present life? It is the treasure of the gifts he has won for us – the gift of salvation purchased by his blood on the cross which has ransomed us from slavery to sin, Satan,and death – and the gift of his Holy Spirit who works in and through us to make us a a new creation refashioned in the image of God. The Father and the Son through the gift of the Holy Spirit come to make their home with us. But we can ignore their presence, close our ears to their voice, or reject them through pride and unfaithfulness.

Satan comes like a thief in the night to rob us of our faith and to draw us away from God. He works with the world (that society which is opposed to God) and with our flesh (our sinful inclinations) to make us believe that we can find treasure and happiness apart from God and his will for our lives. The Lord Jesus calls us to be vigilant in watching for his return and to be ready to meet him when he calls us to himself. The Lord gives us his Holy Spirit so that we may have the wisdom, help, and strength we need to turn away from sin to embrace God’s way of love, justice, and holiness. The Lord’s warning of judgment causes dismay for those who are unprepared, but it brings joyful hope to those who eagerly wait for his return in glory.  God’s judgment is good news for those who are ready to meet him. Their reward is God himself, the source of all truth, beauty, goodness, love and everlasting life.

Lord Jesus, you have captured my heart for you. Make it strong in faith, steadfast in hope, and generous in love that I may seek to please you in all things and bring you glory.  Keep me ever watchful for the coming of your kingdom.