by Rev. Canon David B. Tabo-oy
v24″Do your best to go in through the narrow door; because many people will surely try to go in but will not be able… v30Then those who are now last will be first, and those who are now first will be last.” Luke 13
In the first part of this Sunday’s Gospel we read a very familiar practice particularly in the Filipino contemporary culture and I squirm to believe that it has become our culture. The ‘palakasan system’ if there such a term – but for sure it is happening. It reads, ‘Open the door for us, sir!’ he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from!’ v26Then you will answer, ‘We ate and drank with you; you taught in our town!’ Oh yeah, it sounds the same of our “palakasan system” wherein we drop names of our friends, relatives, or acquaintances in the bureaucracy or those in a position for us to get what we want for whatever intentions by favour of such relation or in cutting corners. Indeed, to have eternal life or in another biblical and Christian term – to be saved – we are qualified not of this world’s standards that includes ‘palakasan system’ or even cutting corners. Part of my column last week dwelt on this, ‘For my thoughts are not you’re your thoughts, nor your ways are my ways, says the Lord.” Our worldly qualifications are poles apart of Christ Jesus’ qualifications. Considering this world’s standard – it is difficult or even quite impossible to be a disciple of Christ. “Small is the gate… and only a few find it…” Christ taught that we are not to expect a majority of people to follow him on the road that leads to life. These are the words in another version of the Holy Bible yet it tells us the same: the entry is difficult and it demands our struggle to be able to enter it.
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As I was travelling to Barbados two months back this year through JFK Airport in the USA, I saw a fellow passenger having difficulty entering the elevator connecting to the train for the final gate. He has three backpacks and other towed luggages. An assistant came over and said, “Sir, please leave some of your extra baggages and will take care of it until Barbados…” Jesus tells the people: “Try to come in through the narrow door. Many, I tell you, will try to enter and be unable.” We wonder, why will they be unable to enter? As we know, of all the Gospel writers, Luke especially stress the need to share one’s goods with others. Here he is pointing out Jesus’ insistence on this very thing. That is to say, we will have difficulty entering the narrow door leading into heaven if we are overburdened with all sorts of things. They can be material things – all the unncessary goods that we acquire during our life – but Jesus may also be referring to things more spiritual: certain bad habits or vices we may have acquired. We can only enter through the narrow gates if we shed all that. And now is the time to do it. Extra baggages we have them. As we travel and enter the gates, let us remove our extra baggages that would eventually render us difficulty if not hindrance to enter the gate… of eternal life.
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Comparatively few will enter the humble gate of true repentance and deny themselves to follow Jesus, sincerely endeavor to obey his commands, earnestly seek his kingdom and his righteousness, and persevere until the end in true faith, purity and love. Jesus in his Sermon on the Mount desctibes the great blessings that accompany discipleship in his kingdom (Beatitudes, Matt.5:3-12), but he also insists that his disciples will not escape persecution. Furthermore, contrary to some evangelists who preach that “getting saved” is one of the easiest things in the world, Jesus taught that following him involves heavy obligations concerning reighteousness, acceptance of persecution, love for enemies and self-denial.
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First will be the last…The “first” are those who because of their wealth, education, status or talents are held in esteem by the world and sometimes even by the church. The “last” are those who are unknown and considered unimportant. In the age to come, “many” who were thought to be great leaders in the church will be given positions behind others, and many who were unknown will be exalted to glorious positions. This is because God values people not by outward appearance, but by the sincerity, purity and love of their hearts. “Many will say…Lord, lord…”
Jesus emphatically states that there will be “many” in the church who will minister in his name and believe they are his servants, yet in reality he never knew them. To escape the deceit of the last days, church leaders (or any disciple) must be totally committed to the truth and the righteousness revealed in God’s Word (Rev. 22.19) and not consider “ministerial success” as the standard by which to judge their relationship to Christ. “I never knew you…”
These words of Christ make it unmistakably clear that preachers may proclaim the gospel in the name of Christ, drive out demons and perform miracles while they themselves have no genuine saving faith in Christ.
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We can never take heaven for granted. We can never boast of what we have not done: never killed anyone; we never stole anything; we never committed a serius crime… No, that is not enough. Rather, we must focus on what we have done to merit eternal life. What have we done to reform our life? What have done to help others in need? How much effort did we exert in order to get to know God better? Entering into heaven is not easy. Let us do our best to go in through the narrow door… by God’s grace… we can.
Let us pray.
Grant us, O merciful God, that your Church, being gathered together in unity by your Holy Spirit, may show forth your power among all peoples, to the glory of your Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.**
