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21st Sunday in Ordinary Time Year C - 25/8/2013 - Gospel: Lk 13: 22-30
Narrow Gate
Someone asked Jesus, "Lord, are only a few people going to be saved?" Jesus told them, "Make every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able to. Once the owner of the house gets up and closes the door.v23

Jesus' response has surprised many.  Let us make some observations about the door. Firstly the door is always smaller than the gate. It doesn't make sense if the gate was smaller than the door. Secondly, the door is narrow and if one wants to get through the door that person must trim off or leave behind what isn't useful for God's kingdom. Thirdly the door is narrow and that means only one person can pass through at a time with his or her own efforts. Fourthly the door is not open permanently but at an unknown specific time it will be closed and when it is closed no one can open except the door keeper. The word closed probably refers to the closed mind rather than to the closed door. It is the mind of a person who remains close to the invitation to the kingdom. It is the closed mind makes him wrongly believes that the door is available for him whenever he wants to enter. Finally the door is personally personified to Jesus that he is the door.

I am the gate. Anyone who enters through me, he will be safe. John 10:9. 

Through the cross Jesus opens the way for us to enter into his kingdom.  We must follow Jesus in the way of the cross.  To enter the narrow door we must fight against the forces of evil and anything that would hinder us from entering into it. Those who try will enter God's kingdom because the kingdom is for all. God's kingdom is for both the chosen race and Gentile alike.  The following thoughts, even though, they sound nice and convincing, they are not aligned to the teaching of Jesus. One believes that at the end of our journey on earth we would all enter God's kingdom whether we prepare for it or not because salvation is available for all and that we need to do nothing. The other belief that the loving God is incapable of excluding someone from His kingdom otherwise He would not be the loving God. God's salvation is free for all but if we show no interest in responding to God's invitation and refuse to recognize God in our lives then we probably should expect nothing at the end. Jesus made it clear that apart from Him there is no other way to enter God's kingdom.

I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me" John 14:6.

There is no second narrow door. It is only one of a kind that leads to heaven. Christians have rejected the narrow door Christ taught and promoted pluralism would teach something that is contrary to the teaching of Christ. It would be unjust when those who made no effort to enter God's kingdom would be treated the same as those who tried hard to enter.

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