Salvation and rejection
Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the Kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the Kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
REFLECTION WILL ONLY A FEW PEOPLE BE SAVED? “Will I be saved?” “Who will be saved?” Though not necessarily spoken, the question about salvation is asked by every human heart. This is not about safety and preservation of physical life but about what happens beyond life on earth. Is there life other than the one I am living now? Will I be worthy to possess what is called “eternal life”?
Religious groups ultimately deal with this question. Some offer the surety of salvation to those who embrace their teaching that they claim as “gospel truth,” as well as the certainty of condemnation for those outside their group or for dropouts.
“Lord, will only a few people be saved?” someone asks Jesus. If this question is directed to a Pharisee, most probably he will say that only Jews who are descendants of Abraham and who observe the Law of Moses will be saved. Jesus does not give a numerical answer but tells the Jewish crowd to enter through the narrow gate. “Narrow” entails something difficult to accept, and in their case Jesus tells them not to grow complacent in the fact that they are children of Abraham or the fact that Jesus teaches and does wonders in their midst. Why, they may be surprised to see that people from all over, who are Gentiles, will be ahead of them in the Kingdom. The only assurance of salvation is to be a listener and doer of God’s word.
SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2018,” ST. PAULS Philippines, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 895-9701; Fax 895-7328; E-mail: books@stpauls.ph; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.