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  • Commentary on 21st Sunday of the year 25.08.2013
December 13, 2019

Commentary on 21st Sunday of the year 25.08.2013

Commentary on 21st Sunday of the year 25.08.2013

by +Paschal Tiernan OP / Saturday, 24 August 2013 / Published in Commentary, News

LUKE 13: 22–30

Ordinary Time Sunday 21C

TEXT

Jesus on journey to Jerusalem

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

How many will be saved?

23 And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us’.’

Punishment for sinners

He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’

28 There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out.

Reward for others

29 And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.

Last first; First last

30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

 

EXPLANATION

 

Introduction

Luke 13: 22 — 17: 10 is the second part of Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem and death. The first part was Luke 9: 51 — 13: 21 where he treated of various aspects of discipleship. The second part begins with Luke 13: 22–30 which stresses the urgent need for conversion to be a member of the kingdom of God.

 

22 He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem.

“He went on his way through towns and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem” — Once again Luke repeats that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem and crucifixion and he is “teaching”. He teaches by word but he also teaches by example. The most obvious example is his fidelity to his Father’s will. Luke describes him as a ‘teaching missionary’. He does not limit himself to his followers and disciples. He visits “towns and villages” along the route. His journey is his opportunity to instruct his disciples and others in the “ways” of God.

Luke wishes to keep the reader’s attention focussed on the end of Jesus’ journey so that each item mentioned may be understood in the light of the crucifixion and redemption. Not many miracles are performed by Jesus on this journey. It is a teaching journey.

The point in Luke repeating so frequently that Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem was to make his disciples and followers aware of the cost of being with Jesus. A disciple does not follow merely physically behind Jesus; he shares in his way of life which includes sharing in his death.

 

23 And some one said to him, “Lord, will those who are saved be few?” And he said to them, 24 “Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.

“And some one said to him” — Luke takes the opportunity of questions to give teachings of Jesus (Lk. 9: 57; 10: 25; 11: 15, 27, 45; 12: 13, 41; 13: 1, 23).

“‘Lord” — The questioner addresses Jesus as “Lord”, his post resurrection divine title. It is unlikely that at this stage of Jesus’ ministry the questioner would have understood the full meaning of this title. No doubt he regarded Jesus highly as a person who had extraordinary, if perhaps not divine knowledge of all matters.

“will those who are saved be few?’” — The background to this question was the Jewish presumption that as God’s Chosen People they would be automatically saved and all others would be excluded from heaven. These had their own gods who could look after them.

As is common when Jesus is asked a question, he does not answer directly but makes a remark or teaching on the same subject that directly affects the person posing the question. The question asked was a statistical curiosity: how many will be saved? Jesus ignores this and tells the audience that they personally are to “strive” to be saved.

“And he said to them, ‘Strive to enter by the narrow door” — One person asked the question but Jesus replied “to them”, the plural. Then he added, ‘You people strive’ (also the plural), addressing the audience which we know numbered thousands (Lk. 12: 1). What Jesus told the audience was to refrain from curiosity about statistics and then he got personal, referring “to them”, telling them to think first about themselves and their own salvation and make every endeavour to attain it. Jesus really answers the question, not ‘how many’ but who will be saved?

“Strive” — The Greek syntax really means “keep on striving”, not a once off attempt.

The Greek word implies a very strenuous effort. It comes from the same root as the word ‘agonise’ (“agonizomai”) — people should agonise over their salvation and act accordingly. Entry into heaven is not automatic or easy because the entrance is like a “narrow door” which is a symbol of a gradual and difficult entrance.

“the narrow door” — Luke does not explain what the “narrow door” is but we know from John’s Gospel that Jesus declared himself to be the “door” of life (Jn. 10: 7, 9–10). His way is not easy — it is a slow journey to crucifixion. What is required is personal commitment to Jesus and his way of living and dying.

“for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able” — Here Jesus gives a warning to the original question: “many … will not be able” to enter. Entry will require effort and many people will not exert themselves in this respect and so will not succeed. Reasons for this are given in the following verses.

25 When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us.’ He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’

“When once the householder has risen up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, “Lord, open to us.” — Jesus compares himself to a householder who locks the entrance door. People who wish to enter should come in time, availing of the opportunity before the door is closed. Just because someone knocks and asks him to open the door is not sufficient for Jesus, the householder, to comply and unlock. Certain preparatory conditions must be fulfilled, one of which is to embrace the opportunity when it is presented. This is why they must “keep striving” in good time.

“Lord, open to us.” — Nor is it sufficient to merely call on Jesus as “Lord”, even in prayer, to have him open the door. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom of heaven”.

“He will answer you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ –Jesus will deny knowing the person who does not fulfil the necessary conditions. The Jews knocking on the door presumed that because they were Jews they had every right to enter. Jesus corrects them and tells them that their relationship is not sufficient nor intimate but superficial. They were not committed to him.

“Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank in your presence, and you taught in our streets.’ — They will reply that the relationship was more than casual because they ate meals with Jesus and listened to his teaching. To eat and drink in his presence does not necessarily imply close companionship or commitment. To listen to him lecture at street corners can also be quite casual and does not indicate acceptance of his teachings. Jesus does not recognise informal and mere external relationships as sufficient for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. What he expects is that disciples follow him on the road to crucifixion and resurrection.

“But he will say, ‘I tell you, I do not know where you come from” — Jesus repeats a second time that he does not know these persons because the sharing was neither personal nor intimate.

“depart from me, all you workers of iniquity!’” — “Workers of iniquity” are those who had the opportunity to do God’s will but did not for one deliberate reason or the other. The choice was theirs. They will be asked to depart from him. Where they are to go will be explained in the following verse.

 

28 There you will weep and gnash your teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out.

“There you will weep and gnash your teeth” — They will be filled with grief and rage, a biblical description of what takes place in hell where they never expected to go but now have to endure eternal suffering and frustration.

“when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves thrust out” — They will see heaven and its occupants, the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the prophets. They will be excluded.

 

29 And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God.

“And men will come from east and west, and from north and south, and sit at table in the kingdom of God” — Jesus continues. He says that many will come from Gentile or non–Jewish areas throughout the world and share in the joy and happiness of heaven. He has come to offer universal salvation, to all peoples. No one may presume that salvation is exclusive for some races or peoples such as the Jews.

 

30 And behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”

30 And behold” — Jesus calls on his listeners to “behold”, that is notice an important truth.

“some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” — This was a proverb which in this context means that those who feel themselves excluded (“last”) will be included (“first”) and those who presumed they were included (“first”) will be excluded from the kingdom (“last”). In the context the application of the meaning is that the Gentiles (“the last” called) will be admitted; the Jews (“the first” called) will be excluded. There is no such thing as automatic salvation or membership in the kingdom of God based on birth, race or other presumptions. Membership is an offer that demands a commitment which is not something casual but requires effort.

 

 

APPLICATION

Jesus

This Gospel reading tells us three things about Jesus. The first is that he was always fully focussed on Jerusalem, the place of his crucifixion, as his destination. He never lost sight of that goal and Luke wished to emphasise this by repeating that Jesus was on his way to that city. He actually built his gospel chapters 9 (v. 51) to 19 around this journey. In view of the contents of this present passage, what a brilliant example of how those of us accompanying Jesus must keep the same focus in life on the Paschal Mystery (the death and resurrection of Jesus) in which as his followers and disciples we take a real and active part.

The second point we are taught about Jesus is that on this journey, his way, he was a missionary with a teaching role. He knew how confused his apostles were because of the culture of the Judaism of their day. They were completely off track when it came to understanding the role of the Messiah which they saw, not as a spiritual but as a political role. They expected the Messiah to bring them political power and freedom. Even though they witnessed the miracles and heard the instructions, they were intellectually blind to what Jesus was saying and doing. They were ignorant of the shortcomings and prejudices of Judaism of the time. Because of this Jesus had to devote so much of his ministry to instructing them, knowing that only with the coming of the Holy Spirit after his resurrection and ascension would they remember and understand. A careful reading of this section devoted to the journey to Jerusalem shows how Jesus was so engaged in instructing the apostles and disciple. The Holy Spirit would remind them of what he taught and in good time they themselves would become ‘teaching missionaries’. A very timely thought for all of us.

The third point made by Jesus came in answer to a question. Someone asked how many would be saved. Jesus pointed out that this was a ‘non–question’. The person should not have asked “how many?” but “who will be saved?” Jesus gave the answer to this appropriate question. He pointed out that salvation is not easy and smooth. It is a challenge. While it is God’s gift it requires effort and struggle on the part of the one who wishes to be saved to fully accept the gift and its implications. Jesus gives an example of going through the narrow gates and doors that gave access to cities of the time. There were big gates which were not always open. The doors were not open all the time either but they were so important. People found it worthwhile to make the effort to enter by them, one at a time. In this instruction Jesus shows himself as not being a ‘push–over’ or easy walk–over. He lets us know that not all, even those who go to Holy Communion and talk a lot about religion can be sure of salvation. That could be mere routine. Jesus offers salvation but he insists that if one wants to be saved that person has to show that salvation is something he/she prizes and is prepared to work for. It has to be undertaken as a way of life because it leads to eternal life, indeed the only door to eternal life. Jesus has been compared to a “door”, here a “narrow door”, a door that is open only to those who make an effort. Salvation comes when one accepts Jesus and his way of life and begins to really follow. There is the answer to Jesus’ question — those who make the effort required by Jesus and “strive” to follow his way of life will be saved.

 

 

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