The Lord gathers a people for himself

Lk 13:22-30

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.”

Dulverton Sermon

Matthew is the gospel for the Jews. Luke is the gospel for the Gentiles. And it shows.
Matthew traces the ancestry of Jesus back to Abraham, Luke to Adam. Matthew quotes the Lord on people coming into the Kingdom from east and west but Luke strengthens it by adding from north and south. Luke addresses his gospel to Theophilus, a Gentile and he himself is a Gentile too.

A Jew asks Jesus "Will only a few be saved?" expecting the Lord to declare the Kingdom an exclusive club for Jews only and not even all Jews. He assumes there will be no place for Gentiles. Jesus will have none of this exclusivity. He extends the gospel invitation to all. The only exclusions will be self exclusions. He goes on to inform his questioner that entry is not dependent on race or privilege though all who aspire must strive to enter through the narrow door of righteousness. Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. We are to follow him. Direction is more important than closeness. I am reminded of the inscription on the grave of an Alpine guide who died on his mountain - "He died climbing".

Tom Wright, Bishop of Durham, has a book called "Luke for Everyone". Commenting on today's gospel he recalls waiting to board a flight from New York to Washington on which his seat reservation had been confirmed. He held back as it was a seat near the door and he didn't want to make the other passengers squeeze past him. However when he did try to board his way was blocked and he was refused admission because the flight capacity load had already been reached. Jesus warns that there will be surprises in the Kingdom concerning who is there and who isn't. Another story tells of the new arrival in heaven who had a fine home, many possessions, lots of respect on earth but is offered on a fringe home no bigger than a hut in heaven. When he complains he is told "Sorry but this is all we could manage from the building materials you sent on ahead". Jesus declares "Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last".

The Old Testament reading from Isaiah ch 66 illustrates an earlier vision of Judaism which Jesus is fulfilling more universal in its scope than the narrow exclusivity of the Jews of his own day: "From new moon to new moon, from sabbath to sabbath, all mankind will bow down in my presence, says the Lord". In the Kingdom there is welcome for all who wish to be there. Hopefully there will be very few, if any, who exclude themselves. I feel sure the Lord does not want any of us to go through life or approach death worrying whether we are saved or not. If we have made the choice to walk in his way and wish to do his will we can rest serene and secure in the scripture assurance that "all who believe in him will not perish but have eternal life".

What a joy and delight it will be to find ourselves among the many from east and west, north and south, who have been drawn by the same light and truth of the Lord.