Stay faithful, prepare for the kingdom

The effort that is needed is the virtue of fortitude.

WORD OF FAITH: A breakdown of each week's upcoming Sunday readings to better understand the Word of God at Mass.

“For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Luke 13:30) 

Jesus throughout the Gospels is always being questioned by people, whether it is Nicodemus who comes to him in the dark of night and asks, “How can a man be born again?” (John 3:4) On another occasion the scholar asked Jesus, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit everlasting life?” (Luke 10:25) And again, that same scholar later asks, “Who is my neighbor?” (Luke 10:28) Even when Jesus is crucified on the cross, he is asked by one of the criminals who was crucified alongside him, “Aren’t you the Messiah? Then save yourself and us.” (Luke 23:39) In Luke 13:22-30, Jesus is again questioned as he walks along the way to Jerusalem. He meets an unidentified person who asks, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” (Luke 13:23) Jesus does not answer the question, he redirects his response by inviting the questioner to reflect on his own readiness for the coming of the Lord. Jesus is always inviting those who are questioning to question themselves. By doing so, he invites us to question ourselves at our own readiness for the coming of the Lord. Jesus said to the one who questioned him, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.” (Luke 13:24) Jesus tells us that great urgency and effort will be needed to enter into the kingdom. 

The reason for the urgency is the need to accept Jesus as Lord in order to enter into the kingdom of God. The effort that is needed is the virtue of fortitude. Faith requires strength to endure the assaults of those who reject the kingdom of God, and then they themselves who previously rejected the kingdom of God want to return. “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.’ ” (Luke 13:25) The open door will not remain open indefinitely and thus the urgency to accept Jesus as Lord requires an immediate response. The implicit message behind this urgency is for those who reject Jesus. After Jesus sent out the 72 disciples, he said, “Whoever listens to you listens to me. Whoever rejects you rejects me. And whoever rejects me rejects the one who sent me.” (Luke 10:16) Ultimately, the call to ready oneself for the kingdom of God requires repentance. For those who reject the kingdom and do not repent will receive severe judgment.

After those who first had the kingdom of God proclaimed to them — the house of Israel — and still rejected the kingdom of God, in response to their rejection, Jesus will send his disciples to the Gentile nations. The First Reading from Isaiah 66:18-21 tells how salvation will be offered to all nations of the world. “I come to gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.” Through the prophet Isaiah, God announces that he will bring together all the nations of the world to proclaim his glory. Jesus says in Luke 13:29, “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.” Jesus goes on to say that those who receive the Gospel proclaimed last will accept the good news and will be first in the kingdom. “For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” (Lk. 13:30) There is an opportunity for all people to receive the good news and enter the kingdom of God. 

For this reason, Psalm 117:1-2 calls us to, “Go out to all the world and tell the good news.” There will be, however, a cost to proclaiming the Gospel. The Second Reading from the Book of Hebrews 12:5-7,11-13 reminds us of that cost. The faithful are called to “endure your trials as disciples.” As Jesus endured the cross for our sins, we are asked to endure our suffering for the future glory of the kingdom of God. This enables us to understand the answer to the question Jesus was presented with in Luke 13:23, “Will only a few be saved?” Jesus tells us: those who endure in faith will enter through the narrow gate.