FIRST READING
A reading from the prophet Isaiah
They will bring all your brothers from all the nations.
The Lord says this: I am coming to gather the nations of every language. They shall come to witness my glory.
I will give them a sign and send some of their survivors to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Moshech, Rosh,
Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have never heard of me or seen my glory. They will proclaim my
glory to the nations. As an offering to the Lord they will bring all your brothers, in horses, in chariots, in
litters, on mules, on dromedaries, from all the nations to my holy mountain in Jerusalem, says the Lord, like
Israelites bringing oblations in clean vessels to the Temple of the Lord. And of some of them I will make
priests and Levites, says the Lord.
 SECOND READING
A reading from the letter to the Hebrews
The Lord trains the one that he loves.
Have you forgotten that encouraging text in which you are addressed as sons? My son, when the Lord corrects
you, do not treat it lightly; but do not get discouraged when he reprimands you. For the Lord trains the ones
that he loves and he punishes all those that he acknowledges as his sons. Suffering is a part of your training;
God is treating you as his sons. Has there ever been any son whose father did not train him? Of course, any
punishment is most painful at the time, but far from pleasant; but later, in those on whom it has been used, it
bears fruit in peace and goodness. So hold up your limp arms and steady your trembling knees and smooth
out the path you tread; then the injured limb will not be wrenched, it will grow strong again.
GOSPEL
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 13:22-30
Men from east and west will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.
Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, 'Sir, will
there be only a few saved?' He said to them, "Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because I tell you,
many will try to enter and will not succeed.
'Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door,
saying, 'Lord, open to us' but he will answer, 'I do not know where you come from.' Then you will find yourself
saying, 'We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets' but we will reply, 'I do not know
where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!'
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Entry to the Kingdom
Jesus continues to teach us as he makes his way to Jerusalem in Luke. It is enigmatic teaching in order to make the reader think. It begins with a question from a bystander, "Lord, will only a few be saved?" The question is not answered; the answer is God's business. The business of the questioner is to ensure that he is one of them. He is to strive to go through the narrow door. To "strive" is what an athlete does in a race. Like Paul in 2 Timothy, he is to "fight the good fight and to finish the race" (2 Tm 4:7). Let him think of the way into the kingdom as a narrow door. Matthew adds at this point, "The road is hard that leads to life and there are few who find it" (Mt 7:13).
The picture changes to a householder who has locked the door of his house. He will only open to those he knows. At first sight, the person with the key seems to be God, but then the words, "We ate and drank with you and you taught us in our streets" identify him with the Christ who is making his way through the cities and villages to Jerusalem. Again turning to Matthew, we remember the foolish virgins who were locked out, saying, "Lord, open to us" (25:11) and Jesus' final words in the Sermon on the Mount to those who prided themselves on their miracles and exorcisms in his name, "I never knew you" (7:23).
In his concluding saying, Jesus gives a picture of the great banquet in the kingdom at the end of time; spoken of by the prophets (Is 25:6-8). Despite the severity of his sayings about narrow doors and locked doors, the banquet is full. All the patriarchs and prophets are there together with peoples from the four corners of the earth. The final promise of Isaiah about the nations is fulfilled, but it was not the Temple in Jerusalem that was their destination, but the great banquet in heaven (Is66:18-21; Rv 4). |
