Jesus, this morning doesn’t answer the question being asked. Instead of giving a number, He points us to a more critical question. Not how many will be saved, but “how can we be saved?”
“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.”
The word used for strive in greek shares the root of the word agony in English. Agonize. It denotes the idea of strenuous exercise, hard work, muscle power. It also has the sense of “contending with” or “fighting for.” It’s a reminder that our entry into heaven, while all pure grace and unmerited, isn’t an easy journey. It requires work on our part. Effort. It also reminds us that “now” is the time to be striving. That today is all we have. If we wait too late, we lose the chance to work out salvation with fear and trembling.
Those people in the scripture this morning were confused because they took it for granted. “We ate and drank in your company, and you taught in our streets.” That’s not enough. We have to strive for holiness to enter through the one and only Gate, Jesus Christ.
The key to this battle is letting God fight it for us, but we must cooperate with that grace. We must strive to grow in humility because pride causes us to think we can get there on our own. When we work without God and strive with only our own abilities, we are never strong enough to enter the gate. Only God is strong enough; only God has the key.
Here we are gathered around the altar of God. It’s not just something that happens at the end of time, but something we are a part of now. Right here, heaven kisses the earth. We feast at the same table as those who recline in the Kingdom of God. Sometimes we forget how incredible this moment is. We take it for granted, maybe out of habit, maybe out of just familiarity. Are we striving? Are we asking God to help us become worthy of sitting at that table?
A reflection on the readings for Wednesday of the 30th Week in Ordinary Time: October 27th, 2021