ENTER THROUGH THE NARROW DOOR
In today's gospel, People asked Jesus about salvation. Those people were
curious about what they had to do to be saved and Jesus told them to
make an effort to enter through the narrow door. Jesus said to them that there would be challenges, difficulties and pain but one should try his best to enter through the narrow door that leads to his home, eternal home.
1. Once a Sunday school teacher asked the children, "what if I sell my
house and all my property and give the money to the Church, will I go to
heaven?" "NO" the children answered."what if I clean the church every day and keep it neat and tidy, will I go to
heaven"? Again the children said, "NO""what if I go to church every day and practice my faith, will I go to
heaven?" they all said, "NO".The teacher looked at them and asked, "what should I do to go to heaven?"One boy shouted out, "You got to be dead".
Heaven is our eternal home from where we are sent here. And that is why there is a constant spiritual longing is in everyone of us. we always want to connect with the higher power and know more about God the Father. But at the same time, impermanent and created things may lure or take us away from spiritual and holy longings. Because of our imperfect nature, we are prone to fall into sin and God who knows our nature and longing shows us the way through His only son Jesus who is our way, life and truth.
What kind of effort should we make to enter into the narrow door?
1. As we come to know the truth that we belong to heaven and God is our father then we will not hesitate to enter through the narrow door of challenges. we will give more of our time, energy and resources to reconnect ourselves with God. Jesus asks us to go to him with our pain, suffering and challenges because He is ready to give make us whole again.
2. The easy way to connect with God is by connecting with others especially with our family members and friends. we don't hesitate to forgive others and strangers but we struggle to forgive and accept our own family members. once a man introduced me his dad and I said to him, "your dad used to bring you to Church and now it is your turn to bring him to church". Whatever the parents do to their children, they will get it back hundred times. if they forgive and accept their children and guide them with their examples, one day the parents will receive more of everything from their children.
3. Enter through the narrow door is not an easy one and that is why God sacrificed His Son Jesus. Jesus by his very birth among the outcasts and the sinners, by his challenging against the pharisees and the scribes and by his suffering and death on the Cross showed us the way to enter into the narrow door. once we enter into the narrow door, we too like our master and Lord will rise to new and eternal bliss. Amen.
