"MASSA DAMNATA"

“Lord, will only a few be saved?” He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. 25 When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’ 26 Then you will begin to say, ‘We ate and drank with you, and you taught in our streets.’ 27 But he will say, ‘I do not know where you come from; go away from me, all you evildoers!’ 28 There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrown out. 29 Then people will come from east and west, from north and south, and will eat in the kingdom of God. 30 Indeed, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.” Luke 13:23-30 [Harper Bibles (2011-11-15). NRSV Catholic Edition Bible (Kindle Locations  61590-61597). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.]

For some odd reason today a troubling recollection from the past came crowding into my mind. I once knew a man who by temperament was both angry and hateful. He merited being classed as "toxic company" and "to be avoided at all costs". Anyway, sometimes we are thrown together with such folk. My memory of him probably has less to do with him than it did with me. At some point in a conversation, a lot of years ago, he volunteered that he was in no rush to face the prospect of death and everlasting life; he had things to do and to enjoy yet in this life, he said. It sort of rang like "Heaven Can Wait". His words troubled me because they just didn't seem right, even though most folks we know are not in any particular hurry to die or send their loved ones off to glory. He said nothing which we don't hear over and over again. What exactly it was that was wrong about his tone or what he should have said instead, having expressed himself typically as a still relatively young adult, well, I don't know. At any rate, I felt genuine fear for him and for his eternal salvation.

We really should be longing for heaven, but it's not as simple as "Oh yeah, I wanna go". Components to a longing for the courts of the house of our God must certainly include a fear of losing out and a real sense of urgency. We see this eagerness, almost impatient to go and be with the Lord, in the lives of the saints. It's the longing and searching for the beloved in the Old Testament Book of The Song of Songs. It's since forever in the Church really. But I guess I find it and fear it rare in our day and time, the "it" being less than pressed to strive to enter by the narrow gate. Not only the longing is rare, so is the fear of losing out. (I can hear someone muttering: "He's edging dangerously close to 'fire and brimstone'"! Yes, and what of it? How else am I to understand Jesus' response to the disciples question: “Lord, will only a few be saved?” )

How relevant really is the exhortation which fills pop hymnody, "Be not afraid!" or "Have no fear!", how relevant to the general population (even church going) are words drawn from mountain top scenes of disciples standing before God, words addressed by God to those already standing in His presence? What does "Be not afraid!" have to say  to the detached, doldrums sort of existence so typical of younger folk and not so young folk today? Do those who don't seem to be in any hurry to place themselves out of harms way (renouncing sin and Satan), safe from the wrath which is to come, do they need to be consoled in their very this-worldly anxiousness about what to eat or what to wear? Or are we, the preachers, not doing them a disservice by not giving evidence in our message of the mark of the true prophet in either Testament by repeating, lovingly yes, but unmistakably, the invitation of Christ: “Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able. When once the owner of the house has got up and shut the door, and you begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, ‘Lord, open to us,’ then in reply he will say to you, ‘I do not know where you come from.’