21st Sunday in Ordinary Time
Is 66:18-21, Heb 12:5-7, Luke 13:22-30
Last Sunday’s Gospel posed difficulties for the disciples who were listening to Jesus. It was confusing and almost contradictory to what they were expecting of the teaching of Jesus; “I have come to bring fire to the earth …. I am here to bring division” Following these strange statements Jesus went on to alert the disciples to some aspects of the disciples’ life that would be uplifting and assuring for them; He tells them to interpret the signs of the times in order to understand how God is always acting in their lives: He advises them to settle their differences before going to court: disciples need to repent of their own failures and always give others another chance: people are more important than rules: the image of the tiny mustard seed growing into a great tree is similar to how Faith grows (Luke 12:54 -13:21).
Then it is time to ask a question of the Lord; “Sir, will there be only a few saved?” The tone of the question would tell us a lot about the inquirer. Does it indicate a degree of self-righteousness and smugness? Is it the inquiry of one who is fearful, unworthy and humble? We might all ask the question with a different tone depending on our situation and our level of Faith.
In His answer to this question Jesus wants his disciples to narrow their focus, to concentrate on their call as disciples and to express their belief and hope in the life that he has promised. We all know that our destination as disciples is Heaven. The three images of heaven which Jesus gives in this Gospel reading are expressed in down-to-earth homely pictures; Feasting, meeting with ancestors and, perhaps, surprise at who we will see there!! Feasting; Luke’s gospel is never far from eating and drinking. In fact in every chapter of Luke’s Gospel there is reference to eating our drinking. So, Heaven is imagined as a great banquet. Meeting with ancestors; The Jews had a great sense of their ancestry. The idea of meeting with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and the prophets was appealing to them just as we would like to imagine meeting with our loved ones and the saints whom we have admired and tried to imitate in our lives.
Surprise; God alone is the perfect judge and when we enter the heavenly home we may be surprised at those in the highest places and lowest places, if indeed such exist! Many of those whom we considered ‘losers’ in this life may be covered in glory with very shiny halos and perhaps the ones who seemed pious and outwardly upright may be far back in the line when genuine charity is uncovered.
It was Saint Augustine who said that “There are many in the Church who are not of the Kingdom and, many in the Kingdom who do not belong to the Church.”
So, as disciples we are called to eat and drink with each other and engage in table fellowship, we are called to treasure the spiritual heritage of our ancestors and to reserve all judgement to Jesus, the just judge.
Maybe we could reproduce something of that image even now and bring about something of that heaven on earth!