THE WORD
Eph 6,1-9 / Lk 13,22-30
Jesus passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough. After the master of the house has arisen and locked the door, then will you stand outside knocking and saying, ‘Lord, open the door for us.’ He will say to you in reply, ‘I do not know where you are from.’ And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where (you) are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ And there will be wailing and grinding of teeth when you see Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God and you yourselves cast out. And people will come from the east and the west and from the north and the south and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
IN OTHER WORDS
The same message in two different gospels. I also received almost the same gospel reflection from The Word in Other Words last year. It was August 19 and it was taken from Matthew 20:1-16, so when I read today’s gospel, I was a bit shocked and reflected, what is the Lord telling me? “The first will be the last, and the last will be first.” How mysterious indeed!
The call to strive for the kingdom of God is a call to enter the narrow gate. Doing so is a difficult process. It entails lots of pain and many sacrifices to pass through to the other side. When I was young, I was told to enter the narrow opening, my head must fit first and my body can follow, but now I realize that this is not the case. Why? Because I have grown a big belly! So don’t eat too much!
But the point is, do we really know which way to go? Most of us easily enter the doors of life without even considering what is out there, without reflecting on the choices we make. In the end, we feel regretful as if God was not present in the decisions we made. Let us open our eyes and look outside; there is poverty, misery, and suffering. But Jesus is inspiring us today to be disciples on the road, and to face these realities of life.
- Sem. Mark Daniel M. Nicasio | CKMS, Quezon City
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience. The Word in other words 2016
