Today's Reflections
Salvation and Rejection
Lk 13:22-30
22[Jesus] passed through towns and villages, teaching as he went and making his way to Jerusalem. 23Someone asked him, “Lord, will only a few people be saved?” He answered them, 24“Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough.
25After 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.’ 26And you will say, ‘We ate and drank in your company and you taught in our streets.’ 27Then he will say to you, ‘I do not know where [you] are from. Depart from me, all you evildoers!’ 28And
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. 29And 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. 30For behold, some are last who will be first, and some are first who will be last.”
I DO NOT KNOW WHERE YOU ARE FROM. The
gate to salvation is narrow. Many try to enter but are not successful
because they continue to do evil. Between saying and doing there is a
big gap. “Del dicho al hecho,” we say in Spanish, “hay un gran trecho.” Or in Filipino, “Sa gitna ng salita at gawa mayroong puwang na malawak.”
It
is sad that some Christians do not live as true followers of Christ.
They are content with entering the church only three times in their
lifetime: when they are baptized, when they get married, and before they
are buried. Such Christians may find themselves knocking at the door of
heaven and receiving this answer: “I do not know where you are from” (v
27).
Salvation
is a joint effort of God and man. God gives the gift of salvation, and
man responds to God’s grace by living the faith.
Bridge the gap between what you say
and what you do.
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