Trinity XII -- August 26, 2007

All Saints' Church -- Thomasville, GA

Proper 16C

Isaiah 28:14-22

Psalm 46

Hebrews 12:18-19, 22-29

Luke 13:22-30

"Grant us grace to see thee, Lord,

Mirrored in thy holy word;

May we imitate thee now,

And be pure, as pure art thou;

That we like to thee may be

At thy great epiphany;

And may praise thee, ever blest,

God in man made manifest."[1]

Some of you might find those words familiar.  They are from one of the great Epiphany hymns written by Christopher Wordsworth.  I was reading and praying the collect for today I zeroed in on the word manifest, and immediately went to the Hymnal to read the words of this hymn.  I have always loved the refrain which of course is the definition of the incarnation that in the Epiphany has been made known to man. God became man, so that man could be redeemed back to God.  God became man so that the narrow gate which leads to eternal life might be opened to those who strive to enter in.

Our passage from the Gospel today has been a much debated passage in scripture.  There is certainly the directness of the words themselves and how they pertain to who will be saved and who will not.  If you go back and take a look at the question that was posed to Jesus, and His answer, you realize that he does not put forward "statistics and figures to satisfy mere human inquisitiveness."[2]

Many times throughout the Gospels, we see instances where Jesus is asked a direct question, and he either:

Answers with another question; gives an indirect answer to the question; or simply remains silent.  Clearly, in our lesson today, Jesus answers the question by giving an indirect response. 

"Lord are there few that be saved."

"Strive to enter through the narrow gate."

What do we make of an answer such as this one?

There is clearly an answer to the question found here.  However, there are also other statements being made.  The original audience, as well as us today, are being told that there is one gate, which is strait or narrow and difficult by which we are to enter into the Master's house.  I was a bit puzzled with the use of the word gate in Jesus' answer, when he goes on to speak of the master not opening the door to those who knock.

In going back to the Greek, I find that the same word that is translated as gate is the exact same word that is later translated as door in the following verse.  Its literal meaning is simply an entrance point.  This certainly makes sense within the context of our passage.  However, as I was looking over the other usages of this word, I found another instance that truly brought new light to this passage for me.

In Mark's gospel, the same word for gate or door is used in a very different context.  "And [Joseph of Arimathaea] bought fine linen, and took [Jesus] down, and wrapped him in the linen, and laid him in a sepulchre which was hewn out of rock, and rolled a stone unto the door of the sepulchre." (Mk. 15.46)

The strait gate that Jesus speaks has a myriad of meanings.  It certainly carries the traditional connotation, and directly points to Jesus' words in St. John's Gospel, "Jesus said to Thomas, 'I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me.'" (Jn. 14.6)  Eternal life comes through one source, and that is Jesus Christ alone.

Article XVIII of our Articles of Religion bears the same title.  "Of obtaining eternal Salvation only by the Name of Christ." (BCP, 606)  And the article itself tells us, "For Holy Scripture doth set out unto us only the Name of Jesus Christ, whereby men must be saved." (BCP, 606)

There is also the context as it was spoken directly to Jesus' first audience.  He is telling this Jewish audience that He is the final messenger who is opening for them the gate of the Kingdom of God.  The Kingdom is breaking forth in their midst, and so many are too blind by their agendas to see it.

He tells them that merely keeping the Law,

or keeping Jesus' company,

or having Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob as ancestors,

or having the Temple to call their own,

or being the covenant people,

Isn't merely enough!

Entering through the strait gate is going to require work,

it is going to be hard,

it isn't going to happen by chance,

you aren't simply going to stroll by and say to yourself,

'Huh, this looks interesting, I'll try it for a while.'

Jesus says that many will try, and few will be able to maintain what entering entails.  One of the reasons that only a few will be able is because of what entering in will cost us.  It's going to cost us everything.  It's going to mean that entering the strait gate is going to mean entering the gate of death.  It's means giving in to the reality that we are called into the sepulcher and our old lives are required of us.  I don't mean death with nothing on the other side.  I mean it will require death of self, and devotion to another.

It means giving up our ideas for how things should be, and trusting Jesus for his way of how things should be.  It means, as we hear in the words of the hymn, "Songs of thankfulness and praise" we are called to imitate the life of Jesus in all that we do, and attempt to be pure as He is pure.

Our Christians lives should be lived so that the world might see Christ in each and every one of us.  As Jesus was manifest to the Gentiles at His Epiphany, so to may we manifest His glory as we live our lives after His perfect example. 

Lord, may we, thy Church being assembled in the unity of the Holy Ghost, manifest thy majesty and power to all mankind, and bring honor and glory to thy Holy Name.

Amen.