Have you ever thought about the question in today’s Gospel? Lord, will only a few be saved? The person obviously heard enough of Jesus’ teaching to ask such a question. But why the word “few”. They are probably wondering what their chances were to go to heaven.

This person would have heard Jesus talk about the kingdom of heaven and the pains of hell. Yes, hell does exist, and we fool ourselves if we don’t believe it exists. Jesus warns us about it often during his life on earth.

If I was there with Jesus, I might have asked it differently… like, “how many will be saved?” Jesus would never answer either question with a number or a percentage. For one reason, it is not our business to know, and we cannot get caught up in that.  So, the better question for each of us to ask is: “what must I do to be saved?” 

Jesus’ response is clear, “strive to enter the narrow gate”. It’s a call to action and a reminder. I found three definitions of strive and they are: “make great efforts to achieve or obtain something” … “devote serious effort or energy” … and  “to try hard to do something or make something happen, especially for a long time or against difficulties”.

The key words are “make great efforts” …“devote serious efforts and energy”… and  “for a long time or against difficulties”.  That sounds exactly what we are called to do.  Jesus never said it would be easy to enter the kingdom of heaven, in fact he said many times it would be difficult, and that we need to pick up our cross and follow him. Anything that is worth any value requires serious effort to obtain, and eternal life in heaven is the only thing we should strive for.  

Everything else on earth will pass away when we die. If we don’t strive for heaven and just try for the bare minimum, we won’t be strong enough to get through the narrow gate.

We need to constantly remind ourselves that the invitation is open to everyone. We hear that in our first reading. The Lord comes to “gather nations of every language; they shall come and see my glory.” But the path into heaven is narrow and demands more than a casual interest. 

As Jesus tells us, the door to this opportunity will not be open forever for us. And when that door is closed, and you are on the outside, the door will not or cannot be reopened. It requires us to have a sense of urgency, not putting it off until later, because we don’t know the time and hour of our death.

Many non-believers and even some Christians wonder why an all-loving God would not save everyone or prevent bad things from happening to people.  It is because God loves us that he allows suffering and hardship in our lives. He also gave us free will so that we can choose whether to follow him or not. Because he sees everything, he knows we need to suffer now for the sake of greater, deeper, true happiness in the future.  And we can’t forget how Jesus suffered out of love for us, giving us the opportunity for eternal life in heaven.

Suffering is part of the process to pass through the narrow gate and something we all must endure.

As St. Paul tells us today, the suffering is not a punishment but the discipline of the Lord.  It is training and teaching, just like a parent does to a child. The one receiving the discipline may not understand or like it at the time, but it helps them grow and know what is expected of them. 

Have you ever looked back on a difficult time in your life and found yourself feeling stronger now because of it? Most of us don’t see it when we are in the middle of our suffering, but God does. In those moments, faith in God is critical. We must rely on God and never give up on him to help us. When you offer your sufferings to God in union with Jesus’ suffering, God will use them for good in your life or in the life of another person.

Today’s gospel message from Jesus may be hard to hear because it challenges us, and we may not like to be challenged.  We may feel comfortable in our life and changing will require effort or work. But salvation requires more than just being nice – it requires obedience to Jesus’ teachings. While it may be difficult to follow the narrow path, with the help of Jesus and the Holy Spirit, it is possible.  

Lord, will only a few be saved? I pray you take Jesus words to heart, and you strive to add one more to that list.