The Gospel for Wednesday of the 30th week in Ordinary Time is taken from Luke 13:22, 30th verse. Jesus passed through the 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 risen 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, for there will be wailing and grinding of teeth, and you will 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 south, and will recline at table in the kingdom of God. For behold, some are last who are first, and some are first who are last.

The audience that Jesus spoke to had a very clear idea as to how they would be entering the Kingdom of God. They would follow all the rigid rules and regulations of the temple, do everything that was required, and that would gain them salvation. In which Jesus is saying, no, no, that’s not the way it is. You’ve missed the point. The point is that I want you to allow me to enter into you, and we will together work for the kingdom of God. And your participation in that work is your salvation.

So the idea that when they show up and God doesn’t know who they are is a perfect example of the fact that the way in which we are saved is not by rules and regulations, but by an intimate relationship with the divine. Please ponder these images and then I will close with a prayer. Foreign Father, you remind us over and over again that what we are here for is not to grow and change out of our own strength and power, but but to surrender to the beauty of your intimacy with each of us. We’re not here to earn salvation. We’re here to joyfully receive it. And we ask this in Jesus name, Amen.