The Narrow Door

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, never harming, always charming! Is he so? Perhaps it is the picture occasionally painted in a child’s Sunday school lesson, but it is not the exact picture of the historic Christ. Jesus threw so many hard teachings at his disciples. It is little wonder they got miffed. He once said, “If you try to save your life, it will slip through your fingers, but give it away, and you will find it.” In today’s Gospel he says, “Strive to enter by. the narrow door” (Lk 13:24). What is a narrow door like? St Paul says to children: “Obey your parents” and “Honour your father and mother” (Eph 6:1). This requires on the part bf the children humility and acceptance of discipline. That is children’s narrow door. He says to parents: “Do not provoke your children to anger but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” (v.4). This requires on the part of the parents unselfish love and patience. That is their narrow door. Through such teachings, the Lord invades into our comfort zones. He tears aside the curtain of our easy-going consciences, and thrQws open the locked doors of our superficial lifestyle. He challenges us to enter by the narrow door, and if we do that, we can enter into new pastures of peace, and happiness.

Meditation On Bible Readings: Eph 6:1-9; Lk 13:22-30