Human beings are inquisitive and curious.

>> By nature, humans tend to seek to know many things.

One of the prime among all such seeking is the questions concerning the life after this life.

>> What will happen after I die?

>> Where will I go after my death?

>> Is there such thing called as a heaven or hell?

>> Will go really punish or will He lavish the license of heaven to all?

Such eschatological questions often disturb our minds & we become a bit perplexed over an uncertain future.

The Gospel of the Day presents such an eschatological question being posed to Jesus, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” (Lk 13:23)

Jesus, has a very unique way of dealing with questions and doubts.

When we scan through some of such incidents, wherein Jesus has been asked a question or a doubt, we often find that He either doesn’t give a straight answer or sometimes even doesn’t give any answer…

… A lawyer comes to Jesus and asks, “Who is my neighbour?” (Lk 10:29)

>> Jesus doesn’t give a direct answer; instead responds with the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

…Some people tell Jesus about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with the sacrifices, and expected Jesus to make some comments (Lk 13:1)

>> Jesus doesn’t explicit a clear teaching; instead responds with the Parable of the Barren Fig Tree.

In today’s Gospel incident too, Jesus is asked about how many will be saved.

>> But Jesus chooses to respond with the Illustration of the Narrow Door.

Why does Jesus do so?

>> Why does He not respond directly to such questions, and instead answer in some other form?

One of the tendencies among many believers, including perhaps some of us, is that…

…we tend to miss the actual point, in the process of discussion.

…we fail to grasp the actual thing needed, in the course of many doubts.

We wonder…

… about who all will be saved

… when this world will come to an end

… how many people will make to heaven or be cast to hell

These simple questions lead to complicated ones…

>> What about people who have never heard about God?

>> What about those souls in distant lands who never had a chance to know what is God?

These complicated questions further leads to some conclusions…

>> What kind of God sends people to hell?

>> If the God of the Bible is so, then I don’t want to believe in Him!

>> I would better not believe in any God and rather live my life the way I want!

Well… this is the sad part!

It is not that questionings or doubts are bad…or not that they are not encouraged…

But sometimes, such interrogations make us to miss the main point.

>> We get so entangled with doubts of the future, that we fail to prepare for the future.

>> We get so busy asking about eternal life, that we fail to live a life worthy of it!

But Jesus brings home to point…

>> What is needed utmost is an upright life…in faith and in repentance.

>> What is most needed is to live a life pleasing to God and in seeking to do His Will.

This is the narrow way.

>> To live a life of faith, in the midst of challenges and crises, is hard!

>> To live in total repentance and brushing aside sin at every point of life, is hard!

>> To live a life seeking to live in tune with God’s Will, even if it is demanding, is hard!

This is the narrow way, to which the Lord invites us.

Let us not get too much webbed in the questions and doubts, and lose focus of what’s most needed: Faith, Repentance and Doing His Will.

>> Let us seek for this grace!

God Bless! Live Jesus

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Quotable-quote-a-day-with-St Francis de Sales (SFS) – “The truly patient man neither complains of his hard lot nor desires to be pitied by others.

>> He speaks of his sufferings in a natural, true and sincere way, without murmuring, complaining or exaggerating them!”

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