The Bible Tidbit below is based on a sermon by St. Leonard of Port Maurice. The sermon is long, but worth it.
Here is a link - CLICK HERE
In this Bible tidbit we are asking the
question – will many people be saved?
It
would seem as though Jesus himself is the source of the teaching that few would
be saved. I don’t mean few out of the world, I mean few Catholics.
RSV Luke
13:23 And some one said to him,
"Lord, will those who are saved be few?" And he said to them, 24
"Strive to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to
enter and will not be able. 25 When once the householder has risen
up and shut the door, you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door,
saying, `Lord, open to us.' He will answer you, `I do not know where you come
from.' 26 Then you will begin to say, `We ate and drank in your
presence, and you taught in our streets.' 27 But he will say, `I
tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from me, all you workers of
iniquity!'
Here
is a similar verse that is more explicit.
RSV Matthew
7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for
the gate is wide and the way is easy, that leads to destruction, and those who
enter by it are many. 14 For the gate is narrow and the way is hard,
that leads to life, and those who find it are few.
Now
it is not as though God wishes that more people be damned than saved. RSV 1
Timothy 2:3 … God our Savior, 4 who
desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.
Right
and Jesus says the same in:
RSV Matthew
22:14 For many are called, but few are
chosen."
This
parable is a great example of this:
RSV Matthew
25:1 "Then the kingdom of heaven
shall be compared to ten maidens who took their lamps and went to meet the
bridegroom. 2 Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. 3
For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them; 4
but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. 5 As the
bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept. 6 But at
midnight there was a cry, `Behold, the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.'
7 Then all those maidens rose and trimmed their lamps. 8 And
the foolish said to the wise, `Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are
going out.' 9 But the wise replied, `Perhaps there will not be
enough for us and for you; go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.'
10 And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were
ready went in with him to the marriage feast; and the door was shut. 11
Afterward the other maidens came also, saying, `Lord, lord, open to us.'
12 But he replied, `Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.'
Some
from this parable we could say that 50% would be saved.
Another parable that enlightens this
topic is the parable of the sower and the seeds.
This
is from Mark 4 where the sower – who is Jesus – throws the seed of the good
news into the world. Some of the seed falls on the road that is picked up by
birds, meaning the devil – They reject God word outright. Some of the word
falls on stony ground that sprouts up real fast but withers because the person
is persecuted by the world because of what they believe. Some of the seed falls
on thorny ground and grows but is choked by the thorns which represent the
cares of this world. Finally some falls on good soil which bears fruit.
So
here is the breakdown: 25% will reject God’s word outright. 50% will hear God’s
word, believe it and for one reason or another fall away from the faith. The
remaining 25% will be faithful and bear fruit.
Why then are people having a hard
time getting into heaven?
I
would suggest two reasons. The first is holiness. St. Paul says this:
RSV Hebrews
12:14 Strive for peace with all men, and
for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.
I don’t often hear conversations about getting holy or the
struggles of living and growing in holiness and maybe this is part of the
reason why so many perish.
Another reason might be obedience:
RSV Luke
10:16 "He who hears you hears me, and
he who rejects you rejects me, and he who rejects me rejects him who sent
me."
To reject the apostles and those who come after them is to reject
Christ. We can’t pick and choose for ourselves what is true and what is false.
We can’t say, “Jesus that whole business about divorce offends me and my new
lover, but I still love you and want to follow you.” We must be obedient to
what the church, which is truly the body of Christ, teaches. We can’t say, “I
love Jesus but can’t stand your bride.” This is offensive to God.
So
Holiness and obedience are two keys to heaven. This information sounds like a
lot of bad news – Why present this to you dear reader?
This is a call to get serious out
your faith. We have so many blessings in the Church – The Bible – The Saints –
The Sacraments – and it feels like there is an attitude, which I am guilty of
as well, that to get to heaven you just have to be a nice guy.
We aren't called to be nice – we are
called to holiness where Christ and the Saints are our guides and models.
