Homily, August 24, 2024

Speaker: Fr. John Esper

August 21, 2025

390

From The Pastor

It is frequently said that to find the right answer one must ask the right question. It seems clear that as Jesus was teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God, the wrong question is, ‘how many will be saved.’

One might wonder what inspired such a question. Jesus himself must be a little befuddled, if not agitated by the inquiry. He is presenting the reality and invitation of God in one way, yet it inspires a question of when and how many. The question comes from a worldly perspective. The bottom line of the question is really asking; will I be saved? What must I do to be saved?

What does it mean to be ‘saved’? In most Christian denominations, including Catholicism, to be saved means to accept Christ as Savior and Lord in a committed personal way. The means of expression vary among churches, but the essential understanding is to accept the salvation of God revealed and given through the Cross and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.

This is a simple and social understanding of salvation. In basic terms, it expresses one’s belief and allegiance to the person of God in Christ. It is clear from the gospel today that an allegiance by association is not enough; this is not what it means to be saved. One is not saved by association.

The parties in the gospel seem to imply this very thing with Jesus. ‘We ate and drank in your company, and you taught in our streets.’ Could this kind of association mean that one is saved? It does not.

The word salvation comes from the Latin form of halus, which means health or wholeness. To be saved means I accept the redemption of Christ with an active desire to be in a living relationship with the Lord Jesus. Wholeness does not mean perfection. It means that through the dying and rising of Jesus, I am free to accept and love my whole self, both the good and the imperfect in me. This is not a relationship of generic association, but one of deep knowing and sharing of life with God through Christ.

This is the kind of knowing to which we are called. Such a relationship with Jesus is to know him and to be known by him; to love him and allow him to love me. In this knowing and loving of Christ, I begin to experience the fruit of my redemption through personal experience. This is what it means to be saved in a personal sense. Accepting my human nature, sinful and redeemed, I can allow the love of God to transform my life. In faith, I do not have to beg the Lord to open the door for me. The door is open because God/Christ recognizes me as one of his own. I will reap the fruit of His friendship which includes mercy, the forgiveness of the Cross, and a place at the table in the Kingdom. This is not my doing, it is God’s gift. Mine is to offer a willing yes, surrendering with confidence to the truth and promise of faith.

Jesus instructs his listeners to ‘strive to enter through the narrow gate.’ Relationships take effort. To be in an active, mature, and confident relationship one strives to be alert and attentive to the other. This is more than a pleasant acquaintance, or one that merely seeks to gain favor. To know someone and to be known by them takes time and effort calling for honesty, and a sincere willingness to share oneself with the other. This striving comes from the grace of the Holy Spirit drawing us to Jesus.

The effort of this striving is the narrow gate. Many want to share the fullness of the Lord, but few take the time to follow the path of active friendship with God. Many take this to mean staying on the ‘straight and narrow’ in keeping moral laws. This is not the case as proven by the Lord’s interaction with the Scribes and Pharisees and their justification through the Law alone. It is not just about laws and rules. It is about love and relationship. Living in right relationship with God through Jesus will lead to a moral life. In times of sin or failure, one can humbly approach Jesus seeking mercy and forgiveness.

To be saved is to be safe in Christ. This safety is the confidence and surety of faith in an open and trusting friendship with God. Surety in the Lord leads to a healthy manner of life that moves toward the wholeness and completeness that God intends for us in Christ. This is salvation: to know and to be known by Jesus, placing all our hope and trust in him. To know Jesus is to strive to be like Jesus. Through the dying and rising of Jesus for our sake, he would never say to a believer seeking the Kingdom, ‘I do not know you.’

Feed your faith through sincere prayer, confident hope, and engaging actions of love. Believing, trusting, and living in love will make the presence of the Lord evident and joyful. Wherever you are, God will always be.

Father John Esper