RENEWsletter for August 22, 2010 - 21st

Dear Renewed People--
The readings this week will shake some of us up, but others of us will be comforted. For "narrow is the gate", and few will find it. The rest will be wailing and gnashing their teeth. Why? Because no one told them the way? Because they were tricked in to believing something false? No. Because they thought they knew better than God and considered the restrictions on entrance into Heaven as too... well, restrictive. They lobbied for looser criteria. But the border guards at the boundaries of Heaven are unerring in their accuracy. NO ONE gets in except by Narrow Gate!

This is the 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time. You can read the following on the web at: http://www.usccb.org/nab/082210.shtml, or in your Bible in:

Isaiah 66.18-21
Psalm 117.1, 2 (with Mark 16.15 as the response)
Hebrews 12.5-7, 11-13
Luke 13.22-30

The First Reading has some very far-reaching implications. The references to Tarshish, Put, Lud, Mosoch, Tubal and Javan (Is. 66.19) give the impression of far distant and very foreign lands. God will send "fugitives" or missionaries to those places and win converts. The missionaries will bring the converts to "Jerusalem, my holy mountain" (v. 20). I take this to mean these far-flung people will learn of God and be brought into his Family. That is the unique thing about Judaism... the God of Israel is not just a tribal God. He is God of all nations and every language. He hears and understands prayers made in Hebrew, English, Greek, Arabic, Farsi, Thai, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese... Wycliffe Bible Translators has figures on the number of spoken languages on this planet. There are upwards of 5000 last time I checked. And God is fluent in every one of them!

The Responsorial Psalm is a short one, only two verses. But it embodies the underlying message in the other three readings. The Lord's love for us is strong and he's forever faithful (Ps 117.2). And not just to us, but to all nations! (v. 1).

But is this gathering at the holy mountain of the Lord going to be just a big party where everybody can bring their own beliefs? their own baggage? their own gods? No. The Second Reading tells us that whom the Lord loves, he chastens (Heb. 12.6). We are exhorted by the writer of Hebrews not to treat the Lord's discipline lightly. That is, we must learn from it (v. 7). We must learn that there is One God who allows no other gods in the hearts of his children. This chastening may seem painful to bear at the time it is being administered (v. 11), but God knows what he's doing, and he doesn't inflict us with anything that he didn't already inflict upon his own Son. Therefore, "Lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees!" (v. 12). Physical therapy is good for an injured muscle... spiritual therapy is good for an injured soul.

And, according to the Gospel Reading, we dare not dilly-dally! The door to the Lord's holy mountain won't stay open forever, and even while it's open, it's narrow. We're not going to wander into God's house by accident. Jesus says, "Strive to enter in at the narrow gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able." (Luke 13.24). Then there will come a time when the door is closed. It'll be too late then. People will knock and it won't be opened, because the Master will say, "I don't know who you are. Go away!" (v. 27).

So, yes, God invites all people to his house. He offers to personally make us worthy to enter into his presence. And we must RSVP by the deadline. But when is the deadline? No one knows the day or the hour (Matthew 24.42). It'll sneak up on you like a thief in the night (2 Peter 3.10). No one knows the Day of the Lord, but NOW is the day of salvation (2 Corinthians 6.2). The good news is, once you're inside, you'll never be kicked out, no matter what (John 10.28).

So why wait? Introduce yourself to God now and be sure he knows who you are. Come to the mountain of the Lord and start getting better acquainted. And have a great week! :-)

Randy Jones
Those who cannot take discipline say the rules are bad!