SERMON, PROPER 16C, LUKE 13:22-30

Does anyone remember where we are or where we are going on this journey? I would suspect not. It's been a long time. Today is Proper 16, and eight weeks back, on Proper 8, we heard the story of Jesus going through Samaria on his way to Jerusalem. People said they wanted to follow him, but they also wanted to bury their parents and say farewell to their families.

It was here that Luke starts setting us up for the Passion. "When the days drew near for Jesus to be taken up, he set his face towards Jerusalem." Jesus closes out his ministry among those in the surrounding area and begins to focus on Jerusalem. This is, in effect, the beginning of the end.

In that time we have heard teachings on discipleship and commitment; prayer and eternal life; priorities and neighborly conduct; and greed and division. We've covered a lot of ground in the past eight weeks, and Luke decides this is a good time to remind us where Jesus is going. "He went through one town and village after another as he made his way to Jerusalem."

The other thing Luke is doing is taking all of these teachings and posing a cumulative question. We've heard eight weeks of teachings, some of them difficult and challenging, and if we've been paying attention, maybe we are asking the same question as today's character: "Lord, will only a few be saved?" The answer is a resounding "Yes," . . . and, "No."

Will only a few be saved? Yes. Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many will try but not be able. Additionally, time is limited. God's open-door policy won't last forever. Once that door is locked, it's locked. Those people who find themselves on the outside will then beg for admittance based on a weak argument: that they ate and drank with Jesus and he taught in their streets.

They ate and drank with him. I eat and drink with a whole lot of people, but that doesn't mean I have a close personal relationship with them. That's what these people are missing -- a close relationship with God.

He taught in their streets. And this is relevant . . . how? Being saved has no bearing on whether or not Jesus came to our town and taught. If that were the case, only those people in those villages that Jesus visited would be saved.

So he taught in your streets. What did you do about it? How did you address the issues of daily discipleship, caring for the sick, helping the underprivileged, welcoming the outcast and being a neighbor to those around you? The call from Jesus isn't to sit and listen while he preaches. The call from Jesus is to go and do likewise.

Are you working at discipleship? Are you working at relationship? Or are you simply listening to Jesus preach?

Will only a few be saved? No. There is an image we have that only a certain few will be saved and avoid the torments of hell. Part of this is reinforced by passages like this one that talk about people being cast out. Part of it is reinforced by our belief that we are right and only those who accede to our particular interpretations will be saved.

However, Jesus says that people from everywhere -- north, south, east and west -- will be admitted to the banquet. People who we thought were the last and lowest of humanity will be admitted before us. This multi-directional statement is one of amazing inclusivity. God is out to bring all people into the banquet, whether we think they belong there or not.

Those of us who expect to be admitted simply because we belong to the right party or the right religion or the right branch of the right religion, will be sorely disappointed. God doesn't do the expected. Our efforts to guarantee a place of privilege will only lead to exclusion.

On the other hand, those of us who understand that discipleship is loving your neighbor, working to invite and include all people into the family of God, and is more involved than just sitting in the pew, won't be terribly surprised at the large numbers of "outcasts" who are admitted. God doesn't do the expected. Instead of working ot guarantee a place of privilege, we should be working to invite the scorned.

Today we are reminded that Jesus is on his way to Jerusalem. This is a good time to review the journey up to this point. How are you doing? What do you need to work on? Are you content having Jesus preach in the streets, or are you willing to become a daily disciple? If it's the latter, then go and do likewise and invite everyone from north, south, east and west to join us.