Gospel in Art: Try your best to enter by the narrow door

To Pass Through The Narrow Gate, by Jan Luyken, Published by Pieter Arentsz & Cornelis Van Der Sys, 1710 © Alamy

Source: Christian Art

Gospel of 26 October 2022
Luke 13:22-30

Through towns and villages Jesus went teaching, making his way to Jerusalem. Someone said to him, 'Sir, will there be only a few saved?' He said to them, 'Try your best to enter by the narrow door, because, I tell you, many will try to enter and will not succeed.

'Once the master of the house has got up and locked the door, you may find yourself knocking on the door, saying, "Lord, open to us" but he will answer, "I do not know where you come from."

Then you will find yourself saying, "We once ate and drank in your company; you taught in our streets" but he will reply, "I do not know where you come from. Away from me, all you wicked men!"

'Then there will be weeping and grinding of teeth, when you see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and all the prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves turned outside. And men from east and west, from north and south, will come to take their places at the feast in the kingdom of God.

'Yes, there are those now last who will be first, and those now first who will be last.'

Reflection on the Engraving

Jan Luyken was a late 17th-century Dutch poet, illustrator, and engraver. Our engraving shows a well dressed man holding some of his earthly belongings (illustrated as a world globe hung with diamonds and gold chains). He is making his way towards the narrow door but realises the wide earthly globe won't fit through it. He will have to leave all the 'earthly' behind in order to be able to walk through the narrow gate and walk the winding road on the right leading to Paradise (illustrated by some sketchy palm trees). The skull on top of the narrow gate reminds people of their mortality, prompting that there is a sense of urgency as to choosing one's path.

In our Gospel reading today Jesus implies that, whereas God does not wish to exclude anyone from Paradise, it is possible for people to exclude themselves. We choose which path we want to follow. We have been given freedom to chose for or against God. The reading is mainly a warning against complacency. The 'oh well, the afterlife will just take care of itself'-attitude is what Jesus is warning against. We can't just freewheel into the banquet of eternal life illustrated in the top right of our engraving. No, we need to make the sacrifices to walk through the narrow door and keep moving forward like the small man we see illustrated on the winding road.

LINKS

Gospel in Art: https://christian.art/

Today's reflection: https://christian.art/daily-gospel-reading/luke-13-22-30-2022-2/