21 Sunday in Ordinary Time, year C | Luke 13:22–30
Today’s Gospel reminds us that salvation isn’t automatic just because we belong to the right group or community. Entry into God’s kingdom is not about having a “pass,” but about whether Christ recognizes his own love, mercy, and service alive in us. Belonging to the Church helps, but each of us must personally choose to follow Christ through the narrow gate of faith and discipleship.
Listen to homily here:
Maybe you think back to the last time you had to cross a border or go through customs. Perhaps you were driving into the United States, or maybe you were standing in line at the Vancouver airport. I know I’ve had that experience more than once. Sitting in my car, I start to wonder: How long will this lineup take? What questions will they ask me? Could I be turned away? What will happen next?
And as I sit there, waiting, sometimes a very long time, I notice another line beside me—the Nexus line. The same is true at airports. Those with that pass just breeze right through. They have pre-authorized clearance, guaranteed entry to their destination. And every time I see that, I think to myself: Why don’t I just get one of those passes? It would make life so much easier!
So here’s the question: is there such a thing as a Nexus pass to heaven? If we belong to a particular group, community, or religious tradition, are we automatically guaranteed entry into God’s kingdom? That’s the issue at the heart of today’s gospel.
At first, today’s reading might sound a little unsettling, but in truth it is both hopeful and challenging. Jesus is teaching that salvation is never guaranteed simply by belonging to the right group. Being part of a religious community matters, but it isn’t enough.
Think of the Jewish world in the first century. Jesus’ own community was divided into groups, each of which claimed to be the true Israel. The historian Josephus tells us of three main groups: the Sadducees, tied to the Temple in Jerusalem; the Essenes, who withdrew to the wilderness believing they alone were God’s chosen; and the Pharisees, who taught and preached among the people. Each group in its own way believed it held the “Nexus pass” into God’s kingdom.
But Jesus rejected that assumption. He said plainly: being part of the right group does not guarantee entry into God’s kingdom. In fact, he warns that people from the east and west—those considered outsiders—may enter first, while those who assumed they had automatic access could find themselves shut out.
This same challenge applies to us. Even within the Catholic Church, we can fall into the temptation of thinking: As long as I’m Catholic, I’m set. I have my pass. For centuries the phrase extra ecclesiam nulla salus—“outside the Church, no salvation”—was often misunderstood to mean exactly that. But the Church teaches more fully that while we do hold the fullness of Christ’s truth, God’s grace is at work beyond our visible boundaries. Belonging to the Church is a gift, but it is not a free ticket. What matters ultimately is a personal relationship with Christ.
That’s the meaning behind Jesus’ image of the narrow gate. In ancient Jerusalem, during the day the large gates of the city were open for crowds to pass. At night, those gates were closed, leaving only a small gate through which people entered one at a time. The guard at that gate needed to recognize the person—to know them personally.
This is Jesus’ point. Salvation is not about group membership or a collective identity alone. It is about whether Christ recognizes himself in us—whether he sees in our lives his love, his mercy, his sacrifice, his service. Passing through the narrow gate is difficult, but hopeful, because it means each of us is invited into a personal friendship with Jesus.
Notice too that when asked, “How many will be saved?” Jesus refuses to give a number. Instead, he shifts the focus: salvation is offered to all. That is the hopeful side of the message. The challenge, however, is to embrace that offer personally, to live in such a way that Christ recognizes us as his own.
So, no—there isn’t a Nexus pass to heaven. But there is something better. There is an open invitation from Jesus himself. Today, as we celebrate the Eucharist, let us recommit ourselves to living as Christ lived, so that when we meet him face to face, he will recognize himself in us and say: Welcome, enter into my Father’s kingdom.
