Celebrating life brings intense joy especially when a child is born. Yet, Scripture tells us there is more rejoicing in heaven over one soul that repents than any other event (cf Luke 15:7). Repentance brings forth new life for we were once dead in our sins and through reconciliation, we live (cf. Luke 15:32). Once lost, we now have divine life, reborn in Christ. Resurrected, Christ comes into our lives especially where sin once ravished our souls of its dignity. He touched our wounds with his grace and transformed our lives becoming temples of the Holy Spirit.
Repentance, however, comes at a cost. It challenges us to reform our ways and change our lifestyle. The comfort of sin, however, causes mediocrity. Instead of excelling, we settle and in settling, we soften and lose the sense of sin. Sin weakens our minds, debilitates our wills, and strengthens our passions to seek pleasures and avoid difficulties. Without a sense of sin, repentance seems foreign, in fact alien.
Jesus, however, asks us to cut off the pleasures and confront the difficulties making hard choices. This choice, as Jesus explains strives, “to enter by the narrow door; for many, I tell you will seek to enter and will not be able” (Luke 13:24).
Avoidance of hard choices easily leads to Universalism. Universalism, the notion that all are saved no matter what, deafens our ability to hear Jesus and accept this hard teaching. His challenges can cause rebellion rather than conversion.
Commenting on this passage Pope Benedict clarifies the correct understanding of salvation so that we do not rebel but convert.
“The passage to eternal life is open to all, but it is “narrow” because it is demanding: it requires commitment, self-denial and the mortification of one’s selfishness” (Benedict Angelus Sunday, 26 August 2007).
True friendship with Jesus expects more than acquittance of sin. It takes metanoia: a change of mind and heart.
During the Last Passover, Jesus, just before He institutes the Eucharist, declares, “You are my friends if you do what I command you” (Jn 15:14). Friendship creates conversion. Jesus’ friendship expects conversion because the door to his heart is narrow and precise. Narrow does not mean limited. It means focused attention on obedience, and obedience makes us meek and humble of heart. Meekness and humility open our hearts to embrace our friendship with Jesus and instead of wallowing in sin, we change. Change corrects the faults not out of censure but friendship.
True friendship loves the other, seeking not just any good, but God’s goodness. His goodness is impossible without grace and grace gives us strength to change our lives according to God’s ways. This change, as Pope Benedict writes:
“is expressed with goodness of heart, with humility, meekness and mercy, love for justice and truth, a sincere and honest commitment to peace and reconciliation” (Benedict ibid).
His explanation clarifies for us the expectations Jesus places upon us for salvation.
In contrast to true friendship, Jesus warns us of a feign friendship, “boasting the false merits” of eating and drinking with Jesus as sufficient for salvation (Benedict ibid). This cheapens grace. Cheap grace scourges our society. Famously, Dietrich Bonhoffer explains cheap grace and its limiting force to the real conversion of the heart.
“Cheap grace is preaching of forgiveness without requiring repentance, baptism without church discipline, Communion without confession, absolution without personal confession. Cheap grace is grace without discipleship, grace without the cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate” (Bonhoeffer Dietrich Cost of Discipleship, Part I, chapter 1).
Costly grace converts and restores friendship with Jesus without compromising his expectations. Real grace, then, is the hidden treasure realizing God sold his Son to hang upon the cross for thirty pieces of silver to reveal the hidden value each of us has. If Jesus willingly laid down his life for our sins, his expectation demands we lay down our sins for salvation.
Such an acrobatic display of grace coming from heaven creates the contrast concerning salvation. If Jesus willingly endures the depths of human depravity, crucifixion, for the salvation of souls, then He willingly offers mercy to all with the minimum of repentance. Hence, Universalism holds that no one is in hell for Jesus came to save all, even the fallen angels will be restored. Such a dilemma has hounded the Church for centuries. Yet, the Church following John Damascene teaches, “There is no repentance for the angels after their fall, just as there is no repentance for men after death” (CCC, 393). Hopeful Universalism, another variant of Universalism, differs in that it acknowledges the possibility that God’s mercy extends to all. On the other hand, St. Paul proclaims,
“Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither the immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor robbers will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Co 6:9–10).
Dealing with the nuances of theological disputes, Pope Benedict tries to resolve the dilemma concerning the variants of Universalism, stating:
“In the Gospel, Jesus recalls further that it is not on the basis of presumed privileges that we will be judged but according to our actions. The “workers of iniquity” will find themselves shut out, whereas all who have done good and sought justice at the cost of sacrifices will be welcomed” (Benedict ibid).
“At the cost of sacrifices” is key. Have we done all we could to respond to Jesus’ invitation to friendship?
Instead of questioning how many are saved, the real question arises, Will I be saved? Jesus did not answer the question of who will be saved directly but counseled us to strengthen our friendship with Him. Strengthening our friendship with Christ, we follow Him taking up our cross daily with all our heart, strength, and mind. Following this commandment, the Great Shema, secures our salvation, for we live righteous lives, not according to our ways, but God’s.