In Luke's gospel (13:22-30), Jesus is asked, "Lord, are those to be saved few in number?" The one asking the question most likely presumed that the Kingdom of God was for the Jews and that the gentiles would be shut out. Jesus answered in a most unexpected way, however.
He declared that entry to the Kingdom of God was never automatic, but always the result of a struggle. The word for which "striving" is used in translation is the word from which the English word "agony" is derived. In other words, the "striving" needed to enter the Kingdom of God is one so intense that it can be described as an agony of soul and spirit.
It is not uncommon among many Christians today to think that once we haver made a commitment of ourselves to Jesus Christ, we have reached the end of the road, as it were. We can therefore sit back and enjoy, having achieved our goal. However, it quickly becomes clear that there is o such finality in the Christian life. An individual must ever be going forward, or, necessarily, fall backward.
Anyone who lives in a Christian culture (e.g. the Church) is not necessarily a Christian. An individual may enjoy all the benefits of such a community but is really living off the spiritual "capital" built up by many who came before -- sort of like living on "borrowed goodness." Jesus' answer in this passage challenges us, "What did you do to initiate this?" "What have you done to preserve and develop it?"
This passage addresses many issues in our own society. How many "Christians" are there in public life (including our elected leadership) that tout their belief in Christ but then their backs on the poor? How many use their public faith in Christ as a litmus test against others who might be "quiet people of faith?"
Perhaps Jesus' answer puts us all on notice that while we do not earn heaven by any work of out own, we are not excused from doing the work of the Kingdom before we get there!
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