"I do not know where you are from." Lk 13:27
How is it possible for Jesus to suggest that he does not know where some of his neighbors are from? Clearly upset with the leaders of the Jewish community, Jesus warns that those who have met him and seen his works on behalf of the poor without following him will have the door to the Kingdom of God closed in their face. Though this sounds very harsh, it is not unlike God's warning to the Egyptians of a terrible plague if they do not free the Israelites from slavery.
The theme of St. Luke's gospel is consistent and clear. Only those who recognize and accept Jesus as Messiah, including the gentiles "from the east and the west and from the north and the south..., will recline at the table in the Kingdom of God." By expanding our understanding of God's plan to include all who follow Jesus no matter where they are from, Luke helps us recognize that any attempt to limit God's love will be condemned.
In the the end, what seems like a severe punishment for some is in fact a radical expansion of God's love, and only those who want to limit God will experience the pain of exclusion. Unless we are able to let God tell us who God is and open our hearts to God's redeeming love for all, we will fail to know the God who is revealed in the person of Jesus.
Today, ask to have your heart opened to the unexpected.
What limitations do you place of God's love?
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