We, human beings, seem to be wired to direct our lives toward an all-encompassing reality. We hunger and thirst for more. Nothing less than an ultimate concern that engages our totality will satisfy us, but there are plenty of sidetracks and shortcuts that we can follow and get lost in. We then settle for what is less than fulfilling, even though it may thoroughly distract us, and render the illusion of being the secret, essential element (or elements) that make us whole.

And, some people learn at a very early age that people around them are unreliable. After all, every one of us is broken, wounded, limited. So, they may try to substitute their own gifts and talents, instincts, intelligence or survival strategies in place of those they looked to for help, who have failed them in some way. This is like building on defective concrete. It looks like a strong foundation, but it’s only a matter of time before it cracks, crumbles, fails. Then there’s a choice: pretend that one’s life is solid, stable, thriving, or realize the truth and reach out to God – the only reliable basis on which to build a life. 

In the Gospel of Luke (Luke 16:9-13), Jesus warns against giving our lives over to anything other than God. This is easier said than done. God can seem distant, at times unresponsive. Being pure spirit, God isn’t as tangible as the concrete things that make up our world. We might cry out to God in times of need. All we may get in return is silence, or the echo of our own desperation. Where is God when we need God? may be a question that haunts us. Do we choose to stake our lives on Abba-God, Whom we can never comprehend, or on whatever “wealth” we’ve been given or attained?

The word in this passage that is translated as “money” or as “dishonest wealth” is mammon. The Jewish rabbis speak of mammon almost as if it acts as a false god in our life, an idol. Mammon encompasses all possessions that a person comes to rely on – whether these be things, money, property, status, skill, good looks, fame, education, charm, health, job/career, relationships, intelligence, organizational position, youth, religious activities/devotions… All these are very good in themselves, but become detrimental when they come between us and God. They take over God’s place in our life.

Unless the One Beyond All Else is at the center of what we are about, if we ever stop, listen, and look deeply into our life we will find only emptiness. Disillusionment and dissatisfaction is a terrible and necessary discovery! According to Jesus (Luke 16:13), we have a fundamental choice: “No one can serve two masters. It’s either Abba-God or mammon.” To which master are we attached? (The New Testament word is enslaved.) Would we rather serve a master that desires all and only what is truly good for us, or a master that will use us and dispose of us as soon as we no longer serve its purpose, or advance its agenda?

A main theme in the Gospel of Luke is Jesus’ journey to Jerusalem. This narrative stretches from chapter 9, verse 51 to chapter 19, verse 28. Luke frames the mission of Jesus with the necessity for him to proclaim the gospel message at the very heart of his people – in their capitol city. Jesus feels deeply the urgency that Israel hears and responds to the challenge: “Change your attitude, your mindset, and our habitual understanding of how God operates. Face the consequences of not acting now to promote the establishment of the Reign of God before it’s too late. The path you are on can only lead to massive destruction and misery for many.”

As Jesus goes along from village to town along the route to Jerusalem, he continues to do all he can to help his hearers to understand what God’s Reign could mean for them. It’s near. It’s dynamic. Though it may seem tiny, it has power within to transform humanity, and history itself, one person at a time.

As he makes his way, someone comes up to Jesus (Luke 13:23) and asks, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” This is the wrong question. The questioner implies that he /she is concerned with the odds of salvation. “Will I be saved? Will I be one of the few upon whom God smiles and takes pity?” Will my loved ones be saved? 

In the Book of Revelation (The Apocalypse), Chapters 7 and 14 mention the number 144,00 as the total of those sealed from among the faithful followers of Jesus of Israelite origin. A remnant of twelve thousand are designated from each of the so-called Twelve Tribes of Israel (12x12x1,000). Some people, who believe the Bible must be read literally, understand that from all humans who have ever lived, only 144,000 will be saved. The number twelve is one of several symbolic numbers in the Bible. It stands for fullness or completeness.

But, also in Chapter 7 (Apocalypse 7:9), it states that a huge crowd, too many to count from every country: from all tribes, peoples, and languages are robed in white and stand before Jesus, the Lamb. In other words, we have no way of guessing who, or how many, will be saved. There will be more than we can imagine, and there will be surprises. Salvation is God’s work, and God doesn’t think or act the way we do.

False prophets abound, preaching salvation for the elite, the entitled, the few. There is a secret recipe, a well-guarded formula, that gives guaranteed access to God’s gated palace of the saved. Those others, the dregs, the left-behind, will suffer, and rightly so. That’s no concern of ours!  So they believe.

Salvation is God’s business, and God is concerned with all people and all creation. God desires everyone to be healed and liberated, and this happens in the solidarity of community. Salvation is a group project. The more of us growing together in love the better. Isolated, we are lost and unprotected.   

The inquirer in Luke 13:23 has not been listening or paying attention to what Jesus has been teaching. The Reign of God is about bringing salvation near to others through un-self-centered love. How many is the wrong question. How can I help God’s Reign to come? is preferable.