The gospel passage for yesterday’s reflection was the narrow gate. Jesus advised us to go through the narrow gate that is show by Jesus. Today Jesus blames those who create the narrow path for the believers. It is an attack towards the religious leaders such as Pharisees and the Scribes.
The problem with those Pharisees and Scribes was, they were making the life of others difficult by over-explaining the Laws of Moses so that the ordinary people suffered very much from the minute explanation of the law. It was felt as a big yoke on the shoulders of the ordinary people. But at the same time the Pharisees and Scribes found excuses to evade the law.
There are two kinds of narrow paths. The first is the way of Jesus and another is manmade narrow path. The first one is the way to salvation and the second is of unnecessarily making us suffer. For example if a person suffers for taking care of the poor and needy or a sick person, that is a way to salvation. But if a person suffers for his own benefits or as the result of his past actions (such as smoking) or because of his greed or perfectionism or any other personality traits, that is unnecessary sufferings which do not have a sacrificial value.
The acid test for our suffering would be whether is it for the good of the society especially the poor and needy or for my own benefits and selfish desires, and does it come from my own mistakes or from the cause of my mission of the kingdom of God. Let us avoid unwanted suffering and take up the cross of salvation.
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