The need to separate ourselves from those we consider different and inferior must be a very strong human motivation. It seems to be present at the beginning of human history and it remains true today. The Jewish people started with a strong sense of difference and superiority. The prophets, most notably Isaiah, pointed out that the saving power of God was not exclusive, and that His call was to all nations (Is 66:18-21). But by the time of Jesus the power structures of Judaism were fervently focused on superiority and exclusivity, even within Judaism, let alone outside it.
Jesus is vehemently opposed to this perspective. This is the fire that he spoke of in last week’s reading. Despite this, the church that claims to follow his teaching has continued this assertion of superiority and justified atrocious persecutions on this basis. No wonder that Jesus warns that those who claim to know him, who have eaten with him, must enter by a narrow way (Lk 13:22-30). The fact that it is narrow is in relation to the size of our egos and our sense of entitlement.
If we who eat and drink with him don’t control our sense of superiority then we will indeed see many others, from all over, that we consider much less worthy than ourselves, get to the kingdom ahead of us.
And if we can accept that it doesn’t actually matter whether we are first or last, as long as we make it through, then we we have started shrinking that ego that blocks us from moving forward.