Twenty First Sunday of the Year: Where is the Soul of Princess Diana? ( On the Gospel)

On August 31, 1998, the first anniversary of the death of Princess Diana, many papers came out with the headline "Where is the Soul of Princess Diana." They were reporting the story that some women in England had withdrawn their children from an Evangelical Sunday school because the Sunday school teachers were teaching the kids that the soul of Princess Diana was in hell, whereas the women had already told their children that the soul of the Princess was in heaven. As a result, the question, "Where is the soul of Princess Diana?" became an issue. A popular radio station in Toronto went as far as to interview the Archdeacon of the Anglican Diocese to find out exactly the whereabouts of Princess Diana's soul.
How would Jesus have answered such a question? Suppose Jesus was on earth today and a reporter went to him and asked him, "Where is Princess Diana's soul?" what would be his answer? I think Jesus would look the reporter in the eye and tell him or her, "Try and save your own soul now that you still have the chance."
This is exactly what is happening in today's gospel. Jesus is going through the towns and villages teaching and making his way to Jerusalem. Someone interrupts him and asks, "Lord, will only a few be saved?"(Luke 13:33). What does Jesus answer? "My friend, strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able" (verse 24). We see that Jesus is not really answering the man's question: "Will only a few be saved?" In fact he is answering a more important question, "How can I be saved?"
As far as the important question of our salvation is concerned, there are two kinds of questions we could ask. We could ask curiosity questions aimed at obtaining information, facts and figures that do not affect our salvation one way or the other. Or we could ask a relevant question, which is a sincere quest for the truth that leads to salvation. Go through the gospels and you will find that Jesus has no time for questions of curiosity. In fact whenever someone asks a question of mere curiosity he does not answer it but uses the occasion to answer the relevant question that such a person should be asking. "Lord, will only a few be saved?" is a typical question of curiosity. If you know the answer, how will it affect your salvation one way or the other? So Jesus switches the question around, to one that is relevant for salvation and responds to the inquirer, "Strive to enter through the narrow door..."
Curiosity questions have a special appeal to the mass media and to popular imagination. When will the world come to an end? When is Armageddon coming? Who is the Anti-Christ? What is 666, the mark of the Anti-Christ? What will be the rapture? I want you to see that these are all questions of curiosity. Jesus does not answer such questions. Just before his Ascension his disciples asked him, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" How did he reply? "It is not for you to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." (Acts 1:6-8).
On a lighter mood, an open-air evangelist, preaching on today's gospel text was warning his congregation about the eternal damnation. "On the day of Judgment," he said, "there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth." An old woman in the crowd had a problem, "Look preacher, but I got no teeth!" "Never mind, Madam" says the preacher, "teeth will be provided." A curious question indeed!
So you see, it is a waste of breath to ask, "Where is the soul of Princess Diana?" It is a good example of a question of curiosity. Rather we should be asking questions of personal importance like, "What do I need to do to be saved? How can I serve G od better in my present situation in life? How can I make use of the opportunities God gives me here and now for my eternal salvation?" Let us take a moment and ask ourselves some of these relevant questions today.