4th Sunday after Easter 24.4.16 The real question
The Holy Spirit will show the world how wrong it was. Not just in crucifying Our Lord, but in continuing to ignore Him even after that event.
People can have it demonstrated that they were wrong, but they can still go on being wrong!
How desperately the world seeks to deny Jesus Christ, despite His resurrection; despite all His miracles.
They do not want Him to be who He is, because they are preoccupied with this-worldly things.
Most people are worried about things, but very rarely the most important thing; which is whether or not they will go to heaven or hell.
This is a question of such utter importance, but it can be missed, not seeing the forest for the trees.
It is the be-all and end-all question, literally ‘end all’.
Consider that every single person is going to spend eternity in heaven or hell. The starkness of that choice is astonishing.
One reason people don’t worry is that most do not believe in hell, or that anyone goes there.
The existence of hell is clearly established in Church teaching, the Bible; and it makes sense. eg Where do devils come from?
A certain philosopher said that when he died he would wake up either in heaven, or not wake up, and he was happy with either alternative. He did not allow for hell.
The opposite to heaven is not ‘nothing’, but the loss of everything.
One feels the loss. The pain of that realization of what could have been mine, but I have lost it.
Many are indifferent to God but it is only that they do not know His worth. Even if one does go to heaven the greatest joy there is the possession of God, not just earthly delights without limit.
God is the greatest good and the source of all else (epistle).
This may sound too abstract now but we will come to experience this particular happiness, either through possession of it, or loss of it.
To love God is not just a commandment; it is a need that we have. Like food and oxygen.
It is built into us. He created us to love Him. So few would realise this.
How muddled we get if we miss this. All that energy and time people spend on futile pursuits when they could be discovering the true purpose of their lives and of this world.
And it would make them a great deal happier; and this life a lot easier.
We don’t run anything else like we run our own lives. We make products to exact specifications, complex machines and systems. But we do not apply the same effort to knowing God's word and will, and how we could overcome our various faults.
Religion is seen as airy-fairy, not real, therefore less important. But it is more real than the games we play here.
For those who do believe and even practice the faith - like us - it is possible still to put earthly concerns ahead of heavenly matters.
We must face it squarely and take it to heart. No more putting God on the back burner.
We can establish the kingdom of God around us if we do give Him due attention. We will be breathing in a purer atmosphere,
And we pray for those who do not yet see it; that they will come to clarity without being hit by chastisements.
The key is to get people to realise before they die what they will realise after they die!
It is not so hard if only we look in the right place.
No comments:
Post a Comment