Read 2 Corinthians 3:4-11, Psalm 99 and Matthew 5:17-19
“…whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:19)
From our Gospel passage this morning, we can see that people are not all equal in heaven. While some will be called “GREAT”, some others will be called “LITTLE.”
This distinction reminds me of my school days. Usually, there are different grades of pass. The minimum pass mark you can get in a course is 40%. It is also known as “Let my people go.”
However, we soon discovered that aspiring for this little pass mark was very dangerous in that there was always a high probability that one could end up getting 20% or 39% painfully.
So rather than aim at 40%, we would always aim for 90% or even 100% and we would do everything within our power to answer all the questions. Even if we do not end up at 90%, we are still happy with 70%.
In other words, as much as we aspire for heaven, we must develop an ambition to be called “GREAT” in the kingdom of heaven. We would be making a mistake if we develop an attitude of “anything goes” with regards to spiritual things.
What does it mean to be great in heaven? By keeping all the commandments of God without ever relaxing any even a most minute detail and then teaching others to keep them as well.
That is to say, we must be PRACTICAL EVANGELISTS. We do not need to open any church or carry the bible from house to house but the way we live our lives should reflect our deep respect for God and the commitment to his laws and decrees such that people who by chance happen to come in contact with us are influenced positively.
The world is not lacking in preachers but in “do-ers” of the word.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, free me from hypocrisy and half-heartedness. Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Wednesday of week 10 in Ordinary Time Bible Study: 2 Corinthians 3:4-11, Psalm 99 and Matthew 5:17-19).