Who Can Enter the Kingdom of Heaven?
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’ . . . but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21)
Jesus teaches that His Father’s will is accomplished through actions, not just words. It’s not sufficient to say, “I believe,” or “I’m sorry.” When our days here end, having merely spoken these words will not have been enough.
On an encouraging note, God loves us more than we can comprehend. He wants to make our sin and His law visible to us so we can attain eternal life with Him. It’s not enough to confess, and then repeatedly commit the same sins. We must also resolve to do His will. So He left us with tools for strength and endurance: His Word and the Sacraments, to help us build our house on rock, not sand.
We must let Him transform us, and when He sees we’re determined, He’ll replace our way with His way. During our lives, each of us is given the opportunity to develop the Kingdom of God, His very presence, within us! When we do, we begin to see a clearer path toward the Kingdom of Heaven.
How exciting, to realize that today’s Gospel wasn’t meant to dishearten; Jesus just wants us to know that to His Father, actions speak louder than words.
