Heaven and Hell
2023년 10월 1일Heaven and Hell
< Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time >
There is an old story about the Last Judgment when God resurrects the entire human race and judges each person according to their sins and virtues. We hear the gospel story at funeral Masses where Jesus, as Judge of the World, following the resurrection of the dead, separates all humanity like a shepherd separates sheep from goats. Righteous people are put on one side, like sheep, to go into heaven. Evildoers are gathered together, like goats, on the other side to be sent to hell. But then something strange happens: nobody goes anywhere. The gates of heaven do not open to receive the righteous and the gates of hell remain closed to the damned. Confusion reigns in both groups.
Then a rumor starts to spread that God is having second thoughts. God doesn’t want anyone to suffer eternally, since everyone is a child of God. The rumor continues that EVERYONE is going to heaven! Well, the righteous start to complain bitterly. “After obeying all the commandments and going to Mass and reading the Bible, why do we have to share heaven with those terrible sinners?” For their part, those who had been condemned to hell were weeping for joy at the wonderful mercy they were receiving. The righteous began cursing God for letting in sinners, while the sinners praised God for God’s great mercy. And in that final second, both groups changed sides. The forgiven sinners went to heaven and the selfish “saints” went to hell. Jesus says in today’s gospel, “Tax collectors and prostitutes are getting into the kingdom of God before you.” Jesus isn’t just warning the scribes and Pharisees. He’s also warning us.