Deacon Larry

 

Thursday of 2nd Week of Advent

Is 41: 13-20; Mt 18: 12-14

Dc. Larry Brockman

Have you ever just barely made it in the door before it shut for good?  Perhaps you were the last one on a plane or a bus or the subway; or the last one to get into a concert or sports stadium or movie theatre.  But you made it, and that’s what mattered.  What a feeling of relief that was, and maybe even a sense of joy.  But there are those who don’t make it.  For them, there is sadness and maybe even anger and frustration.  How dreadful is that feeling.   

Now just imagine how much more dreadful it would be not to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven.  Sadly, there are those who will find the gates of heaven closed to them.  Just imagine how dreadful that would be.  In contrast, what a feeling of euphoria one would have knowing that they had made it on the other side of that threshold between heaven and hell, even if they were the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.   

Now we are told this morning that John the Baptist is the greatest of those born of a woman.  And yet, the least, yes, the very least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is greater than he.  I don’t know about you, but that is a very sobering thought because John was a man who devoted his whole life to being God’s messenger; heralding the coming of the Lord; heralding the advent of his cousin Jesus.  He avoided things and pleasures of this world.  Rather, he thought and acted only on the Mission God had given him.  So, when I reflect on the life of John the Baptist, I am quite sure I don’t measure up to him.  I cannot say that my life is totally dedicated to God like John’s was.  Can you say that?  Does that mean that we can’t even be the least in the Kingdom of Heaven?   

Well, fortunately for us, it does not.  Listen again to what the prophet Isaiah said:  “I am the Lord your God, who grasp your right hand; it is I who say to you “Fear not, I will help you””.  We have to believe, really believe, that Jesus came to save us all and that no matter what we do, if we believe and are truly sorry for our sins, and we ask for the help, it will be ours; and so will the Kingdom of Heaven when we come to that gate at the end of our lives. 

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