The key

 

The kingdom of God is at hand, and Isaiah describes poetically what that kingdom will be like: a strong city whose ramparts protect us and keep us in peace.  It’s a city where justice reigns, and the peace that flows from justice pervades all those who dwell there (Isaiah 26:1-6).

Psalm 136 calls us to give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, his mercy endures forever.

These are strong images, and they encourage us, as we advance towards this city, to call upon the Lord and bless His name.

But Jesus brings us up short.  "Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 7:21, 24-27)

"Not so fast," Jesus seems to say.  "Knowing me, and calling me Lord, isn’t going to open these gates for you."  What will open them?  Who will go through?  "Not everyone who says, ‘Lord, Lord’…, "but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven."

Doing the will of the Father, Jesus’s Father and our Father, Father of all – that’s the key that opens the gates.

Jesus gives us the parable of the two "contractors," the one who built his house on rock and the one who built on sand.  In recent years we’ve witnessed, through TV and technology, the terrible devastation, destruction, and ravages of floods, tornadoes, tsunamis, and earthquakes all over the world.  This parable speaks to us today through these powerful images.  Building our spiritual life, for true spiritual growth, the foundation, Jesus is saying, isn’t words but deeds, not speaking but doing – doing the will of God.

And what is the will of God for us?  At the end of his gospel Matthew sums it up clearly in his final picture of the last judgment: those who will enter the kingdom are those who love God in others – who feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked – who give of themselves and of all that they have to the poor and the needy.  These, even the ones who may never have known Jesus during their lifetime, will be welcomed by Him and His Father because when they did these things to their fellow human beings, they did them to Jesus. (Matthew 25:31-46)

John Steinbeck wrote in "Of Mice and Men" the well-known quote: "The best laid schemes of mice and men often go awry."  No matter how well we plan something, expect the unexpected.  George and Lennie, characters in Steinbeck’s novel, were always making plans to get out of their hopeless situation, but the plans, whether big or small, seemed to go wrong for them.

We know that Jesus wasn’t actually talking about houses built on sand or rock.  He was speaking about how we set foundations for our lives.  What values guide us; what goals are important to us; what motivates our decisions?  It’s better to build a house on rock rather than sand, but it’s more important to build our lives on lasting values.

If this year has taught us anything at all, it’s that we can have well thought-out plans for our life, the best of advisors and consultants to talk with, but no plan or person can defend us against the unforeseen, the unfairness of life, or a tragedy that we never even imagined could happen.

We must put our trust in Jesus; and make Him the fundamental foundation of our life.  Violent winds can blow away our dreams, surges can quickly destroy our plans and high tides can drown us in fear and anxiety.  Our Advent prayer is, “Maranatha” ("Come, Lord Jesus").  We pray that Jesus blesses our plans and our dreams.  When they fail or are destroyed, we pray that Jesus strengthen us that we not become pessimistic or cynical.  We pray for the encouragement to continue on, to look for a Plan B or a Plan C, never giving up on God’s love for us as expressed in the birth of Jesus Christ.  "Trust in the Lord forever! For the Lord is an eternal Rock."  (Isaiah 26:4)