“Therefore, anyone who hears these words of mine, and acts according to them, is like a wise
man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew
and struck that house. But it did not collapse, because it was built on rock. But anyone who
hears these words of mine, and does not act accordingly, is like a fool who built his house on
sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it
collapsed, and what a terrible collapse that was!”
Reflect
Advent is a time to look forward to the kingdom of heaven. But today’s readings answer a
related question: Who may enter the kingdom of heaven? The gates of the kingdom of
heaven cannot be breached with armies or opened by bribes. Only the righteous and the
faithful may enter the kingdom. The lowly and the poor are welcomed while those who
disregard or take advantage of the vulnerable find themselves outside. Simply offering lip
service to faithfulness is not enough. Witnessing to our faith with our lives is necessary.
So how can we prepare ourselves to enter God’s kingdom? Alone, we can do nothing.
Only by God’s grace can we be conformed to Christ and worthy to share his kingdom.
We can read and pray over God’s Word, allowing it to take root in our lives and bear
fruit in just actions. If we persevere in faith, hope, and love, we will live with God forever.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023