Yesterday Fr. David asked if I would re-post this earlier piece and I agreed. I hope you find it helpful.
There is an old Zen story about an elderly monk who was sitting in front of his temple one day. Along came a great Samurai warrior who demanded the monk teach him about heaven and hell.
"Go away," the old monk said, "You're too stupid to understand."
At that the Samurai became enraged and unsheathed his sword. "I'll kill you for treating me with such disrespect!"
"Welcome to the gates of hell," replied the monk.
The warrior was immediately humbled. He sheathed his sword and said to the monk, "Please forgive me. I am so totally consumed with my emotions and passions I can often not control myself. Please, Master, teach me how to find peace."
The old monk said, "Welcome to the gates of heaven."
In Matthew 6:24ff Jesus reminds us of the dangers of focusing on the self rather than God. He reminds us that things of the world cannot give us peace. That is only possible by complete submission to God. Putting Him first. To worry about clothes, possessions, money, and prestige only serves to cause us to focus on ourselves. We become full of pride and ultimately anxious about losing all that we have. In other words, we find ourselves in hell....one of our own making.
In the Beatitudes Jesus implores us to be poor in spirit. To do that we must recognize that we are nothing and have nothing, but for the grace of God. We must give up all pride and selfishness. We must be free from the sins and lusts of the world. We can't do that if our focus is on things and not God.
St. Gregory of Nyssa said, "...when we prevent (our mind) from using its energy on trifles, and keep it on all sides from doing what it should not, it must necessarily move in a straight path towards truth."
We naturally seek God and if we can keep focused on Him, rather than ourselves and our selfishness, we find peace. "...seek first His kingdom and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you." (Matt 6:33)
Welcome to the gates of Heaven!
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3 comments:
Thanks! I especially like the scripture you chose to go along with this.
Thanks, Fr. David. I thought this little story was very illustrative of the scripture intent.
Blessings,
Fr. Wes+
I'm quite convinced, and say it until people cry, "Not again!" that anyonw who come to God thinking he has a right to anything is not likely to receive it, or if he does, it is likely to be to his own damage.
Do we wish to reveive God's blessing? Coming in utter unworthiness, and admitting that fact, opens a door through which God has promised to bless.
Perhaps we do have unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, but claiming these as a right guarantees that the pursuit will be a pursuit and true happiness will not be found.
The phrase, "Gate of heaven," first appears in Genesis 28. Jacob has given up while fleeing for his life, and has fallen asleep in the field outside Luz. His magnificent dream of the Ladder comes at this low point with great assurance. He arises, and that phrase is his response.
ed pacht
ed
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