The Letter to the Hebrews of today’s first reading speaks about God’s promise. It says, “Beloved: While the promise of entering God’s rest is still open, let us take care that none of you should seem to have failed to reach it.” What can be this “God’s rest” other than the eternal happiness in heaven? And what can be this eternal happiness other than the life eternal Jesus promised to those who have faith in him?

The Letter to the Hebrews, however, sends us a stark warning. It awakes us from our dream – Christian wishful thinking that ‘I can go to heaven as long as I want to go to heaven’. Have I ever seriously thought about the possibility to suffer eternally in the fires of hell? Do I see daily dangers to fall into eternal damnation? When was the last time I preached on hell? Do I teach about it? This generation of Christianity mostly keeps silent on the possibility of suffering eternal damnation. But the Letter to the Hebrews quotes twice from the Psalms, “They shall not enter my rest” to remind the readers of the terrible reality of hell.

Many Christians cannot believe that someone can go to hell because of the goodness and mercy of the Lord. They think God will allow everyone to choose heaven by showing all his goodness and mercy, even at or after death. But this wish seems contrary to what is written in the Bible.

In today’s gospel, the friends of the paralyzed man put great effort to save their friend. The gospel says, “Jesus saw their faith”. Jesus who sees the secrets of our hearts saw their faith in their efforts to save their friend. And he saves first the man’s soul by forgiving his sins. Faith is not wishful thinking or a dream but an active trust expressed in efforts. Christ never promised of heaven just by wishing to enter it. On the contrary, he urges us to take the narrow and difficult way.

Listen again to the Letter to the Hebrews. “Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one may fall through such disobedience as theirs.”