Today, I was tempted to gloss over and skip a biblical passage because it was hard to understand. Then, I was tested; I was challenged by God in my mind to sort through it because all of His Words are essential doctrine.
Some things in the Bible are
vague. I approached today’s passage trusting that although I have yet to
understand it, that God will guide me through it.
Since Jesus spoke those things, they are pertinent, if not for the heavenly realm, but in human affairs. One vaguery follows:
Verily I say unto you, “Whatsoever
you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever you shall
loose on Earth shall be loosed in heaven.” (Mat
18:18)
To reconcile is “to restore to friendship
and harmony”
The context is much about
friendship, so Jesus was surely speaking of friends, or two who should be
friends.
He used the two words, ‘bind’ and
‘loose.’ The former is a bond between something. Perhaps Jesus was
speaking of friendships — two Christian brothers in harmony — in accord with
one another. (Yes, there can be discord between Christians that should be
resolved.)
Christians were of one accord
when the Holy Spirit of God came upon them (Acts 2:1). They were bound
together by the Spirit of God. As it is on Earth, so it will be in heaven, Jesus
implied. Conversely, if Christians are expected to be in accord in heaven, the
expectation is that they must be of one accord on Earth.
The other key word is ‘loosed”
which means unbound or dissolved. Then, whatever is dissolved on
Earth will be dissolved in heaven.
Next Jesus presented a hypothetical
situation wherein one manservant trespassed against another one. Jesus likened
heaven to a certain king, obviously that would later be Himself (verse 23).
One of the King’s servants owed his
Lord quite a sum of money. That servant, “in heaven” would have the account
settled; “His Lord commanded him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and
all that he had, and payment to be made” (verse 25).
That same servant worshipped his
Lord and out of mercy, “The lord of that servant was moved with compassion, and
loosed him, and forgave him the debt” (verse 27).
The same servant approached the other servant who owed him and asked for payment right then. He “cast him into prison, till he should pay the debt.” His Lord pointed out to the first servant that He had had compassion on him but that he had no compassion on his fellow servant (verse 33). As it turns out, the Lord was just in His judgment:
His Lord was wroth, and
delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So,
likewise shall my heavenly Father do also unto you, if you from your hearts
forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. (Mat 18:34:35)
The Book of Enoch separates
heaven into two places: Paradise and Hell with a barrier in between. Luke
chapter sixteen also divides heaven into two places: (1) comfort in the bosom
of Abraham (Paradise) and (2) torments (Hell), with the two separated by a
great gulf (Luke 16:23-26).
Jesus spoke in general about two
brothers. The story of the rich man and Lazarus is about two who should have
been brothers but failed to reconcile while on Earth. However, when he was
already in torments, the rich man endeavored to justify himself to God and for
God to have mercy on him, as he had mercy on Lazarus.
Their acts followed them
to heaven. The rich man should have been a friend who showed patience rather
than disdain for the poor man Lazarus.
Jesus, in his parable of the two
servants, was encouraging reconciliation while here on Earth because the case
would follow them to heaven. Both would go to heaven but because things were
not reconciled on Earth, the case against them would be decided in heaven.
Abraham’s bosom was like a ‘placeholder’
until Jesus would ascend; then it would be the Bosom of Jesus wherein the righteous
dead would rest. Hence, Abraham’s bosom was comfort in heaven until the Jesus
would be there to comfort them.
Before Jesus died, Abraham was
the ‘Lord’ of which Jesus spoke in heaven. The Book of Jasher reveals
that Abraham was a king in his own domain who lived in Canaan land. Abraham was
the king and lord in heaven and certainly the ‘Lord’ of whom Jesus spoke with
an eye on Himself very soon.
Jesus was explaining to His
disciples that they should resolve their differences here on Earth, or He would
resolve them in Heaven; that the rules in for entering heaven and the rules
here are harmonious; that you cannot be one thing here and another thing in
heaven.
Jesus was speaking of the first
day in heaven — Judgment Day — when judgment will be based on acts here on Earth.
The rich man was much different
when he was in heaven. He had been merciless on his estate but when on God’s
Estate, he was contrite. He should have reconciled with the servant, Lazarus,
and the LORD GOD while on Earth because although he was not bound on Earth, as
he should have been, he was bound in heaven. He could not escape justice! Justice
should be served here, and a trespasser or debtor here should not expect reprieve
after it is too late.
How would the dead be expected to
reconcile if the living cannot?
You can prepare for
heaven! Heaven is God’s Estate and to live in harmony while there (forever as
the case may be), we should be able to live in harmony for a short time while
on Earth. A heartless person is not expected to be kind and friendly in heaven
if they were not while on Earth. The grace of Jesus is patient; even if a
person changes at the last moment before dying, it is never too late to be kind
and considerate.
The malefactor on the cross was a
thief. He could not pay off his debt to those from whom he stole. Even with
that, he could pay homage to Jesus, and that was the acceptable sacrifice; to give
his person to God for God redeeming his soul, even if it was at the last
moment. Everything needs to be reconciled here, in heaven it is too late!
On a personal note, I learned
that lesson before it was too late. I had a woman at work who hated me. To be
truthful, I was unkind to her as well because we were competitors for the same
job. We felt that we had to outperform each other rather than work together!
Then her young mother died
unexpectedly. I empathized with the pain that she must have been experiencing. God
led me to send her a sympathy card. To be truthful, I did that because I am a
Christian. As a Christian, I am expected to be kind to my enemies.
When my adversary returned to
work, she thanked me. She said that I was the only one from work who sent her a
card or expressed sympathy. The Lord was patient with me and with her! We
reconciled and were no longer enemies, but good friends who thereafter worked
well together.
Neither of us waited until it was
too late. We resolved our differences here; judgment day would be too late. We
loosed our animosity here, so that we would be free in heaven.
My hope is that you get the
point; that to be with Christ in heaven, we must be in Christ on Earth.
This scripture was hard to
understand, but I must say that the Lord guided me through it very well,
hopefully to His satisfaction!
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