This summer, I ate more mushrooms than I ever thought possible. I was staying at a retreat center in Mexico, and they seemed to appear at every meal – mushrooms in omelets at breakfast, mushrooms in soup at lunch, even mushrooms tucked into a crepe at dinner. The funny thing is, I never used to like mushrooms. As a kid, I would avoid them. But somewhere along the way, my taste changed, and now I’ve learned to appreciate them.
Jesus Talked About Hell?
How do we understand today’s Gospel passage? (Lk. 13:22-30) Jesus doesn’t leave much room for doubt. We may act as if Hell isn’t real, but He insists that it is. Those listening to him that day had a particular concern.
Will only a few be saved? (Lk. 13:23)
How would you respond? I think a lot of us might be tempted to say: “Don’t worry about it. You’re fine.” We would like to think that Jesus would give the same answer. Yet, he does not.
Strive to enter through the narrow door, for many, I tell you, will attempt to enter but will not be strong enough (Lk. 13:24).
Any Other Options?
It is hard to take much comfort from such an answer. Is Jesus jealous of heaven? Does he want to keep us out? Are we really going to be so exclusive? We have all been lulled to passivity by John Lennon’s Imagine.
Imagine there’s no heaven… No hell… Imagine all the people, living for today… (John Lennon, Imagine).
That longing for peace and unity is real – but Jesus reminds us that ignoring heaven and hell isn’t the way to get there. He is merely expressing what is implicit in much of modern thought. Even the great Christian apologist C.S. Lewis admitted that he was uncomfortable with the doctrine. Nevertheless, to be coherent as a Christian is to admit the existence of Hell.
There is no doctrine which I would more willingly remove from Christianity than this, if it lay in my power. But it has the full support of Scripture and, especially, of Our Lord’s own words; it has always been held by Christendom; and it has the support of reason. If a game is played, it must be possible to lose it (C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain).
Lewis reminds us that if heaven is real, then rejecting it must also be possible. That’s why God respects our freedom. He will not force us into heaven but invites us to prepare for it. If we live in such a way that we reject God, we would not be happy eternally being with him in heaven. We exercise our freedom in the way we respond to God. He shows us what to do, and our response must be the words of the Our Father: “Thy will be done!” Monsignor Pope, reflecting on the reality of Heaven and Hell, remarked that Heaven is like an acquired taste. This is what made me think of my mushroom experience.
To some extent, heaven is an acquired taste and God must heal our worldly wounded hearts to desire what He offers. Sadly, only few (not many) are willing to let Him do this heart surgery. Be among that few! (Charles Pope, The Hell There Is: An Exploration of an Often-Rejected Doctrine of the Church, p. 21).
Hearts Made for Heaven
Our hearts must learn to desire heaven. God wants to shape our hearts so that we desire what He offers. But just like my taste for mushrooms didn’t change overnight, our desire for heaven grows as we let God work on us. Jesus invites us today.
Strive to enter through the narrow door (Lk. 13:24).
That means letting Him do the “heart surgery” that heals our selfishness and opens us to love.
So this week, ask yourself: “What’s one way I can let God change my taste?” Maybe it’s taking time for prayer when you’d rather scroll. Maybe it’s going to confession or forgiving someone. Or maybe it’s making a sacrifice for the sake of love. Each small “yes” prepares our hearts to enjoy heaven forever. Choose one this week – and take your step through the narrow door.
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