21st Week in Ordinary Time

You lock the Kingdom of heaven before men. You do not enter yourselves. 

Of all the charges that Jesus makes against the Pharisees and scribes in today’s Gospel, locking up the kingdom of heaven might be the most serious. Jesus had begun his public ministry by announcing, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). He came to earth to usher in God’s kingdom and to open the gates of heaven to all who believe. But by their rejection of him, these scribes and Pharisees were both locking themselves out of that kingdom and preventing others from entering it as well (23:13).

Through our Baptism, we have already received the gift of the kingdom of heaven—a kingdom of love, mercy, peace, and joy. Yet how many times have we in some way “locked” ourselves out or been hesitant to enter it? This can happen in a number of different ways.

For example, we might falsely think we aren’t worthy of entering the kingdom. Maybe we believe that our past sins or way of life disqualify us, even when we’ve received absolution for those sins in Confession. Or maybe we are still struggling to overcome a pattern of sin, even though we continue to ask for the Lord’s help and grace.

Another way we can “lock” ourselves out of God’s kingdom is to get so caught up in worldly pleasures and concerns that this world becomes the kingdom we inhabit most of the time. That could lead us to neglect our daily time with the Lord or even to skip Mass at times. As a result, we end up missing the opportunity to receive the mercy, grace, and nourishment that we need to live as citizens of heaven.

Many of the Pharisees and scribes missed out on the invitation that Jesus was offering them to enter into the new kingdom he was inaugurating. But you don’t have to. Every day you face the choice of whether you will embrace God’s kingdom and its values. Let’s make sure we “unlock” any doors of our hearts that we may have closed and say yes to the Lord!

“Lord, I want to live in your heavenly kingdom, now and forever.”

2 Thessalonians 1:1-5, 11-12
Psalm 96:1-5
Matthew 23:13-22