It's All About Relationships

“Once again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was let down into the lake and caught all kinds of fish. When it was full, the fishermen pulled it up on the shore. Then they sat down and collected the good fish in baskets, but threw the bad away. This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels will come and separate the wicked from the righteous and throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
Matthew 13:47-50

The wicked and the righteous. They will be separated. The wicked will be thrown into the fiery furnace.

What separates the wicked from the righteous? What is it that they have? Or do not have? They do not have a relationship with Jesus Christ. (Philippians 3:9)

Ultimately, the Kingdom of God is all about relationships. The Kingdom of God is relational. God himself is Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Salvation rests not in rituals or sacrifice or merits earned. It rests in being a child of God through Jesus Christ. (Galatians 3:26-29)

How we relate to others determines our eternal future. Christ taught that the world will know who his disciples are if they love one another. (John 13:35) Love, as Christ demonstrated it to us, is not something that happens to us by chance. It is a conscious decision, a work in progress that constantly needs tinkering with.

It is a supernatural calling, to be sure. On our own, how easily we part ways with brothers who disagree with us. How easily we use "irreconcilable differences" as an excuse to fail gracefully in a holy partnership. The divorce rate in the Church is the same as in the world. It is very easy to say yes to Christ. It is an entirely different thing to say yes to his cross. Without God's grace, it is not possible.

We familiarize ourselves with God's grace by embracing the cross. Once familiar we grow in strength. We grow in confidence, trusting the grace that God provides to pull us through. Then, the irreconcilable becomes bearable. We can agree to disagree. We can sustain relationships. What an eternal virtue!

Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. (James 1:2-5)

Small wonder why the righteous don't get thrown away at the appropriate time. The work that it takes to make the righteous complete in God makes them, though undeserving, all the more precious before his eyes.