12If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, 13his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light. It will be revealed with fire, and the fire will test the quality of each man's work. 14If what he has built survives, he will receive his reward. 15If it is burned up, he will suffer loss; he himself will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames.
- 1 Corinthians 3:12-15
Paul seems to be saying here that there will be different rewards for people when they get to heaven depending on what they have done on earth. For some there will be great reward, for others it will be like "escaping through the flames".
This last image is particularly poignant - I think about the news images of the fires in Canberra earlier this year, the scenes of absolute devastation. Particularly I remember seeing distraught families returning to find the remains of their homes, searching through the ash and rubble to find the occasional keepsake - a charred doll, a necklace, a half burnt photo.
How could heaven possibly be like that? It seems contradictory to me. And yet that is what Paul is saying - work hard for the kingdom, make sure that what you "build" is sturdy, and will stand the quality testing. Otherwise, whilst a place will still be prepared for you, it may not be the luxury apartment that you are expecting.
No comments:
Post a Comment