Does heaven exist? Can you prove it? Did Jesus ever teach about heaven?
We Catholics have been brought up accepting the fact that heaven exists. Most of us have never questioned it. Much of our motivation to avoid sin has been to make sure we don’t forfeit heaven when we die.
There are many, as we know, however, who don’t believe in heaven, or even an after-life of any kind. Jesus faced such a group in his time—the Sadducees. Not all those who deny heaven live a sinful life. Some dedicate themselves to making this world a better place—the make the most of what they have and do all they can to help others be happy. And, on the other hand, some of those who believe in heaven do not make the best of their life in this world, thinking that this life doesn’t really count that much—it’s heaven that we’re after.
Where did Jesus stand on this heaven issue? We know he told us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven.” It was the “place” where the Father dwells, and the “place” he would eventually be taken to. He believed in heaven.
What about his teaching on heaven. Did he tell his disciples to work hard and stay out of sin in this life, so that they would make it to heaven when they died?
We are coming to the end of St. John’s gospel readings, as Pentecost nears. In his final discourse, Jesus zeroed in on the most important things in life. One of the things he talked to his disciples was—“eternal life.” Though some think “eternal life” means “heaven,” I don’t think the two are equivalent in Jesus’ mind. Let’s listen to the words of Jesus (John 17:1-11). Jesus prayed,
“Father, the hour has come. Give glory to your son, so that your son may glorify you, just as you gave him authority over all people, so that your son may give eternal life to all you gave him. Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ.”
Jesus gave “eternal life” to those who were given him by the Father. He does not present this as a “ticket to heaven.” Eternal life was the gift of knowing God in a personal way and accepting Jesus. It was something that takes place in this life, not something that will happen after death. Eternal life is for now, and, yes, it will come to full maturity at the time of death if we remain in Jesus and he in us.
If we read this passage closely, we wonder if Jesus was being too narrow in his vision.
“I pray for them. I do not pray for the world but for the ones you have given me, because they are yours, and everything of yours is mine…”
Jesus focused on those to whom he would give eternal life He made it clear that his attention was only on those whom the Father gave him—his disciples. Did he not care about the world? Why did he include the phrase, “I do not pray for the world?” He seems to be setting up a distinction between those who have eternal life here and now and those who don’t.
Our focus, then, is not on the future—heaven—but on the now—eternal life. We hope that we are among those who were given to Jesus by the Father. We hope that we are among those who know God in a personal way and have accepted Jesus Christ as Lord of our lives. We pray that Jesus will give us this “eternal life” that he talked about in this discourse.
Eternal life, as I understand it, is what the one hundred and twenty disciples received in the Upper Room when the Holy Spirit came down upon them and transformed them. What happened afterwards is clean indication that they had some kind of life in them that went far beyond natural life. They had a new power within them that allowed them to preach the gospel boldly and work signs and wonders among the people. This new life within them enabled them to continue doing the same things in the world that Jesus did. They weren’t in heaven, yet they had eternal life. In some ways they were experiencing the beginnings of heaven on earth.
The best way we can assure heaven for ourselves is by accepting eternal life now—letting the power of Pentecost come into our lives. This eternal life will propel us to go forth and evangelize—win as many citizens for the Kingdom of God on earth. Our lives will bear witness that we have a level of life that goes beyond the temporal.
“I will ask the Father and he will give you another Advocate to be with you always” (John 14:16).
