HOW MANY ROOMS ARE THERE IN HEAVEN?

HOMILY FOR THE 5^TH SUNDAY OF EASTER, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

A man was on his deathbed. He was a man of great wealth, and was known for his joking question he always asked his rich friends concerning the house they built. He would always ask: how many rooms does your house have? This man built a gigantic house of 16 rooms, and furnished all. He reserved 12 for himself that even his household found it difficult to know the actual room he would sleep in each night. When asked why he did that, he would reply: for security purpose. Now, friends and family were silently there in the Hospital to sympathize and solidarize with him, when one of his little sons who hated the pompous way the father had lived and had made jest of poverty prudently broke the silence in the room and said to the father: But dad, how many rooms will you have in heaven?

   

Some people think that they are created only to seek the vanities of this world, work or otherwise steal to build houses, mansions, monuments, and amass wealth for themselves and for their unborn children. Some others believe that all that matters is to pursue money without any ethics. Some others yet think that what makes them human or dignified is the amount of money they have or the number of houses they are able to build. These people are just unconscious of the ephemeral nature of this world. You may get these things, but if you are not careful, they will become distractions for you from getting well prepared for heaven. The question that begs for answer is: how many rooms do you have in heaven? How are you furnishing it to be really an eternal abode for you?

In the Gospel (John 14:1-12) of today, Jesus gave his apostles a powerful assurance; an assurance that rejuvenates and re-invigorates. It was most probable that the apostles were despaired and disappointed with what they perceived as a hard teaching in the 13^th chapter of the Gospel. Jesus had predicted his betrayal and the denial of Peter, and so one can imagine the feeling the apostles were left with. If it was something they could avert, they would do so. So, Jesus had to make them understand that the betrayal, denial, suffering and death were all necessary and pathway towards the place he was going to. He must go through that means to prepare a place for them. He comforted his apostles. He said to them: do not let your hearts be troubled. Believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many rooms. He is going to prepare the rooms for us, but we must provide the materials for the internal decorations and furnishings.

What does Jesus mean when he said that there are many rooms in His Father’s house? Barclay made us to understand that there are three suggestions to the Greek word monai which has been translated variously by the English versions, but here has been translated as rooms. For the purpose of this reflection, two have been selected. 1) The Jews believed that there were different levels of blessedness which would be given men according to their goodness or fidelity on earth. In the world to come, there are many mansions prepared for men; good for good, evil for evil. This likens heaven as a vast palace in which there are many rooms, with each assigned a room such as his/her merited. So, Jesus used a picture that they understood so well. By this, he brings to their consciousness that they must fight to have the good rooms and not the bad ones by the life they live on earth. 2) Jesus’ statements that there are many rooms could have also implied that there is room for everyone. I have my room, you have your room. And no one has more than one, for in heaven, equality exists. Some earthly houses can see someone having more than the necessary one room; it can even see many people inhabiting in one room and so becomes overcrowded; it can even shut its door against some visitors because its accommodation is exhausted. This is not so with the house of our Father in heaven. There, there is room for all. This answers the question of the little boy to the dying father: in heaven, I will have only one room, and no longer 12. Then I will lose the morale of ridiculing those who may have just one or may not have one at all but squats with others.

The next question comes: how do I help to furnish my room in heaven? The first thing to note is that it is Jesus who is preparing a place for us. John 14:2-3 makes this vivid. The function of Jesus becomes to work for us. Any material we give him is what he uses. How do you make Jesus to accept your material readily for proper furnishing of the room? Look at your spiritual life today; think about the way you live your life today, and then answer for yourself how your room in heaven is like currently. The Second Reading (1Pet. 2:4-9) helps us to understand better what we need to do to make good our rooms in heaven. The first condition is that you must come to the Lord; you must make effort to be present wherever children of God gather. Try to reckon yourself with the saints. Tell me with whom you go, and I will tell you whom you are. The second condition is that you must yourself be built into a spiritual house so that your sacrifice may easily be accepted by the Lord. We must not just belong to the worshipping community but must uplift that community through our commitment, sacrifice and holiness. Seven deacons were noted to have committed themselves to the ministry of service today. This was their way of sacrificing and contributing their own quota. When your sacrifice is accepted readily, your room in heaven is furnished. Indeed, your abode in heaven is furnished by those accepted sacrifices you make.

What are the materials you are gathering and sending to Jesus for that single room you have in heaven? The First Reading (Acts 6:1-7) is explicit on a particular virtue which is a strong material for our rooms in heaven; the virtue of service. There was tension in the early Church and there was the need to calm that tension. Seven men were chosen for the ministry of service. They were men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of Wisdom. Service is a good material for our heavenly abode. Service ensures a constant cleaning and sweeping of our rooms in heaven. But there are many other virtues which serve as furnishing materials.

These virtues are extracted from the Psalmist today (Psalm 145:8-9). The Lord is kind (kindness) and full of compassion (Compassionate), slow to anger (Patience), and abounding in great mercy (merciful). How good is the Lord to all (Impartiality/Justice). Kindness makes for the mattress and curtains of your room, compassion for the cooling device, patience for the wardrobe and its contents, mercy for the flooring, and impartiality/justice for the luminary device. With these virtues, you have a perfect room over there in heaven. If we are kind, compassionate, patient, and merciful and just, our society will become a better one for co-habitation.

On earth, it is clear that you can buy as many rooms as possible but you cannot buy rest, you can buy mattress but you cannot buy sleep, you can buy Air Conditioner, but you cannot buy peace of mind, etc. But in heaven these internal furnishings give you what they give on earth and even more. They give you rest, peace, and joy. Resting in peace implies that one has helped to prepare a good place for himself/herself for eternity. There is no need accumulating many rooms here on earth, but the one room you have in heaven is under furnished with not even a carpet. Jesus reminds us today to help him prepare a place for us in heaven. He has shown us great example to follow. He is even leading us and going ahead of us to make sure that we do not stumble. Do not join the group that are rebellious of God. What I wish you this week is that God gives you the consciousness of discerning the best thing in your life. May he give you the strength to practice those virtues that contribute to our eternity with Him through Christ our Lord. Amen. Happy new week and God bless you.