Everyone wants to get to heaven. Deep within every human heart is the longing for eternal joy, eternal peace, and eternal life with God. Heaven is the fulfillment of every faithful believer’s hope. It is the home prepared by Christ for those who remained faithful to Him through all the trials and temptations of life. It is the Kingdom promised to those who followed not merely with words but with their whole heart, mind, body, and soul.
The celebration of the Ascension of the Lord reminds us of this eternal destiny. Jesus ascended into heaven not to abandon humanity but to open its gates for us. His Ascension is not merely His departure from earth. It is His triumph over sin, evil, death, and darkness. It is the assurance that heaven is real and attainable for those who walk in the ways of God. Sadly, many people today no longer understand what heaven truly means.
For some, heaven has become synonymous with luxury, wealth, comfort, fame, influence, and power. Heaven is now measured by expensive cars, political dominance, overflowing bank accounts, massive mansions, and social prestige. Many believe that to be “on top” is already paradise itself. Because of this distorted understanding, people destroy one another just to secure their own earthly version of heaven.
Many lie, cheat, manipulate, betray, and even kill just to rise above others. Human dignity is sacrificed at the altar of greed. Truth is crucified for the sake of ambition. Conscience is sold for money and power. People climb higher while pushing others deeper into misery and poverty. This is the tragedy of the modern world. People desire heaven but live like disciples of hell.
The frightening reality is that the opposite of heaven also exists. Hell is not merely an invention to frighten sinners. Hell is the eternal consequence of rejecting God’s love and mercy. It is the state prepared for Satan and his fallen angels and for those who willingly embraced evil and refused repentance. It is the destiny of those who abused their fellow human beings through cruelty, corruption, violence, injustice, oppression, and inhumane acts.
One of the greatest scandals today is that some of those responsible for the suffering of the people are no longer ordinary criminals hiding in darkness. Some are respected personalities clothed with authority and power. Some are elected officials entrusted with public service but who instead enrich themselves through corruption and betrayal. They pretend to be servants of the people while slowly feeding on the very lives of those they promised to protect. They smile before cameras while countless families sleep hungry at night. They speak of progress while hospitals remain lacking, schools continue deteriorating, and poor communities remain buried in neglect. They parade themselves as heroes while secretly draining the nation dry through greed and dishonesty.
Worst of all, many of them no longer fear God. They have become too comfortable in their temporary heavens on earth that they have forgotten eternity. They act as if power can save them. They behave as though wealth can bribe divine justice. They speak as though public applause can silence the cries of the oppressed before the throne of God.
The Ascension of Christ stands as a powerful contradiction to this kind of worldly mentality. Jesus ascended into heaven not because He accumulated riches or conquered nations through violence. He ascended because He humbled Himself in perfect obedience to the Father. He ascended because He loved completely. He ascended because He embraced sacrifice, truth, righteousness, and mercy even when the world rejected Him.
That is the path to heaven. Not greed but generosity. Not corruption but integrity. Not arrogance but humility. Not oppression but compassion. Not selfish ambition but faithful service. The tragedy today is not merely that many people commit sin. The tragedy is that many have become proud of it. Evil is now defended openly. Dishonesty is celebrated. Corruption is normalized. Those who steal from the people continue to rise in popularity while those who speak the truth are attacked, mocked, or silenced.
Yet no earthly throne lasts forever. Every politician will one day lose power. Every empire of corruption will eventually collapse. Every hidden crime will be revealed. Every stolen wealth will rot. Every soul will stand naked before God where titles, influence, and money will have absolutely no value.
At the Ascension, Christ did not ascend carrying gold, armies, or earthly glory. He ascended carrying the wounds of His sacrifice. Those wounds became the signs of His victory. Perhaps that is the reminder humanity desperately needs today.
The true heaven is not built through greed and selfishness. The true heaven begins when humanity returns to God, to truth, to justice, and to love. Without these, no amount of wealth or power can save a soul from eternal ruin. Christ has already opened the gates of heaven. The question now is whether humanity is still willing to walk the road that leads there.