“Truly I tell you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.” (Matt 21:31)

The most important criterion to entering the Kingdom of Heaven is a pure and clean heart.

Just read the following stories and you will understand how true Jesus’ statement “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you” is.

“One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table.  And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. The she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.” (Luke 7:36-38)
“When Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, ‘Zacchaeus, hurry and come down’ for I must stay at your house today.’ So he hurried down and was happy to welcome him. All who saw it began to grumble and said, ‘He has gone to be the guest of one who is a sinner.’ Zacchaeus stood there and said to the Lord, ‘Look, half of my possessions, Lord, I will give to the poor; and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will pay back four times as much.’” (Luke 19:5-8)

There is a Chinese saying: “A sense of shame is close to the virtue of valour.” It takes time and effort to grow a clean and pure heart. There is another wise saying: “Who does not make mistakes? So there is no greater goodness than the willingness to make amends.” Indeed, only the proud think that they do not need to rely on God and make changes in their lives.