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Over the Christmas holidays I was watching an interview of Mike Rowe who is the host of the show America’s dirtiest jobs. He was talking about the fact that these jobs although a lot of them are not known are actually the backbone of America. Without them a lot of other businesses would not be able to survive. He also related life to a ladder. The lower rungs of the ladder being the learning experiences of our life including our failures and successes and the upper rungs of the ladder are where we are currently. This reminded me of Jacob’s ladder in Genesis chapter 28 where God gives him the vision of the ladder to heaven.

The theme of a ladder to heaven is used by some older theologies and is often used by the Church Fathers. Irenaeus in the second century describes the Christian Church as the “ladder of ascent to God”. In the third century, Origen explains that there are two ladders in the life of a Christian, the ascetic ladder that the soul climbs on the earth, by way of-and resulting in-an increase in virtue, and the soul’s travel after death, climbing up… To The heavens towards the light of God.

Symbolically this makes a lot of sense. There are a lot of things that we need to consider if we are going to use a ladder around the house or at work. First, is it on a stable part of the ground or concrete. Second and very critical is the ladder in good shape and able to support you or is it an old one that could be weak in a lot of parts or even be broken somewhere. The third one is what you are leaning the latter against. Is it sturdy and will it support your weight as you climb the ladder. These are all very critical factors, as depending on the height of the latter, your life may depend on it.

Symbolically let’s look at the ladder that we choose for our life. Is the base resting on sand or is it on solid rock? Is the ladder made out of steel or wood? In other words is a ladder made of the way of Christ and a life built on Christ or built on the ways of the world that is always changing and never solid. The last part of the ladder that we have to look at is what does it lead to, in other words what is it leaning against? Is it leaning against a bank (worldly fortune), fame, or worldly possessions which one could lose in an instant. Or as it should be, Is it leaning against our faith in God, and God’s promises of eternal life and heaven.

God is not far off in Heaven at the top of the long, steep life-ladder, looking down upon us as we struggle upward in pain and tears. As we listen, we hear him speak to the sad, weary man who lies there at the foot of the stairway, and he says: “Behold, I am with you, and will sustain you. I will never leave you.” Not angel companionship alone, precious as it is, is promised-but Divine companionship also, every step of the toilsome way, until we get home! It is never impossible, therefore, for anyone to mount the ladder to the very summit. With God’s strong, loving help-the weakest need never faint nor fail.

Philippians 2:3.  Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; 4.  do not {merely} look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. 5.