Implementation

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.
– Matthew 7:24-27

There is a story (non-factual, I’m sure) about a preacher who was new to his congregation. On his first Sunday he preached a powerful sermon. People were commenting on the way from worship how blessed they felt to have this wonderful preacher. They returned the following Sunday expecting to hear another high-quality offering from the pulpit, but oddly the preacher repeated his sermon from the previous week. It was still a great sermon, but obviously it left people wondering why the pastor repeated it. As people discussed the matter amongst themselves, the conclusion was reached that it was a simple oversight on the pastor’s part, and that the next week would bring a new sermon. When the third Sunday came however, people began to feel concerned when, yet again, the pastor repeated the same sermon. Feeling now that the matter must be addressed, the pastor was approached and asked, “Why are you repeating the same sermon week after week? It is a wonderful sermon, but we want to hear something new.” The pastor’s reply was very direct. “When you start doing something in response to the first sermon, I will move on to another one.”

I wonder if Jesus ever felt something like this pastor. Chapters 5-7 of Matthew’s gospel account are known as the Sermon on the Mount. It is the largest single collection of Jesus’ teaching in the Bible. Traditionally we think of it all having been delivered in one setting, since this is how it is delivered to us in the text. The teaching ends with the writer telling us this: “When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” (Matthew 7:28-29). This is not much different than the modern Sunday noontime version of parishioners saying to one another, “My, wasn’t that a great sermon?” Comments like this are often followed immediately with, “What’s for lunch?” I don’t want to be unfair. Perhaps many of the people with Jesus that day immediately went away to reflect on how to apply what they had heard to their own lives. Likewise, there are many today who receive solid Bible teaching like fertile soil welcomes a seed. But given what we know about human nature, this is not the case for all.

In this scene from the Bible, the last thing Jesus offers to the people is not so much a stand-alone word of wisdom, but rather a word that emphasizes the potential of everything else he has said. Jesus accomplishes this by offering a parable about two people who have built houses for themselves. One chooses to build her house on a solid foundation. In East Texas you can imagine piers or other strategies for mitigating the effects of shifting soil. The other builds his house on sand, which is obviously shortsighted if the builder expects the home to last very long. What happens when storms come, when winds blow and water begins to erode the soil? Once the storms have passed, one of those homes will be standing right where it was built. The other is likely to be found lying in pieces, or floating somewhere down river with the rushing currents. The parable Jesus offers is clearly understood; how we build our home matters.

What we should notice in the parable is what both home-builders have in common. Both of them are faced with building homes that have to endure storms. And as it is true of the houses we build for our dwellings, it is also true of the lives we live in this uncertain world. One storm may pass you by, but the next may have you square in the crosshairs. And this only makes us think of major storms that come and go. What about the small storms, the challenges that press us to persevere in everyday life? If we have built our lives around the wisdom of the One who has created us and loves us, those storms may leave us battered, but we will remain standing. If we have built our lives around other influences, it is only a matter of time before we are left shattered.

At one point in his ministry, Jesus was asked what the greatest of all the commandments was. He gave two responses that can be summed up as this: love God, and love others (see Matthew 22:36-40). Jesus went on to say that these two things form the thread that runs through every commandment. When we read Matthew 5-7, we do not find Jesus quoting these two central commandments, yet everything he has taught us here is interwoven with that same thread. It is all about how we relate to God and how we relate to others.

The teaching offered by Jesus is absolutely essential for the person who wants to live a life that leads to blessedness. How can we be confident in that? Because, as the crowds observed, Jesus teaches us with the unique authority that comes directly from the One who designed life in the first place. He knows the way to abundant life, and he shows us the path whereby we can participate in it. So if, while building your “house” on the wisdom of Jesus, you find yourself doubting and tempted to follow a more alluring philosophy of life, simply remind yourself:

That’s what the Man said!

See you along the Winding Path.