Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.
We join Jesus again teaching the crowds. He starts by talking about false prophets who come dressed in sheep’s clothing but are actually ravenous wolves. He moves quickly to good trees bearing good fruit, versus bad trees that won’t ever produce good fruit. So you’ll be able to tell the bad ones by the fruit they bear. Finally in this brief but packed section, he says that everyone who calls his name will not enter the kingdom. To some, Jesus will respond, “I never knew you, go away from me.”
This sounds rather harsh. I thought it was all about people calling out to Jesus. That simple act redeemed them. According to Jesus, not always.
He continues that those who hear his words and act on them is like a wise man while builds on rock. The person who hears his words and doesn’t act is like someone who builds on sand. The storm comes and the house on rock is solid, while the house on sand falls, and to emphasize the point, Jesus exclaims not only does it fall, “but great was its fall”.
What does this mean in my world?
I know plenty of God loving folk, including Christian folk, who talk a big game, but do nothing. They don’t love their neighbor. They don’t act in any way as if they’re Christian. They don’t care for the widow, orphan, poor. They show up in church, some even go to the prestigious church to be seen. Some wave the Christian banner in a way to show others they are Christian, and yet aren’t loving. Some politicians pull out their Christianity, as if it’s an indemnifying ID card, and at best, don’t act in loving way, and at worst, act in ways that actively harm and hate – all the while waiving their ID. I think these are the folks who Jesus is referring to when he says they hear God’s word, and don’t act on it. Their house on sand will fall, and great will be its fall.
To be clear, this is not my judgment to make. I don’t get to look at them now and condemn them to a fallen house or as a ravenous wolf. I believe that judgment is God’s alone. But I can take some slight solace that Jesus discerns the distinction of people who profess the words but to their core, don’t act.
Alternatively, Jesus talks about those who hear his words and act, build their house on solid rock.
This morning, I’m thinking about all of the things this sentence didn’t say. It doesn’t say that those who hear his words and go to church, or those who hear his words and wear Christian jewelry, those who hear his words and get ordained, those who ear his words and pray visibly on TV. What he says is that those who hear his words and act.
This describes so many wonderful people I know who’d never describe themselves as Christian or even spiritual. But they have heard of God’s love and they act. They love and serve their neighbors. They care for the widows, orphans and poor. They strive for justice and peace. All without being a card carrying member. This little section provides much good news to this world, and particularly this little corner of the US, that is so ‘unchurched’. Today, I want to notice all those whose houses are built on rock, regardless of their faith tradition or practice.
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