Matthew 7:24-29 True Obedience
We like our heroes to be afflicted with self doubt in the 21st century. We want them to be hesitant about stepping into the roles they were destined to play. If they aren't hesitant, if they speak as if they know, we call them arrogant, we urge them to be humble.
Because of this form of acculturation, we often misunderstand the heroes of the past. We read into them the qualities that we think they should have, and by doing so make them into what they are not. This is clearly the case when it comes to THE hero, Jesus Christ. A Jesus that is certain of his identity comes off as arrogant to many, it sounds sirens in our minds, and we rush to cover him with meekness, and explain away his difficult sayings.
We have left the sin of thinking that Jesus is just a "great moral teacher." But now we think he is a reluctant Lord. In doing so we have created a Jesus who allows for his disciples to be reluctant in their apprenticeship to him. But when you look at the record it is clear that reluctance is not one of the words one could use to describe Jesus. And this isn't just the adult Jesus, but as a youngster he told his parents, "How is it that ye sought me? wist (love the KJV) ye not that I must be about my Father's business?"
At 12 Jesus knew what he would be when he grew up. Not reluctance, but certainty. And when he is an adult he is speaking along similar, but even bolder lines. He has stepped even more fully into his role as Messiah. With this image of Jesus in mind, hear what he says to close his sermon on the mount.
Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!"
In short, "If you hear what I say and do it, you're wise. Only morons (the Greek word for fool) hear what I say and do not do it." This is something that only an arrogant person, or someone that has complete knowledge, would say. For he is pitting himself, and his ability to guide people to a life of sustainable goodness in the kingdom of the heavens, against every other way, and every other teaching.
By the language he uses, he eliminates ambiguity, and causes us to make a decision. Will I be a wise person or a foolish person? If we want to be wise, then we must put all of our eggs in the Jesus basket. We must build our life on him by obeying his word, and living his way. This is what makes the wise man a wise man. He understands that Jesus is calling for an all or nothing decision, and he makes the wise decision to go all in with Jesus. Even though it means hard work, tons of effort, lots of faith, he still goes all in.
The foolish man, on the other hand, heard the same teaching, but he didn't get it. He thought diversification was an option. For unlike the wise man that built his house on one rock, on one persons word/teaching, the foolish man builds his life on many words, and many teachings. For sand is literally many small rocks, is it not?
So, for example, this guy is governed by Wall Street ethics when it comes to his finances, and CNN or Fox News when it comes to his political life; he is governed by his favorite talk show host when it comes to relationship issues, and maybe he leaves a tiny grain of sand labeled religion for Jesus to have say over.
He is a fool!
And the reason he is destroyed when the storm comes is because the crisis causes each "rock" to cry out, "Obey me!" as they shift and are blown by the chaos. Now what will the man do when the financial rock disagrees with the relational rock? What will he do when the religious rock disagrees with the political rock? He will be pulled apart, his house will come tumbling down as the sand under his feet shifts and scatters.
And great, says Jesus, was the fall of that house!
See, Jesus speaks from a position of knowledge and authority. He comes off as one who knows the way to the kingdom; indeed, he is the kingdom come. And he invites us to stake our claim on him. That is, he invites us let his word be the authority in our lives, and let his word set the priorities in our life. And he does mean every area of our lives! He is the smartest human being that ever lived (Colossians 2:3). He is able to uphold us when the storm comes. The house may be buffeted, but because it is built on the immoveable rock that is Christ, it will not be destroyed.
Jesus speaks the way he speaks, because he knows exactly who he is, whom he came from, and to whom he is returning. His invitation is for us to build our lives upon him, on Christ the solid rock I stand.
I like the way Jesus ends his sermon. As they stand their with their mouths open, he just leaves them to consider how they will respond. The two ways are before them. One is labeled wisdom, it is rocky and requires effort, faith, and commitment. The other is labeled moron way (corny, I know); it's full of sand. You can set up an abode in no time at all. One way seems better, but but it's horrible in the long run. The other seems worse, but it's infinitely better. It leads to the kingdom.
The choice is yours.