Luke 6:46-49 (CEV)
46 Why do you keep on saying that I am your Lord, when you refuse to do what I say? 47 Anyone who comes and listens to me and obeys me 48 is like someone who dug down deep and built a house on solid rock. When the flood came and the river rushed against the house, it was built so well that it didn’t even shake. 49 But anyone who hears what I say and doesn’t obey me is like someone whose house wasn’t built on solid rock. As soon as the river rushed against that house, it was smashed to pieces!
What’s The POINT?
Parenting small children can be one of the most frustrating things in the world some days.
The words “don’t put your hand in the electrical socket” are barely out of your mouth when the hand is placed yet again on the electrical socket.
The words “hold tight as we cross the street” hang in the air as the tiny darling tries to wriggle free to go racing off in a random (but guaranteed car-filled) direction!
The words “time for bed” are swallowed into the ether of beyond as the child interprets this as a starting gun for the Olympic 5,000 meter event.
They seem fine with “would you like a cookie?” Some will come when called for meals. A few think “bath time” is exciting (though who am I kidding – all of those kids are also capable of turning three inches of water into a flood that overflows bathtub and bathroom and all the way into the hallway!)
The whole thing is frustrating, though, because as loving parents we actually have their best interests at heart. We don’t want their hand in the electrical socket because we know that electrocution will hurt them. We want them to hold our hand as we cross the street because we don’t want them hit by a car. We want to help them settle down for bed because we know that when they get too tired it’s hard for them to sleep and hard for us to continue being patient with them! Meals are for providing the necessary nutrition. Baths are to keep them clean. All of these things are to care for them and love them and protect them and nurture them. So it is completely frustrating when they look at all of that, stick out their tongues and refuse!
I think Jesus feels the same way. He’s frustrated by the people surrounding him who are saying, “yes, of course I follow God” but don’t then actually do what he says.
And so, to make the point, he pulls in an architectural engineering example:
House Falling Into The Sand
Because it simply doesn’t make sense. Why would you pay for this – why would you claim Jesus as Lord – if you were just going to go off and do what you wanted in the first place? Why would you get the plans for a beautiful home, only to stick it directly onto a beach with nothing to protect it from the rain and the waves and the inevitable soil erosion of that space? That’s dumb! Why would you get the plans for how to live life to the full, only to blatantly ignore them and just do exactly what you wanted, when you wanted it? What’s the POINT?
I don’t think Jesus came so that we could listen to a bunch of sermons. I don’t think he came so that we could memorize a bunch of facts, or chant a bunch of verses. He didn’t come so that we could repost bible verses at our Facebook friends or wear ‘Christian’ shirts or hold up signs with condemnatory verses written on them.
He came so that we could learn how to live life to the full … and then get on with experiencing that fullness of life that he came to bring us in the first place!Journal Questions:
- What things has Jesus been teaching you lately?
- Which of them have you been listening to and putting into practice?
- As you read today’s study, are there any of Jesus’ words that echo back in your mind that maybe you haven’t been as good at listening to?
- What will you do with those words today?
