“Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
Although this word picture works in almost every culture -houses need to be built on solid foundations -this was a particularly vivid word picture for the people of the region around the Sea of Galilee. During the dry season, it was hot and arid and the sand along the seashore was baked hard. It may have seemed like it was stable enough to provide an adequate foundation. In the rainy season, however, that same sand was wet and spongy. If someone were to build a house during the dry season without digging down to the bedrock, it was going to be a big problem when the rains came. Digging down to the bedrock was hard work, but resulted in a stable house, able to withstand the rains and storms.
Jesus likens this to hearing and obeying His words and teachings. We can build our lives around cultural perspectives and political correctness and whatever is the latest trend in thinking, or we can can build our lives around eternal Truth. It is our choice. But only one of these is going to get us through the storms of life.
Jesus' teachings are considered by many to be culturally irrelevant, and by others to be simply wise teachings -wise but optional. The reality is, however, that His words are truth. Real truth. Eternal truth.
No comments:
Post a Comment