The Wise Builder

This morning, I was continuing through Matthew Chapter 7, beginning in verse 24. Jesus is completing his thoughts, which end with an admonition to use the words that were heard as a foundation. This is the very end of the Sermon on the Mount, as most of us have labeled it. When I read it in context with the entire sermon, which is recoded in Matthew 5-7, it is the perfect ending for a sermon. It's almost an altar call. it starts with the word, "therefore," which means that the context has already been stated, so let's review the context.

He started in Chapter 5 with the Beatitudes. He starts a discourse about the importance of our attitudes and the condition of our spirit, rather than the outward actions of keeping the law. This is, of course, a brand new concept to these folks, who have had the religious leaders of the time hyper-focused on the details that they have control over. I have no doubt that this sermon made great waves throughout the community, because no one had ever heard a message like this before.

He then pauses to liken them to salt, that their lives and attitudes are the way the world will be flavored. In verse 17, Jesus stops and clarifies his intent. He did not come to abolish the Law of Moses or the Prophets. he came to fulfil them. Part of the importance of this passage is that, three years down the road, these are the accusations for which is eventually crucified.

While He's sharing his intent, He bluntly states that He has come to look at righteousness, not actions and calls the Pharisees out for worrying about nothing but what other people see. To demonstrate this, He starts to go through important points of the Law and shows how attitude can destroy people from within, even if their actions follow the letter of the Law. Each point gets more difficult to attain and he ends on loving our enemies...something that every single person in attendance would know that they have failed at. Ultimately, He is showing us the weakness of the Law and the need for help.

In Chapter 6, He talks about what Righteousness looks like: giving to the needy (in secret), prayer, fasting, investing our time and efforts into building the Kingdom of Heaven. In verse 25, He shifts from what true Righteousness looks like on the outside, to what it should look like on the inside: giving our cares to God, ceasing to judge others, and fearlessly asking for God's help. In Chapter 7:13, He begins to wrap up His thoughts. He points out that everyone who claims to follow Him is not sincere, and may be a wolf in sheep's clothing.

Then, He gets to our passage today: therefore, because of everything I've just said, we need to be careful to build our lives on a foundation of rock. With a foundation of rock, the storms of life will blow, but the structure will survive. He then ties it together in verse 26: His words are the rock. Houses using His words as their foundation will survive. Houses built upon sand will be blown away. It's the ultimate altar call: what do you want to be the foundation of your life? If the sermon on the mount had been the only Scripture that ever survived, I truly believe that everything we need to be a successful Christian resides within it.

When he finished the sermon, the Bible says that the people were amazed. He spoke with the authority of God and they knew it. They felt it!

I wonder how often we open the Scriptures and feel that same amazement. We have the perfect Word of God telling us where our house should be built. But do we?

Does the structure (life) that we're building have Jesus' admonitions as its foundation?

Are we poor in spirit and humble?

Are we meek?

Do we truly hunger and thirst to know God's face?

Are we merciful to those we think are undeserving? PS: they're not, see humility!

Are we testing our motives to make sure that our actions come from a pure heart?

Do we seek after peace? Both in our own lives and in the lives of others?

Are we the salt (good flavor) in the lives of others?

Are we a beacon of God's love, grace, and mercy?

Are we seeking to remove anger from our hearts?

Are we guarding our hearts and desiring God first?

Do we take our vows to God and men seriously?

Are we able to turn the other cheek when wronged?

Are we trying to love our enemies?

Do we give to the needy? in secret?

Are we living a life that contains prayer and fasting?

Do we prioritize God's Kingdom or do we give him our leftovers?

Are we seeking to trust Him fully and give up worry?

Are we moving past a judgmental spirit?

Are we truly seeking to find God's Will and discern His Word?

Yikes. I can't speak for anyone else, but I certainly have a long way to go. Spoiler alert: In Chapter 8, Jesus begins to heal the masses: Just as we need healing to be victorious in all of the things above!

God loves us through our failures! He knew about them when he chose to save us. Just keep building on the right foundation!

~steve