Matthew 7:22 – On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’
24 “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. 25 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. 26 But anyone who hears my teaching and doesn’t obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. 27 When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 for he taught with real authority—quite unlike their teachers of religious law. (NLT)
I sometimes find Jesus’ teachings striking not for what he says, but who he says it too. Consider this passage, Jesus is not telling us that all those heathen sinners out there better straighten up, he’s telling us that all those folks who claim to know Jesus better straighten up. Yes, this passage is just for all us good church folk!
This passage begins with Jesus telling us that not everyone who claims to know Jesus really know him. There is a big difference in knowing about Jesus and knowing Jesus. James tells us we may say that we have faith because we believe in God, then he tells us that even the demons believe (James 2:19). Believing in Jesus is not the same as faith in Jesus. Faith in Jesus changes things about us. Faith in Jesus changes the world through us.
Jesus then tells us the parable of the house built on the solid foundation and the house built on the sand. Those Christians who follow Jesus’ teaching are on the solid foundation, while those Christians who don’t follow Jesus’ teachings are on the sand. The interesting thing about these verses is the word we translate as follow or obey. The Greek word is ποιέω, which literally means to produce something, or to bear fruit. The word that we translate as foolish (μωρός), was also the word for godless.
If we follow Jesus’ teachings, we will be producing fruit. Likewise, if we know of Jesus but do not have the faith to follow Jesus’ teachings, we are godless! A powerful and challenging teaching.
Today, let us inspect some fruit! Let us ask ourselves what are we producing? Let us strive to be more than a believer in Jesus, and endeavor to have the faith to truly change what needs to be changed.
Posted by Ramón Torres