Luke 6:46-49

Luke 6:46-49 “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.”

John 1:1-9 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. There came a man who was sent from God; his name was John. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light. The true light that gives light to every man was coming into the world.

In the above passage, the Lord instructs us to build our lives on his words and put them into practice. If we practice his words, we will build on a strong foundation. However, if we build on our own self-centered ways, we build on an unstable foundation that will crash when the storms come. When God through Christ made the heavens and Earth, he brought orderliness, form, and life out of darkness, chaos and lifelessness. When we follow Jesus Christ through faith, a new creature is formed, a new life is birthed, and God's orderliness is established in our lives. Sin brings chaos, darkness, and death; righteousness brings order, light, and life. When we love our enemies, when we do good to those who hate us, when we go out of our way to be a blessing to others, we stop the chaos and the meaninglessness of life. When we put in practice the words of Jesus, we reflect the light of God to the world; we no longer add to the darkness. Following Jesus Christ brings stability to our lives, a life that can withstand the vicissitudes of everyday living. When we follow him and obey his words, we have a purpose, a focus in life, that is much greater than just living for ourselves. We understand our lives have an eternal purpose: to please God by allowing his light to shine through us to a sick and dying world.

Well, how much do we love the world as God loves the world? How much do we reflect Jesus to the world? How much do we display God's attributes to the world? That all depends on how willing we are to obey Jesus' words. If we love our enemies a little, if we do good to those who hate us sometimes, if we give when we have plenty, we will reflect God sometimes, but probably not too often. If we are extremely obedient to Jesus' teachings, we will reflect God often and in all circumstances. Christians must realize a dark and sinful world will know God' attributes by observing our lives. Of course, this is a big challenge for every Christian. How much do we want people to see Jesus in us? Our flesh is usually willing to compromise on this issue of reflecting Jesus. Reflect Jesus when you feel good, when you are prayed up, but surely you don't need to reflect him when you are having a bad day: sick, troubled, overwhelmed. With this attitude, our spouses, children, friends, and acquaintances better be careful if we are having a bad day, for the volcano is bubbling.

Well, on those days when we are weak, we need to realize the Holy Spirit is within us to help us. He will remind us that we are a well-constructed house, firmly established on Jesus' words. The Word teaches that our obedience is better than sacrifices. With God's help, we will stand firm regardless of the circumstances. When we do successfully stand in troubled times, we reflect the consistent Jesus, the one who is with us in season and out of season, the one who never leaves us. But, if we display Jesus only on the good days, the up days, we display a different kind of light, one that can cease at any time. This kind of light confuses our children, our spouses, our friends, and our acquaintances. Therefore, let us hold firmly to Jesus' words. Let our houses be built on his teachings and not our ideas. As we read in Matthew 5:16, In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. And when the torrents come, your house will stand.