Foundations Series

Two Sets of Joneses

Luke 6:46-49

Parables with a Point

Jefferson M. Williams

10-02-2022

Foundations

When we built the addition to our house in Pontiac, the first thing that Milt did was dig a deep hole. My job was to clear all the rocks out of the hole. ??He explained that we had to build a strong foundation in order for the addition to have structural integrity.

Of course, we knew that intellectually but it was amazing seeing what had to happen before we actually started building. In fact, it looked like not much was being accomplished. But, the work done on the foundation would go on to make the rest of the project easier.

The Empire State Building in New York is 1,454 feet tall. Its foundation is nearly 6 stories underground.

The foundation of the Willis Tower, formerly Sears Tower, is nearly one hundred feet deep.

The tallest building in the world, the Shanghai tower, has a foundation that extends 262 feet into the ground!

When it comes to building structures, the foundation is the most important part of the process.

Jesus says that the same can be said of human beings.

The world loves dividing humans into categories - male/female; Black/White, young/old, Republican/Democrat, those that understand the genius of Barry Manilow and those who don’t.

But Jesus only has two categories - lost and found. There are those who build their lives on the solid rock of Jesus Christ and those who build their houses on the shifting sand of popularity, prestige, power, and, ultimately, pride.

At the end of Luke 6, as He is wrapping up the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus focuses on obedience to His Word and ways. He then tells a parable to help them understand the difference between a person who obeys His word and one that only gives lip service to His directives.

Turn with me to Luke chapter 6, verse 46.

Prayer

Parable Preaching

Jesus often told stories to make his point. Parables are earthy stories with a heavenly point. He told more than forty parables.

Parables are a way to go around someone’s defenses. People love stories and often get drawn into the details without realizing that the parable may be about them!

Parables are subversive. Imagine two famers hearing Jesus talk about the four soils. They walk away confused and wondering what Jesus meant. The next day, as they are walking in the field, one of them suddenly exclaims, “Wait! I don’t think He was talking about dirt. I think the soils represent types of people.”

In Luke 6, Jesus addresses judging:

“Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” (Luke 6:37-38)

He then tells a parable about the result of following blind guides:

“Can the blind lead the blind? Will they not both fall into a pit? The student is not above the teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like their teacher.” (Luke 6:39-40)

He encourages us to deal with our own sin before going after others:

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye. (Luke 6:41-42)

He then gives us a way of telling a true follower from a fake one. We’ll come back to this one in a minute.

Jesus then pauses and asked a question that still reverberates two thousand years later:

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46)

Lord Lord

To call someone “Lord,” means to submit to their teaching. In that culture, “Lord, Lord,” would be a sign of great respect.

In one of the scariest passages in the Bible, Jesus said,

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matt 7:21-23)

Who are the true disciples? The ones that do the will of the Father.