Searching for Solid Ground
In 1174 the Italian architect Bonnano Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project: A separately standing bell tower for the Cathedral of the city of Pisa [Show pics]. The tower was to be eight-stories and 185-foot-tall tall.
There was just one "little" problem: builders quickly discovered that the soil was much softer than they had anticipated, and the foundation was far too shallow to adequately hold the structure!
And sure enough, before long the whole structure had begun to tilt... and it continued to tilt... until finally the architect and the builders realized that nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again.
It took 176 years to build the Tower of Pisa and during that time many things were done to try and compensate for the "tilt." Foundation was shored up; the upper levels were even built at an angle to try to
make the top of the tower look straight.
Nothing worked. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 18 feet away from where it should be. One day, experts say, it will fall. All because it wasn’t built on the right foundation.
Today’s passage asks us a key question. It’s the kind of question that’s easy to miss. It’s the kind of question that’s easy to gloss over. It’s the kind of question that’s hard to answer.
Today’s passage wraps up our study this year of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus taught about the Kingdom of God. The last two verses of Matthew chapter 7 sum up what his listeners thought of this
great sermon.
It says: “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law". Matthew 7:28-29.
Jesus spoke with authority. Commanding authority. He didn’t recite the law and the rules and regulations that were attached to the law like other teachers did. He taught with authority, and his authority came
from the fact that he spoke what he lived
He said what he both believed to be true and what he had spent his whole lifetime practising in real time.
A quick review: He begins with the beatitudes. He outlines the attitudes toward life that lead to joy
and that lead to blessing and that honour God. He tells us, “Don’t hide the light you have...let it shine before all people.
He says that he fulfills all the law and the prophets. He tells us to be careful about taking all our cues from religious leaders. Listen to God more than you listen to Kerry or Jan or Bill or Rick or me.
He tells us to be reconciled with each other before we go to God in worship. He tells us to guard our thoughts lest they take over and lead us to sinful actions. He says “Live with integrity. When you say
something, mean it. Gain a reputation as an honest person by your actions”.
He says love your enemies. Pray for them. He says “Be perfect as our heavenly Father is perfect”. Set your sites high. He says “Don’t blow your own horn when
you do good. He teaches us to pray a Kingdom prayer that connects us with all humanity.
He says “Don’t worry! God is looking after you!” He says “Put God first and He will supply all your needs”. He says: “Don’t judge”. “Ask, trust and receive”. “Follow the narrow way”. Make God # 1.
A little later on in Matthew’s gospel he challenges us to change and become like little children, to embrace the humility that is natural to young ones who
know that they have much to learn, much to pick up on.
And then at the end of the Sermon on the Mount Jesus challenges us to listen to all that he has said. To really listen. To really absorb it. And then to live it, like he lived it.
“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine is like a wise person who built a house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers flooded, and winds
beat against that house. But it did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.
Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey them is like a foolish person who built a house on sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally, it fell with a crash”. Matthew 7:24-27 CEV
Why? Why are the thoughts of Jesus, the teachings of Jesus like a solid rock? What is it about them that enables us to withstand the storms of life? What do our Lord’s teachings help us to do?
1. They help us to live at peace in ourselves.
If we embrace the teachings of Jesus, we find our habits constantly challenged. One habit many of us struggle share is worry. Someone has said: “Worry is a thin stream of fear trickling through the mind.
If encouraged, it cuts a channel into which all other thoughts are drained”. Jesus antidote for worry, we have learned, is trust.
That can seem like a cheap answer to a deeply rooted problem, until we learn to take a hard look the past and see that the God Jesus’ calls us to trust has always been trustworthy, has always been faithful
to us.
Psalm 36:5 Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies”.
Are there limits to his faithfulness? No. Is
there a point at which He ceases to be faithful? What if we blow it? What if we are unfaithful?
As Paul says in Romans, “Will...lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness? 4 Not at all! Let God be true, and every man a liar”.
The God who calls us to be like him, to be perfect, knows all of our weaknesses, and yet also knows that unless we aim high we tend to sink low.
If we embrace the teachings of Jesus, we will not allow unresolved issues to remain between ourselves and others, as much as it depends on us.
This quote was in a recent CATM bulletin. “I was regretting the past and fearing the future. Suddenly God was speaking: "My name is I am." I waited and God
continued: "When you live in the past, with its mistakes and regrets, it is hard.
"I am not there. My name is not I was. When you live in the future, with its problems and fears, it is hard. I am not there. My name is not I will be. When you live in this moment, it is not hard. I am
here. My name is I AM."
When we embrace Jesus and His teachings we can learn to live at peace with ourselves.
2. The words of Jesus help us to live at peace with our neighbour.
Some folks are critical of Christians for being too heavenly minded to be of any earthly good. Sometimes such criticism is earned by believers who miss the point of much of the gospel.
For too many people the point of the gospel is that you and I and all who believe it are saved. We will go to heaven. And that’s about it. But of course that is like saying that what matters in life is having a successful physical birth and what happens after childbirth is irrelevant.
You made it to the point of breathing, therefore nothing else matters. That is, of course, ridiculous when applied to physical birth as it is ridiculous when applied to spiritual birth.
God truly cares a huge amount about what goes on here and now. So much so that most of the Bible talks about human relationships and about us working out our
faith now.
Even the prophetic books of the Bible which a lot of people think are about predicting future events are a lot more about how we care for each other. Do we
honour God by embracing the poor? Do we make God smile by our honesty and open-handedness to strangers? Do we visit sick and clothe the naked and spend time with those in prison? True worship of God is defined by Isaiah as how we treat people.
Jesus leads us to believe that if we’ve sinned against or offended another person, God isn’t interested in our worship of him, hands raised up high, speaking in tongues and looking so spiritual. Bores Him to tears.
If we listen to the teaching of Jesus and apply it, truly act upon it in our daily lives, we will have far greater relationships here on earth. Do you find most if not all of your relationships pretty peaceful and life-giving.
It’s probably because, whether you realize it or not, you’re putting into practice the teachings of Jesus. You’re living by His wisdom. And you are the richer for it.
If you find yourself dealing with a lot of friction with those you know a lot of the time, it probably suggests that while you might be listening to Jesus and accumulating knowledge about Him and what he teaches, you might not be applying it. So when difficulties arise, things really fall apart.
3. Jesus teachings, if we listen and apply them, take our minds off ourselves and on to others.
And that’s one of the definitions of God’s Kingdom. Unselfishness. Thinking of others. Praying to see what God is up to and willingly presenting yourself to God as someone God uses to answer your prayer. I use to hate riding the streetcar and subway. Nobody talks to others. Nothing to do but stare at the ads.
Then I started to look around the subway and watch people’s body language. You know that 93% of what we communicate is non-verbal. Only 7% of a conversation
you might have is verbal. Everything else is attitude expressed in how you carry yourself, how you listen to others.
I started picking up on moods and sadness. I started appreciating that even if I never got to know any body on that train or streetcar, everyone there has a story, has needs, has pain, has a deep need for God’s
love.
Now I enjoy riding the TTC and I usually strike up a conversation with someone. And I’m enriched by the other person. Nothing changed in my surroundings but
me.
That’s the thing that I never ceases to amaze me. When I live selfishly and think only about myself, I end up miserable, and if I’m not careful I can get into a terrible depression where I have no motivation to do anything.
I try to meet my own needs and am left empty. When I get my mind off myself and on to the needs of others, I find all the joy and meaning and purpose that I need. Jesus’ teachings point to the Kingdom of God, a realm that you and I are apart of, a realm of justice, a realm where love is the final answer to every need, a realm where you and I participate in calling our neighbour and the world around us to faith
in Jesus in order to bring as many as possible into relationship with God through Jesus. A realm that never ends.
Part of what that means is that in this lifewe will never run out of opportunities to find joy in giving and purpose in loving.
“Anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of
mine”, Jesus says, “is like a wise person who built a
house on solid rock. Rain poured down, rivers
flooded, and winds beat against that house. But it
did not fall, because it was built on solid rock.
Anyone who hears my teachings and doesn’t obey
them is like a foolish person who built a house on
sand. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and
the winds blew and beat against that house. Finally,
it fell with a crash”.
So...who are you listening to lately? What voices are competing for your attention? T.V and magazines and newspapers and movies are constantly sending out
opinions and solutions and directions to us. They all say, silently, “follow me”, “agree with me”, “believe me”.
And as He has for 2000 years, Jesus also says, “hear me...put what I say into practice. If you do this, no storm in life, no torrent in life will tear you down”.
Let’s pray. Jesus, your words reveal the heart and mind of God to us. Your words are God’s words to us. Give us the passion to put them into practice. Help us live your wisdom as you lived your wisdom. Help
us walk your talk. You are the rock on which we stand. Amen.
