Luke 6:47-49
Jesus said, “I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built.”
I recall our travels in central Greece and our stop near Kalambaka at Meteora, a group of Eastern Orthodox monasteries built on natural sandstone rock pillars, looming high in the sky. They were first inhabited by monks who lived in caves on these pinnacles, then monasteries were built as places of refuge. They were solitary places which eventually were sought out by monks for safety from political upheaval. The monks literally lived in houses built on rock, and here they spent time in prayer and meditation in their attempt to follow Jesus.
Jesus challenges us who hear his call to follow him, to consider the cost. This story is about “hearing the Word of God” and “doing the Word of God” and about discipleship.
Like us, Jesus lived in a very political setting, but politics was not his agenda. Jesus spent his life walking down roads and through towns dominated by Herod’s politics, past buildings shaped by Herod’s power, and through communities at the mercy of Herod’s whims. Yet Jesus never gave these the time of day.
To build our house on the Word of God—to say “yes” to Jesus’ call, “Follow me”—means we are called to do things as Jesus would do them: to walk into a network of souls, a web of personal relationships, following Jesus into the nicks and corners of life! To build our house on the Word of God means we get ourselves deeply involved in a language that includes all of God’s creation: personal, relational, and participatory. To follow Jesus means we protest injustice, repent of our sins, and worship God with all that we have.
To build our house on rock, the Word of God, simply means we follow Jesus. It is not a path of privilege, not a way to get what we want, and not the inside-track to a higher standard of living. Like monks and pilgrims making their way up to the top of Meteora, it is difficult—no escalators—just a hard climb! Jesus said, “If you want to become my follower, deny yourself and take up your cross.”
Building our lives on the Word of God, like a house built on rock, may take much effort and will at times be difficult. But when the storms of life come, and many will, we will be able to stand firm; for God, our rock and our salvation, is with us!
Song: “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less”