Self-deception, Hearers And Doers
Preaching
Preaching the Parables
Series II, Cycle A
Object:
"Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' 23Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' 24Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell -- and great was its fall!" 28Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, 29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
In the first part of 1994 heavy rains in California sent mud slides down the hills near Los Angeles. Houses were ruined by the slides. Heavy rains falling on areas that were denuded by earlier forest fires caused the slides. The persons who were affected by the mud slides looked to the government to help them rebuild their houses. Should these people rebuild in the same locations? If they do, should those who have suffered by the mud slides get government help to rebuild in the same locations? Are they wise to continue rebuilding there?
The same question could be raised about the persons who build in the flood plain of the Mississippi River. The federal government declared the places where the river flooded a disaster area, making those who were victims eligible for aid.
English, a town in southern Indiana, had the downtown area flooded on a number of occasions because of the confluence of several streams. They decided after a recent flood to relocate the town on higher ground. With federal aid many of the businesses have already relocated. At this writing some of the private residences are being built on the hill east of town. A whole new community is being created.
Perhaps the question could be raised: Who are the wise and who the foolish persons or communities?
Context
Context of the Church Year
This parable occurs at the beginning of the Pentecost season of the church year. It is a time when preachers have the option of choosing a variety of approaches for their sermons and for the main emphasis of the worship service.
Choices include using some of the alternative readings for the sermon. Other alternatives would be to set up a series which would be based on some theme or related topics of the preacher's choice.
Context of the Sermon on the Mount
The parable comes at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount and is a summary of the admonitions given in the sermon. It calls on those who heard the Sermon to take the admonitions seriously. They are not just to be enjoyed as a mind game, but to be translated in life. The persons who understand that what the Sermon on the Mount is calling them to do is the proper foundation for life must also realize the admonitions have to become operational, not merely accepted as general principles to be believed.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
The parable is a short one, taking up only four verses in the gospel lesson for today. It leads to the conclusion which Matthew draws in reporting the astonishment of the crowd who heard it. His teaching is contrasted with that of the scribes who were legalistic and often pedantic. Jesus demonstrated a vitality and dynamic that came out of his own life and experience. The integrity of his own life contributed to the validity of his message.
Context of the Parallel Parable
Both Matthew and Luke have the parable as the concluding section of a chapter. Luke has some slight differences, probably arising from his background outside of Palestine. Whereas Matthew has the house built on rock or sand, Luke says that the person who built on the rock dug down through the sand. Luke also suggests that both houses were well-built, but that the man who built on the rock had to dig down through the sand to find the rock.
Matthew probably had the awareness of someone in Palestine who might build in a dry wadi, a stream bed that would be dry during most of the year. In Palestine practically all rain comes between October and April. Rain is scarce and sparse between April and October. A person who builds in a wadi during the dry season might have the residue of the sand beneath the house. When the heavy rain comes during the winter season, the water would rush down through the wadi and wash the sand away. The house would them come tumbling down from the power of the water rushing against the house.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Genesis 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19) The account tells the story of faithful Noah. When God sought to destroy the people who were corrupt and disobedient, Noah with his family could survive the flood. While he was not built on a rock that could withstand the floods as in the Gospel reading, he was provided with the means to save his family and to repopulate the earth with both humans and animals. His faithfulness, even when it appeared foolish, was vindicated.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-28) The readings assert that the righteous live by faith. They are sustained not by works but by their faith which proves acceptable to God despite their sin. God provides the means for overcoming their previous sin.
Gospel. (Matthew 7:21-29) The passage brings the Sermon on the Mount to a close and prepares for the transition back to the chronology which generally follows the Gospel according to Mark.
Psalm. (Psalm 46) The Psalm expresses the trust that in the midst of all the change and distress of life, the faithful will not be shaken and brought down. Trust in God provides the believer the confidence that despite the worst that goes on around him, God is still in charge.
Content
Content of the Pericope
A. The first verses (21-23) deal with the importance of matching obedience to the will of God with a person's words of commitment.
B. The second set of verses (24-27) follow up with the importance of listening to the words which Jesus has just spoken as the foundation for life. The verb listening suggests not just the simple act of hearing but proceeding to act upon these words as the basis of life.
C. The final set of verses (28-29) stresses the reaction of the people who heard the Sermon. The authority of Jesus as one who spoke the truth is contrasted with the scribes whose teachings did not have the ring of authenticity. The issues dealt with did not address the daily concerns of the people but seemed to be pedantic.
Precis of the Parable
The parable of two foundations emphasizes the importance of hearing and doing.
A building which is not on a solid foundation is subject to external pressures. A substantial grounding in the person and teachings of Christ provides a basis for withstanding the pressures around us.
A building which has a foundation established on that which is easily attacked by outside forces is not able to persevere. Stormy events cause the building to collapse.
In like manner, a life not erected on the obedience to the words of Jesus is subject to collapse when under the pressure of forces that rage around it.
Thesis: The person who hears the words of Jesus and responds to them in action has a stability able to withstand any forces in life.
Theme: Building life on the real foundation of Christ.
Key Words of the Parable
1. "Lord, Lord." (v. 21) The term Lord in v. 21 would readily be understood in the New Testament period, both from the Hebrew and the Greek, as referring to divinity. In Hebrew usage it was a euphemism for the name of God, which was considered too holy to pronounce. If one misused the name, fearful consequences might follow. In this particular context it may have been a translation of rabbi or teacher.
2. "On that day." (v. 22) This phrase was usually understood to have eschatological reference. That is, it points to the end time when God would call all people into judgment and set up the ideal and universal kingdom at the end of the age. For samples of Old Testament uses of the phrase, see Isaiah 2:11, 17 and Zechariah 14:6.
3. "In your name." (v. 22) The name of a person was understood to represent that person's nature or essence. Thus to pray or do something "in the name of" someone was to invoke the true nature or power of that person. In some cultures people are reluctant to give their name to a stranger for fear that by knowing something of their nature the stranger will be able to exercise some power or influence over them that might do them harm or evil.
4. "Evildoers." (v. 23) The actual word translated as evildoers is anomia. Literally translated the word means "those who are lawless," that is, those who are without the law and therefore sinners.
5. "On the rock." (v. 24) It is not clear if the reference to the rock is only the foundation but also the whole house. Both clay and stone were used for building houses in Palestine. These materials were readily available and cheap. Apparently the building material was not of clay but of stone. Clay would be dissolved by the water of a storm or flood and be washed away. Rock would be able to withstand the assault.
6. "Wise." (v. 24) Wisdom is more than knowledge. Knowledge gives power but wisdom gives direction. In Hebrew society wisdom was seen as derived from an understanding of the law. Jesus is now proposing that wisdom comes from hearing his words or teachings and being obedient to them.
7. "Foolish." (v. 26) The foolish person is one who relies on his own knowledge and judgment without regard to the law or the will of God. Such persons do not have the ability to know the real meaning of life and the final outcome of history. They are in peril of ultimate destruction.
8. "Authority." (v. 29) Authority adheres to persons who are perceived to have knowledge, wisdom, competency, and integrity. They have no vested or personal interest in the outcome but have insight into what is real and true. Jesus was believed to have a true understanding of the meaning of life and its various relationships.
9. "Not as their scribes." (v. 29) A danger of professionalism is that one depends on book learning and tradition and loses touch with reality. Much of the teachings of the scribes of Jesus' time was involved with casuistry, which seemed to the ordinary people to be petty quibbling over minor details or rationalizations to avoid the real demands of the law. They did not seem to derive their teachings from their own experience but drew it from book learning detached from life.
Contemplation
Insights and Points to Ponder
1. Lord, Lord. Jesus objects to the kind of religion that relies only on some magical formula. People profess these magical formulas and expect that the results will come despite the absence of sufficient cause. Such formulas do not affect motivation or change behavior. True religion is more than giving verbal assent to some belief statements. Beliefs must be integrated in such a way that they lead to actions which are more than perfunctory or ceremonial. A commitment of trust in addition to belief transforms life and is manifested in actions which conform to the professions made. Someone once said that many professing Christians demonstrate by their behavior that they are practicing atheists. They act as if God does not really exist or influence their decisions and behavior.
2. Lordship. Subjection to Jesus Christ as Lord is a source of wisdom. He has a true understanding both of human nature and the moral structure of the universe. His teachings give an understanding of how persons should act to sustain a meaningful personal life and to maintain the right relationships with other people.
3. The Forces People Face. The parable suggests that the forces that assail life are external (the floods). They are in fact both outside and within a person. If persons do not prepare in advance by making commitments to real values, they will be subject to all kinds of temptations and succumb to them. They may arise from internal desires and impulses and so be within. They may also come from such external forces as persecution, peer pressures, materialism, and other false values that either attract or threaten people. While most Americans are not subject to the kinds of persecution which the first readers of Matthew's writings experienced, our pressures may be the more subtle and difficult to recognize temptations to simply fit into the society around us. We do not recognize that choices are demanded since they are not as obvious and the consequences of resisting the values of the prevailing culture are not as evident.
4. Genuine Authority. Many persons and movements claim to offer the real meaning of life. They need to be tested to see if the authority they claim is real or has only the appearance of reality. Many people are attracted to those who make strong claims to offer security or certainty. Unquestioning submission should not be given without testing what personal interest such persons or leaders of these movements have to gain. Authoritarian movements offer the attraction of certainty and remove from persons the need to make their own decisions and commitments. Eventually such authoritarian structures fail. Jesus invited persons to voluntary discipleship. He was not authoritarian in forcing people to decide. In fact, he at times discouraged too easy an acceptance and expectation of those persons who hoped to gain privilege and power by following him.
5. How do you Preach with Authority? If a preacher is to be effective, he or she must speak with authority. The danger of preaching which wins a following is that it may create a cult of personality. Those who respond may tend to worship the messenger rather than the message. A good preacher of the Gospel will point beyond to the source of the message. Persons will be invited to give allegiance, not to the messenger, but to Jesus as the Lord. Those who listen need to be reminded to test the authority to be sure that it comes from the source of the message and is not dependent upon the messenger who proclaims it.
Homily Hints
1. Building on the Rock. (7:24) Putting together the elements of a life that is built on the rock. The elements are not given magically but have to be installed through a series of behaviors until they become a reflex of character.
A. Developing right habits
B. Developing right attitudes
C. Engaging in right actions
2. Testing Authority. (7:29) Persons need to test authority so as not to become dupes of the fanatics who seek power and glory for themselves and their movements.
A. Founded in Christ
B. Manifesting integrity through word and deed
C. Glorifying God and not self
3. Life Founded on Sand. (7:26, 27) Consider examples of false bases for finding the meaning and welfare of life.
A. Mind-altering and addictive drugs
B. Sexual gratification
C. Fame and fortune
4. Forces that Destroy or Build (7:25-27)
A. Internal Forces arising from impulses and desires
B. External Forces arising from the environment
C. Spiritual Forces, e.g. the temptation to play God
5. Good Building Materials (7:25-27) How do we gather the materials for a good life, so that we build with stone and not the clay which dissolves before the floods that life brings?
A. Studying Scripture (good methods, proper use)
B. Prayer and meditation
C. Worship
D. The Service of Discipleship
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Independence and Dependence. A characteristic of much adolescent behavior is a shifting back and forth between independence and dependence. On the one hand, young people often rebel against parental and other authorities to gain independence and a sense of their own identity. On the other hand, they know that they always live with some dependency on others and on conditions over which they do not have control. Persons are never free from this ambiguity even as mature adults. We would like to have certainty and independence. People are particularly vulnerable to those who offer an absolute security. The prevalence of authoritarian regimes, whether political, religious, or social organizations, gives testimony to this. The parable speaks to the question of to whom obedience is given.
2. What is Genuine Worship? Worship is an acknowledgement of that which is of highest or ultimate worth. Worship that gives only verbal or token allegiance to the values represented as the object of worship is not true worship. Jesus calls for a response that goes beyond formalism. True worship transcends specific acts, times, and places. It carries over into all of life. True worship happens when that which is done on Sunday leads to actions that accord with the worthiness or values acknowledged in the formal acts as worked out throughout life.
3. A Hierarchy of Values. Some years ago a psychologist at a church-related college was trying to understand why some students persisted through four years at the college while others transferred after a year or two to another college or university. He developed the thesis that all persons have a hierarchy of values. Usually persons have some single priority or controlling value to which others are subordinated. That supreme value affects all the decisions they make. He concluded that if the person's hierarchy of values accorded with the value system embodied in the college, the student persisted and graduated from it. If it did not, the person transferred to another institution in search of one that harmonized with his or her own value system.
Jesus called disciples to accept his hierarchy of values and to act upon them. Those who were hearers and doers became his disciples. Others went elsewhere in search of a similar value system. A clear example would be the persons who made various excuses for not following him immediately (see Luke 9:57-62).
4. Shifting Sands. Some values seem to offer the promise of fulfillment of life. A trap of addiction which drugs offer is the promise that a person will feel good when using them. A person may try alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, or some other drug. Use of it gives a feeling of well-being. More is then used to gain the same sense of well-being. Addiction occurs when such persons cannot stand the absence of that feeling and need the drug to attain it. In many instances the frequency or size of the dose must be increased to get the same feeling or to seek a greater sense of well-being.
The drugs may come to dominate the person's life. He or she cannot live without it and will do anything to experience the feelings aroused by the drug. The person may even know that the final outcome of the drug is self-destructive. It may lead to cancer from cigarette smoking or the damage from excessive use of alcohol. It may cause the individual to become so obsessed with the drug that he or she cannot function normally. The cost and effects of the drugs may destroy family, job, income and other values in life.
Other false values also may seem to offer well-being. However, they only lead to destruction, including the pursuit of sex, money, or thrills as the goal of life. These things as a basis for a person's well-being are shifting sand. Eventually the life falls under the flood of pressures brought against it.
5. The Fads that Fail. Many fads have come and gone. They offer the promise of the answer to life. A sense of history shows the failures of these fads. Such fads in the past have been the various assurances that the world is coming to an end and that Christ will return. People who gave their lives to these promises were eventually disillusioned, sometimes with disaster for them and the movement. Nazism was a fad that captured the allegiance of a whole nation in the '30s and '40s. Communism was a longer lasting hope for many. Perhaps the New Age philosophy today is an expression of such a fad. People need to be aware of these shifting sands which prove eventually to be false and come tumbling down.
Illustrative Materials
1. The Hurricane in Florida. Prior to the hurricane that hit the area around Homestead, some builders took shortcuts. They used shoddy materials. They did not fasten the roofs securely to the superstructures of the houses. They did not use heavy enough materials for the "skin" of the houses. They did not allow sufficient structural support for the roof or the upper levels of the house. When the winds blew, the houses collapsed as though they were houses of cards.
Since the hurricane, new codes and stricter inspections have been enforced. They want to assure that any future storms of hurricane force will not cause the same extent of damage. Proven laws about proper building help assure people that the building will not fall as easily in the future.
2. The Absence of a Stable Foundation. In some European countries nominal church membership may be as high as 75 to 90 percent. Nevertheless, the attendance on any given Sunday outside of the high holy days, such as Christmas and Easter, may only be 2 to 3 percent. People sometimes refer to these societies as "post-Christian." They once were informed and determined largely by Christian values. Now they have become essentially secularized. They live on what has been called a "cut-flower religion." They may still have some of the appearance of the flower of Christianity in many of the social institutions and customs, but they do not have roots in the Christian faith that continue to give life to the flower. They are fading away and will eventually die if not fed by the sources of new life.
3. Loss of Authority. In recent years a number of leaders who exercised considerable authority faltered and lost their following because of their indiscretions. Jim Bakker built up the PTL Club through tele-evangelism. He had visions of a complex of institutions. They were founded on a shaky financial empire. His personal indiscretions undermined the whole structure and it came down as his authority was destroyed. Similarly Jimmy Swaggart gained a large following through his television and radio programs. His authority was destroyed when his life did not accord with what he had been preaching for others.
4. Building on Unsound Ground. Many people with plenty of money have built fancy, expensive houses on places around Los Angeles which never should have had buildings. The ground is unstable. The area has faults underneath it which makes it susceptible to earthquakes. People now say that those areas have four seasons: fire, flood, earthquake, and mud slides. Fire has denuded the ground and sometimes has taken the houses away. Heavy rain makes the ground unstable and mud slides sweep down the hills and take houses with them. Earthquakes come and destroy houses and lives. Yet people seem to be foolish enough to rebuild on the same locations!
In the first part of 1994 heavy rains in California sent mud slides down the hills near Los Angeles. Houses were ruined by the slides. Heavy rains falling on areas that were denuded by earlier forest fires caused the slides. The persons who were affected by the mud slides looked to the government to help them rebuild their houses. Should these people rebuild in the same locations? If they do, should those who have suffered by the mud slides get government help to rebuild in the same locations? Are they wise to continue rebuilding there?
The same question could be raised about the persons who build in the flood plain of the Mississippi River. The federal government declared the places where the river flooded a disaster area, making those who were victims eligible for aid.
English, a town in southern Indiana, had the downtown area flooded on a number of occasions because of the confluence of several streams. They decided after a recent flood to relocate the town on higher ground. With federal aid many of the businesses have already relocated. At this writing some of the private residences are being built on the hill east of town. A whole new community is being created.
Perhaps the question could be raised: Who are the wise and who the foolish persons or communities?
Context
Context of the Church Year
This parable occurs at the beginning of the Pentecost season of the church year. It is a time when preachers have the option of choosing a variety of approaches for their sermons and for the main emphasis of the worship service.
Choices include using some of the alternative readings for the sermon. Other alternatives would be to set up a series which would be based on some theme or related topics of the preacher's choice.
Context of the Sermon on the Mount
The parable comes at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount and is a summary of the admonitions given in the sermon. It calls on those who heard the Sermon to take the admonitions seriously. They are not just to be enjoyed as a mind game, but to be translated in life. The persons who understand that what the Sermon on the Mount is calling them to do is the proper foundation for life must also realize the admonitions have to become operational, not merely accepted as general principles to be believed.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
The parable is a short one, taking up only four verses in the gospel lesson for today. It leads to the conclusion which Matthew draws in reporting the astonishment of the crowd who heard it. His teaching is contrasted with that of the scribes who were legalistic and often pedantic. Jesus demonstrated a vitality and dynamic that came out of his own life and experience. The integrity of his own life contributed to the validity of his message.
Context of the Parallel Parable
Both Matthew and Luke have the parable as the concluding section of a chapter. Luke has some slight differences, probably arising from his background outside of Palestine. Whereas Matthew has the house built on rock or sand, Luke says that the person who built on the rock dug down through the sand. Luke also suggests that both houses were well-built, but that the man who built on the rock had to dig down through the sand to find the rock.
Matthew probably had the awareness of someone in Palestine who might build in a dry wadi, a stream bed that would be dry during most of the year. In Palestine practically all rain comes between October and April. Rain is scarce and sparse between April and October. A person who builds in a wadi during the dry season might have the residue of the sand beneath the house. When the heavy rain comes during the winter season, the water would rush down through the wadi and wash the sand away. The house would them come tumbling down from the power of the water rushing against the house.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Genesis 6:9-22, 7:24, 8:14-19) The account tells the story of faithful Noah. When God sought to destroy the people who were corrupt and disobedient, Noah with his family could survive the flood. While he was not built on a rock that could withstand the floods as in the Gospel reading, he was provided with the means to save his family and to repopulate the earth with both humans and animals. His faithfulness, even when it appeared foolish, was vindicated.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 1:16-17, 3:22b-28) The readings assert that the righteous live by faith. They are sustained not by works but by their faith which proves acceptable to God despite their sin. God provides the means for overcoming their previous sin.
Gospel. (Matthew 7:21-29) The passage brings the Sermon on the Mount to a close and prepares for the transition back to the chronology which generally follows the Gospel according to Mark.
Psalm. (Psalm 46) The Psalm expresses the trust that in the midst of all the change and distress of life, the faithful will not be shaken and brought down. Trust in God provides the believer the confidence that despite the worst that goes on around him, God is still in charge.
Content
Content of the Pericope
A. The first verses (21-23) deal with the importance of matching obedience to the will of God with a person's words of commitment.
B. The second set of verses (24-27) follow up with the importance of listening to the words which Jesus has just spoken as the foundation for life. The verb listening suggests not just the simple act of hearing but proceeding to act upon these words as the basis of life.
C. The final set of verses (28-29) stresses the reaction of the people who heard the Sermon. The authority of Jesus as one who spoke the truth is contrasted with the scribes whose teachings did not have the ring of authenticity. The issues dealt with did not address the daily concerns of the people but seemed to be pedantic.
Precis of the Parable
The parable of two foundations emphasizes the importance of hearing and doing.
A building which is not on a solid foundation is subject to external pressures. A substantial grounding in the person and teachings of Christ provides a basis for withstanding the pressures around us.
A building which has a foundation established on that which is easily attacked by outside forces is not able to persevere. Stormy events cause the building to collapse.
In like manner, a life not erected on the obedience to the words of Jesus is subject to collapse when under the pressure of forces that rage around it.
Thesis: The person who hears the words of Jesus and responds to them in action has a stability able to withstand any forces in life.
Theme: Building life on the real foundation of Christ.
Key Words of the Parable
1. "Lord, Lord." (v. 21) The term Lord in v. 21 would readily be understood in the New Testament period, both from the Hebrew and the Greek, as referring to divinity. In Hebrew usage it was a euphemism for the name of God, which was considered too holy to pronounce. If one misused the name, fearful consequences might follow. In this particular context it may have been a translation of rabbi or teacher.
2. "On that day." (v. 22) This phrase was usually understood to have eschatological reference. That is, it points to the end time when God would call all people into judgment and set up the ideal and universal kingdom at the end of the age. For samples of Old Testament uses of the phrase, see Isaiah 2:11, 17 and Zechariah 14:6.
3. "In your name." (v. 22) The name of a person was understood to represent that person's nature or essence. Thus to pray or do something "in the name of" someone was to invoke the true nature or power of that person. In some cultures people are reluctant to give their name to a stranger for fear that by knowing something of their nature the stranger will be able to exercise some power or influence over them that might do them harm or evil.
4. "Evildoers." (v. 23) The actual word translated as evildoers is anomia. Literally translated the word means "those who are lawless," that is, those who are without the law and therefore sinners.
5. "On the rock." (v. 24) It is not clear if the reference to the rock is only the foundation but also the whole house. Both clay and stone were used for building houses in Palestine. These materials were readily available and cheap. Apparently the building material was not of clay but of stone. Clay would be dissolved by the water of a storm or flood and be washed away. Rock would be able to withstand the assault.
6. "Wise." (v. 24) Wisdom is more than knowledge. Knowledge gives power but wisdom gives direction. In Hebrew society wisdom was seen as derived from an understanding of the law. Jesus is now proposing that wisdom comes from hearing his words or teachings and being obedient to them.
7. "Foolish." (v. 26) The foolish person is one who relies on his own knowledge and judgment without regard to the law or the will of God. Such persons do not have the ability to know the real meaning of life and the final outcome of history. They are in peril of ultimate destruction.
8. "Authority." (v. 29) Authority adheres to persons who are perceived to have knowledge, wisdom, competency, and integrity. They have no vested or personal interest in the outcome but have insight into what is real and true. Jesus was believed to have a true understanding of the meaning of life and its various relationships.
9. "Not as their scribes." (v. 29) A danger of professionalism is that one depends on book learning and tradition and loses touch with reality. Much of the teachings of the scribes of Jesus' time was involved with casuistry, which seemed to the ordinary people to be petty quibbling over minor details or rationalizations to avoid the real demands of the law. They did not seem to derive their teachings from their own experience but drew it from book learning detached from life.
Contemplation
Insights and Points to Ponder
1. Lord, Lord. Jesus objects to the kind of religion that relies only on some magical formula. People profess these magical formulas and expect that the results will come despite the absence of sufficient cause. Such formulas do not affect motivation or change behavior. True religion is more than giving verbal assent to some belief statements. Beliefs must be integrated in such a way that they lead to actions which are more than perfunctory or ceremonial. A commitment of trust in addition to belief transforms life and is manifested in actions which conform to the professions made. Someone once said that many professing Christians demonstrate by their behavior that they are practicing atheists. They act as if God does not really exist or influence their decisions and behavior.
2. Lordship. Subjection to Jesus Christ as Lord is a source of wisdom. He has a true understanding both of human nature and the moral structure of the universe. His teachings give an understanding of how persons should act to sustain a meaningful personal life and to maintain the right relationships with other people.
3. The Forces People Face. The parable suggests that the forces that assail life are external (the floods). They are in fact both outside and within a person. If persons do not prepare in advance by making commitments to real values, they will be subject to all kinds of temptations and succumb to them. They may arise from internal desires and impulses and so be within. They may also come from such external forces as persecution, peer pressures, materialism, and other false values that either attract or threaten people. While most Americans are not subject to the kinds of persecution which the first readers of Matthew's writings experienced, our pressures may be the more subtle and difficult to recognize temptations to simply fit into the society around us. We do not recognize that choices are demanded since they are not as obvious and the consequences of resisting the values of the prevailing culture are not as evident.
4. Genuine Authority. Many persons and movements claim to offer the real meaning of life. They need to be tested to see if the authority they claim is real or has only the appearance of reality. Many people are attracted to those who make strong claims to offer security or certainty. Unquestioning submission should not be given without testing what personal interest such persons or leaders of these movements have to gain. Authoritarian movements offer the attraction of certainty and remove from persons the need to make their own decisions and commitments. Eventually such authoritarian structures fail. Jesus invited persons to voluntary discipleship. He was not authoritarian in forcing people to decide. In fact, he at times discouraged too easy an acceptance and expectation of those persons who hoped to gain privilege and power by following him.
5. How do you Preach with Authority? If a preacher is to be effective, he or she must speak with authority. The danger of preaching which wins a following is that it may create a cult of personality. Those who respond may tend to worship the messenger rather than the message. A good preacher of the Gospel will point beyond to the source of the message. Persons will be invited to give allegiance, not to the messenger, but to Jesus as the Lord. Those who listen need to be reminded to test the authority to be sure that it comes from the source of the message and is not dependent upon the messenger who proclaims it.
Homily Hints
1. Building on the Rock. (7:24) Putting together the elements of a life that is built on the rock. The elements are not given magically but have to be installed through a series of behaviors until they become a reflex of character.
A. Developing right habits
B. Developing right attitudes
C. Engaging in right actions
2. Testing Authority. (7:29) Persons need to test authority so as not to become dupes of the fanatics who seek power and glory for themselves and their movements.
A. Founded in Christ
B. Manifesting integrity through word and deed
C. Glorifying God and not self
3. Life Founded on Sand. (7:26, 27) Consider examples of false bases for finding the meaning and welfare of life.
A. Mind-altering and addictive drugs
B. Sexual gratification
C. Fame and fortune
4. Forces that Destroy or Build (7:25-27)
A. Internal Forces arising from impulses and desires
B. External Forces arising from the environment
C. Spiritual Forces, e.g. the temptation to play God
5. Good Building Materials (7:25-27) How do we gather the materials for a good life, so that we build with stone and not the clay which dissolves before the floods that life brings?
A. Studying Scripture (good methods, proper use)
B. Prayer and meditation
C. Worship
D. The Service of Discipleship
Contact
Points of Contact
1. Independence and Dependence. A characteristic of much adolescent behavior is a shifting back and forth between independence and dependence. On the one hand, young people often rebel against parental and other authorities to gain independence and a sense of their own identity. On the other hand, they know that they always live with some dependency on others and on conditions over which they do not have control. Persons are never free from this ambiguity even as mature adults. We would like to have certainty and independence. People are particularly vulnerable to those who offer an absolute security. The prevalence of authoritarian regimes, whether political, religious, or social organizations, gives testimony to this. The parable speaks to the question of to whom obedience is given.
2. What is Genuine Worship? Worship is an acknowledgement of that which is of highest or ultimate worth. Worship that gives only verbal or token allegiance to the values represented as the object of worship is not true worship. Jesus calls for a response that goes beyond formalism. True worship transcends specific acts, times, and places. It carries over into all of life. True worship happens when that which is done on Sunday leads to actions that accord with the worthiness or values acknowledged in the formal acts as worked out throughout life.
3. A Hierarchy of Values. Some years ago a psychologist at a church-related college was trying to understand why some students persisted through four years at the college while others transferred after a year or two to another college or university. He developed the thesis that all persons have a hierarchy of values. Usually persons have some single priority or controlling value to which others are subordinated. That supreme value affects all the decisions they make. He concluded that if the person's hierarchy of values accorded with the value system embodied in the college, the student persisted and graduated from it. If it did not, the person transferred to another institution in search of one that harmonized with his or her own value system.
Jesus called disciples to accept his hierarchy of values and to act upon them. Those who were hearers and doers became his disciples. Others went elsewhere in search of a similar value system. A clear example would be the persons who made various excuses for not following him immediately (see Luke 9:57-62).
4. Shifting Sands. Some values seem to offer the promise of fulfillment of life. A trap of addiction which drugs offer is the promise that a person will feel good when using them. A person may try alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, or some other drug. Use of it gives a feeling of well-being. More is then used to gain the same sense of well-being. Addiction occurs when such persons cannot stand the absence of that feeling and need the drug to attain it. In many instances the frequency or size of the dose must be increased to get the same feeling or to seek a greater sense of well-being.
The drugs may come to dominate the person's life. He or she cannot live without it and will do anything to experience the feelings aroused by the drug. The person may even know that the final outcome of the drug is self-destructive. It may lead to cancer from cigarette smoking or the damage from excessive use of alcohol. It may cause the individual to become so obsessed with the drug that he or she cannot function normally. The cost and effects of the drugs may destroy family, job, income and other values in life.
Other false values also may seem to offer well-being. However, they only lead to destruction, including the pursuit of sex, money, or thrills as the goal of life. These things as a basis for a person's well-being are shifting sand. Eventually the life falls under the flood of pressures brought against it.
5. The Fads that Fail. Many fads have come and gone. They offer the promise of the answer to life. A sense of history shows the failures of these fads. Such fads in the past have been the various assurances that the world is coming to an end and that Christ will return. People who gave their lives to these promises were eventually disillusioned, sometimes with disaster for them and the movement. Nazism was a fad that captured the allegiance of a whole nation in the '30s and '40s. Communism was a longer lasting hope for many. Perhaps the New Age philosophy today is an expression of such a fad. People need to be aware of these shifting sands which prove eventually to be false and come tumbling down.
Illustrative Materials
1. The Hurricane in Florida. Prior to the hurricane that hit the area around Homestead, some builders took shortcuts. They used shoddy materials. They did not fasten the roofs securely to the superstructures of the houses. They did not use heavy enough materials for the "skin" of the houses. They did not allow sufficient structural support for the roof or the upper levels of the house. When the winds blew, the houses collapsed as though they were houses of cards.
Since the hurricane, new codes and stricter inspections have been enforced. They want to assure that any future storms of hurricane force will not cause the same extent of damage. Proven laws about proper building help assure people that the building will not fall as easily in the future.
2. The Absence of a Stable Foundation. In some European countries nominal church membership may be as high as 75 to 90 percent. Nevertheless, the attendance on any given Sunday outside of the high holy days, such as Christmas and Easter, may only be 2 to 3 percent. People sometimes refer to these societies as "post-Christian." They once were informed and determined largely by Christian values. Now they have become essentially secularized. They live on what has been called a "cut-flower religion." They may still have some of the appearance of the flower of Christianity in many of the social institutions and customs, but they do not have roots in the Christian faith that continue to give life to the flower. They are fading away and will eventually die if not fed by the sources of new life.
3. Loss of Authority. In recent years a number of leaders who exercised considerable authority faltered and lost their following because of their indiscretions. Jim Bakker built up the PTL Club through tele-evangelism. He had visions of a complex of institutions. They were founded on a shaky financial empire. His personal indiscretions undermined the whole structure and it came down as his authority was destroyed. Similarly Jimmy Swaggart gained a large following through his television and radio programs. His authority was destroyed when his life did not accord with what he had been preaching for others.
4. Building on Unsound Ground. Many people with plenty of money have built fancy, expensive houses on places around Los Angeles which never should have had buildings. The ground is unstable. The area has faults underneath it which makes it susceptible to earthquakes. People now say that those areas have four seasons: fire, flood, earthquake, and mud slides. Fire has denuded the ground and sometimes has taken the houses away. Heavy rain makes the ground unstable and mud slides sweep down the hills and take houses with them. Earthquakes come and destroy houses and lives. Yet people seem to be foolish enough to rebuild on the same locations!
