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Luke 6:49 "But he who hears [Jesus' words] and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation; against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great."

 

Jesus is comparing those who hear His words and do them with those who hear His words and choose not to do them. The ones who do His words are like a man who builds his house with a deep, solid foundation. His house will stand firm through any storm. But the one who hears Jesus' words and does not do them is like a man who builds his house without a foundation. His house will fall immediately in a storm.

 

I'd like to introduce a third group to the mix - those who have never heard Jesus' words. This group is actually in a better spiritual position than those who have heard Jesus' words and not done them. Those who have never heard Jesus' words are like men who have not yet set out to build a house. They may be homeless or they may be living in someone else's house, as a renter or a guest, but they have not committed to building their own house yet, either because they don't have the resources or they don't yet know the best place to build. If we think of Jesus as the place to build, and His gifts as the resources we will be given when we commit ourselves, we can see how those "homeless" people are better off than those with no foundation. Eventually, hopefully, the "homeless" will hear of Jesus and His words (that is why we have to evangelize!), and they will realize this is what they've been waiting for, this is where they want to build their home, with a solid foundation in His words. Of course, they too could become like those without a foundation, they could hear and not do, but they have not made that mistake yet, and hopefully will not. And if the storm comes while they are homeless, they can get out of its way (and maybe take shelter in the home of someone with a strong foundation). They have not invested their time and treasure in a house that would ruin them if it fell.

 

The people who have heard Jesus' words but do not do them, though, are essentially posers. They built their house in the right place, on God's land, His words, but without committing to what that really means. They don't want to hear or do the hard parts of Christianity, their faith life is really for appearances - trying to convince themselves and others that they are fully committed, when they know in their hearts they are not. When the storm comes, they have nowhere else to go - their home is in the right place but they constructed it wrong. All they can do is helplessly watch as it falls, along with all the "treasures" they stored there thinking they were in the right place, so they would be safe. (Unbeknownst to them, this fall is very good for them, it is a wake-up call and a lesson. Hopefully they will rebuild in the same place with a good foundation this time!)

 

Salvation has been won for us by Jesus Christ, but it takes work on our part as well. We are fortunate enough to have heard Jesus' words, so we have been given a tremendous gift, but also a great responsibility. We have found where to build our home, but we must build it properly, to His specifications. Then our faith will be the sure protection from the storm it was meant to be. We also are not meant to "hide out" in the home of our faith, that will corrupt our foundation. We have to go out and tell others where to build their homes, because God wants all of us living in His word, with strong foundations to withstand the storms that will certainly come.