When I was planning this week’s blog edition, I felt like it was probably time to leave the discussion we’ve been having for the past couple of weeks and move on. But . . . the Lord seemed to keep prodding me toward another observation that should  be mentioned. So, we’re returning once again to that hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee where Jesus had just delivered that gripping, profoundly challenging, sometimes shocking, dissertation that we call “The Sermon on the Mount.” 

The Closing Punch ~
After describing the kinds of values, principles, and behaviors that would characterize His Kingdom, Jesus delivered a powerful closing punch. That confrontational conclusion was presented in the form of the parable we’ve been discussing. But before continuing, we should look once again at how Matthew recorded Jesus’ words. He said:

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

   But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall. (Matthew 7:24–27 NKJV)

The challenge presented in this parable is reminiscent of the one Joshua delivered to God’s people when they were waffling in their spiritual commitments. His confrontational declaration was direct and simple. He said, Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve… (Joshua 24:15). And though Jesus didn’t use Joshua’s words, the challenge woven into His parable was the same. The crowd had heard what He said, and now it was time to decide what to do about what they had heard. What Jesus wanted them to do was obvious, but rather than plead with them to practice what He had just preached, He chose a different route. Their list of potential responses boiled down to only two. And Jesus painted a verbal picture of the ultimate impact of each of them in terms they could easily understand . . .

It Applies to Everyone ~
Jesus’ challenge that day was simple, clear, uncomplicated, and it applied to everyone. In accordance with prevailing cultural norms, the participants in the story are referred to as two men, but it was not intended to exclude women. Unless Jesus purposefully addressed a comment or admonition directly to one specific gender, the attitudes and behaviors He taught applied to every person who heard Him then – and all who hear Him now. 

The subject of individual responsibility and accountability gives us a starting place for the point we’d like to highlight today. That is that while the benefits and blessings associated with the principles Jesus taught must begin at the individual level, they are ultimately intended to extend to the family, the tribe, the nation, and the world. So, in contemplating the eventual impact that Jesus said would follow each man’s decision, we must understand that the kind of impact He described in each case would reach far beyond the men themselves. And that unveils a very important underlying principle . . . Our individual decisions, especially in regard to the things Jesus taught, may seem small, insignificant, and reserved for ourselves alone, but our response to Jesus never lives in isolation. It will always affects others. 

A Common Thread ~
Consider the 11th chapter of Hebrews with me for a moment. It’s that passage that we love to refer to as “the Hall of Faith.” As you know, it takes us through an amazing chronicle of our Biblical heroes and heroines and reminds us of what God did through them. We can’t include the whole chapter, but go back and read it and think about the extent of the impact that every one of those men and women had. Then, underscore in your mind the fact that all of it began with an individual decision. Those decisions weren’t made in the same way or in the same circumstantial context, but their choice always came down to this, “Do I do what God is asking me to do, or not?” But wait, is that the question that’s really being asked, or does the issue go deeper than that?

Isn’t the real question more like this . . . “Is God really who He claims to be or not?” If God is really who He claims to be, then refusing to do what He asks me to do would be foolish, not to mention, arrogant and even insane. And isn’t that the question that was really confronting those people gathered around Jesus on that Galilean hillside? And isn’t it the real question we have to grapple with today? Is He really who He claims to be, or not? If He is, then wouldn’t refusing to build our lives, raise our families, and conduct our lives according to the principles He taught be foolish, not to mention arrogant and insane? And wouldn’t committing everything we have, everything we are, and all that we do to Him be the wisest thing we could possibly do?

We’re not Exempt ~
Jesus wasn’t asking them to adopt a list of do’s and don’ts and to observe traditional religious rituals. The ultimate question He was asking them is the same one that confronts each of us when we open our Bibles, take our place on that hillside in Israel, and listen to the things He said. Is He really who He claimed to be, or not? We can be assured that the options He described in His closing parable, and the outcomes they lead to, apply to us, as well. And we can add this as well . . . The effects and influence of choices we make, whether wise or foolish, will not remain confined to us alone. Choices about Jesus never do.

For example, when I was still a teenager, I chose to drink my first beer because someone I wanted to hang out with had decided that it was okay to ignore laws and moral restrictions, and his decision proceeded to reach out and influence me to do the same. He said it would be fun and I believed him. That choice led me to places I wish I had never gone and opened a doorway to more bad decisions. Thus the seeds of destruction are sown and lead to how “houses” with no foundation begin. 

It Works Both Ways ~
But, thankfully, the principle applies in the other direction as well. When I was 23, a co-worker had made a personal decision to believe what Jesus taught and who He is. He shared how he came to make that decision, and what it meant to him. The evidence in his life was compelling. It eventually brought me face to face with that profound personal question. Is Jesus really who He claims to be, or not? 

That was the question Jesus was really asking when He issued the challenge in that parable. A commitment to keeping a list of rules was not what He was after. Were they ready to accept Him for who He really is, the Son of God, Israel’s long awaited Messiah, and the Redeemer who would set His people free and deliver them from the condemnation of their sins… or not?  And the words He spoke that day and the challenge presented at the close of His “sermon” apply to us as well. The answer to “Will you do what He said?” depends on the answer to another one . . . Do you believe He is who He proved Himself to be… or not? 

The call to practice His way is an invitation. It’s an opportunity to embrace a life that will not only bring love, forgiveness, joy, peace, and hope to you as an individual, but that through you, can spread the same kinds of “storm proof” blessing to your family, your community, your county, your state, your nation, and the world. 

Jesus’ “sermon” is over, the options are clear. The time to choose is now. But be assured of one more thing. To claim to believe Him and ignore what He says is just as foolish and empty as an outright rejection – and yes, it’s dangerously contagious.

“TWEETABLES” ~ Click to tweet and share from the pull quotes below.  Each one links directly back to this article through Twitter . . .

• • Our individual decisions, especially in regard to the things Jesus taught, may seem small, insignificant, and reserved for ourselves alone, but our response to Jesus never lives in isolation. It will always affect others. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)
  • The words Jesus spoke that day and the challenge presented at the close of His sermon apply 2to us as well. The answer to “Will you do what He said?” depends on the answer to another one . . . Do you believe He is who He proved Himself to be – or not? @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)  
  • The time to choose is now. But be assured of one more thing . . . To claim to believe Him and ignore what He says is just as foolish and empty as an outright rejection – and yes, it’s dangerously contagious. @GallaghersPen (Click here to Tweet)

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