LIKE THE WISE MAN WHO BUILT ON A STRONG FOUNDATION [MATTHEW 7:21-29]
Jesus ended his “Sermon on the Mount” by exhorting His listeners to choose wisely as they sought the proper foundation for building their lives. He illustrated the consequences of good and bad choices by telling a story about two men who each set out to build on sand, the wise man on bedrock. When a horrendous storm came up, guess which house survived and which one collapsed with a great roar? Jesus’ message is clear: If you build your life on a foundation of smoke or air, it will collapse.
Jesus Himself is the eternal, living Word of God (John 1:1). He is the one Word that God has been speaking from the very beginning of time. He is the “everlasting rock” and the solid foundation for all the world (Isaiah 26:4; 1Corinthians 3:11). Everything that God is, and everything that God desires, makes sense in the light of Jesus and His love. So it only follows that if we want to know how to build our lives, we can do no better that spending time with Jesus and coming to know Him intimately!
This is why it’s vital that we set aside a regular time each day to read and ponder Scripture – especially the gospels, which are “which are “the heart of all the Scriptures” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 125). It’s here in the gospels that we meet Jesus, the Incarnate Word, and it’s here in the gospels that He can speak most directly to our hearts. Guided by the Holy Spirit as we read, it’s as though the centuries that separate us from Jesus of Nazareth are compressed until we meet Him face-to-face in a prayerful encounter.
There is so much more to Scripture from pieces of information. It not only teaches us God’s will, it empowers us to follow Him. And following Him, we will know true happiness and the fulfillment of our deepest desires. By knowing Jesus personally and conforming our lives to His will, we become like the wise man who built on a strong foundation. Whatever may come our way, this foundation is strong enough to handle it. We should count on it!
Jakarta, 26 June 2014
A Christian Pilgrim
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