June 1

Rev. Joan E. Sulser ~ Scripture Matthew 7: 21-29

Sometimes the parables Jesus tells are hard to understand. Not today’s. It’s one of the easiest to understand.

We know. We know about rains that beat down and winds that howl. The rains of last August are still fresh in our minds. We remember mud sliding down the hillside, taking trees and homes with it. We remember water that rose and swept away cars and people. We know the importance of building on firm foundations.

The people of Myanmar know what it is to have wind and water sweep away homes and lives. The people of China know what it is to have the ground – seemingly solid – shake underfoot, destroying homes and lives.

Anyone who has ever built sand castles knows that as much as we dampen and pack the sand, it still slides away. Sometimes, even when we build on rock, and survive the normal storms of life, we get knocked over by extreme weather.

This is something most of us understand, even if we’ve never actually dug a foundation or built a house ourselves.

Folks in Jesus’ time would have understood, too. They knew that a pleasantly sheltered sandy hollow could turn into a raging river during the rainy season. Only a very foolish person would build in such a place.

So I think Jesus was using exaggeration to make his point. He isn’t telling them anything they don’t already know. He’s reminding them that they already have the wisdom to live into God’s kingdom. This is the conclusion to his lengthy Sermon on the Mount. In summing up his teachings, Jesus is reassuring his listeners that living God’s way isn’t rocket science.

Just before this, Jesus had reminded his listeners of something else they already knew. It isn’t what we say that matters; it’s what we do.

Jesus says, "Not everyone 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."

There is a very big difference between paying lip-service to something and really living it out – a difference that Jesus is illustrating today.

There are many people around who say that they are followers of Jesus – but whose lives do little to show they are. There are others who seem to do great things in Jesus’ name – and yet, Jesus is saying that they cannot be sure of entering the Kingdom of heaven.

The main prerequisite for entering the kingdom is to hear and act on the will of God. (Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings)

Once again, those who were listening to Jesus probably weren’t surprised by his words. Most of us have a pretty good sense that saying we’re dedicated to something is one thing. Actually living out that dedication is much more demanding, and a more accurate picture of where our heart is.

I enjoy reading cookbooks, but that doesn’t make me a cook. Actually making meals day after day, trying new recipes, developing my skills – this would make me a cook. Saying I want to lose weight is wonderful. Eating less and exercising more is more important.

In the same way, saying we love and serve God is good. Putting those words into actions, day in and day out, is more important. We know this. We know that actions speak louder than words.

Yet Matthew concludes the Sermon on the Mount by saying, "Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes."

So what makes these simple words of Jesus so powerful?

I think it’s that he actually lived them.

The whole of this section of Matthew’s Gospel has been setting out what living in the Kingdom means. It is a way of living in which makes those who are meek, gentle, persecuted – and so on – feel at home. It is a way which allows goodness and good works to shine like lights to give glory to God the Father. It is a way that leads to a security that the world – and all it worries and demands – can never give. (Catherine McElhinney and Kathryn Turner, Weekly Wellsprings)

This is the way Jesus lived. He was so in tune with God’s way of living that his words truly reflected what was in his heart, and his actions truly embodied his words. Day in and day out. When he was with friends and when he was with enemies. When he was in a small group and when he was in a large crowd. Jesus built his life on the rock of God’s values. When the storms of life swirled around Jesus, he was filled with the peace of God rather than anxiety and fear.

As followers of Christ, this is what we aspire to. As ordinary humans, this is what we find so difficult.

We want to live with God’s peace in our hearts. We want to let God’s love shine through us. We want to do justice and love mercy and walk humbly with God. We want to have our actions match our words. We want to live with complete integrity, with consistent compassion and hope.

On our own, though, we’re not able to live God’s way all the time, or even most of the time. The temptation is to turn Christian faith into an ideal of superhuman perfectionism, where we end up repeatedly condemning ourselves for failing to live as God wants. I don’t think any of us can completely live Christ’s path of love and justice.

And maybe that’s the true foundation of our faith. Acknowledging that we can’t live God’s way on our own. Realizing that all of our efforts to do the right thing, pray unceasingly, love without prejudice, speak out for justice, care for people near and far, live in peace, care for God’s creation, walk with God … all of our efforts and our calling ourselves Christian still won’t get us into God’s kingdom. We might as well choose a foundation of sand on which to build our house of good intentions.

Perhaps the rock to which we cling is the knowledge that we need God’s help in order to survive the storms of life. Perhaps the foundation of our faith is the wisdom that, with God, amazing things can happen, but without God, try as we might, we only end up frazzled and anxious.

It isn’t how well we build the house that matters. What matters is the foundation of our faith, whether we trust in ourselves or trust in God.

As a congregation, we are living in interesting times. In a little while we’ll vote on whether to proceed with elevator construction this year or next. We’ll elect board and committee members. We’ll elect a new moderator. Within a few weeks, the church council will appoint a search committee to begin the process of calling the next pastor.

If we rely only on our own strength and skills for these next weeks and months together, then all of our fine words about turning to God won’t be embodied in our actions. We will be building the next wing of this house of faith on a foundation of sand. If, however, we actually do ask God for guidance, and rely on God for wisdom, then we will be living our faith. If in our deliberations and meetings and conversations, we live God’s values of mercy and justice, then we will build the next wing of this faith house on a foundation of rock.

Like those who heard Jesus 2,000 years ago, we know the wise course of action. With God’s help, may we live our trust in God. Amen.