BUILDING IN CHRIST (Saturday, June 16)

“’Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And every one who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it.’ And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority/power, and not as their scribes.” (Mt 7: 24-29)

Jesus taught the people (including us) in a different way, “and not as their (our) scribes.” He taught us realistically, and hence “as one who had authority/power” to affect our everyday, practical lives, about us as “house-builders” not of any specific, or especially-beautiful, “house,” imposing upon us some abstract ideal beyond ourselves, as did the scribes. No, Jesus addressed “our” house, without expressing any interest in however small or large or awkward or magnificent it may be, but warning us that it needs to be founded on “hearing” and “doing” His words. 

So my Lord, if I might imagine Him as my “building-inspector,” gives His “OK” also to my “house,” however it may be, as long as I am “hearing” and “doing” His words in the face of my “rain” and my “floods” and my “winds.” Throughout my life, I have not built my house perfectly, nor do I continue to do so in a perfect world, which is why “the rain” and “the winds” do occasionally “beat upon” my house, in the form of resentments, fears, misplaced ambitions, desires, or even resulting in “floods” like addictions to this or that. But as it happens, I do have Christ as my “rock,” because underlying the storms of my life is my faith in Him. So let me re-connect with my foundation, my Rock, today, and let Him “ground” me, once again, in His grace, if I find myself being “beaten upon” or even “flooded” by any-of-the-above. Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, Your work-in-progress and building-project, a sinner.  

(Happy weekend, dear zillions! Tune in, this Saturday morning, to our Saturday Morning LIVE video on YouTube, at the Coffee with Sister Vassa YouTube channel, at 9:30 am EST and 15:30 Vienna-time, and chat with us! About ALL the news of this past week! :) )