Thursday of the Twelfth Week of Ordinary Time
Having spent time at a beach, I know first hand what Jesus refers to when he talks about building your house (or your “castle”) on the sand. It only takes one wave to completely annihilate all the hard work and effort that had been put forth to make my magnificent creation. In today’s gospel, Jesus calls us to create lives built on His word. Not only do we need to know Jesus and His message, but we need to put his directives into action in order for us to have a solid foundation. Jesus shares some challenging ideas in this passage that make me stop to consider how am I building my house?
Today’s gospel passage is part of Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus explains that those who listen to His words and act on them will have a strong foundation that cannot be destroyed by the storms and challenges of life. He explains that there are people who believe that because they prophesy, drive out demons and do mighty deeds they have earned a special place in the Kingdom of God. Yet Jesus tells them “to depart” and “I never knew you.” This makes me pause to consider why these people are not known by Jesus and are not welcomed into the kingdom. Certainly, prophesying, driving our demons and doing mighty deeds are good things, and yet I wonder if these actions were done because they were God’s will, or because they brought honor and recognition to those performing the deeds.
I believe that we are all striving to enter the Kingdom of heaven, but Jesus says that only those who do the “will of my Father” will be welcomed. How do we know God’s will? Jesus shares His vision of what God’s will is throughout the teachings from the Sermon on the Mount. He calls His disciples to be peacemakers, to forgive others, to be pure in heart, to be poor in spirit, to love others and Gods with our entire being. Jesus then calls us to live this radical life as a “light for the world” and “salt for the earth.” God’s will for us is living a life imitating Jesus and His life of compassion, love and peace. This typically does not bring about personal power and recognition, and many times can be a source of suffering and rejection- similar to Jesus.
When we spend time in prayer, reflect on scripture, and receive God’s grace in the sacraments, then we will grow in our knowledge of God, so we can put God’s will into action throughout our daily lives. If we choose God’s will as the foundation for our daily decisions, we will be like the wise man in today’s scripture who builds his house on the rock. Jesus does not promise that life will be without difficulties, but Jesus explains that despite the challenges the house- our life- will remain standing because God is with us. It is in this intimate relationship in the midst of the ups and downs of life that we come to know God as God knows us.
Knowing God’s will and doing God’s will is not the same thing. It takes faith and God’s grace to discern and follow through on how we can live as a disciple of Christ. Every situation is an opportunity to live out that call. As we seek God’s will and putting God’s ways into action, may our lives become “light for the world” so all may know God’s goodness and love as we join in building the Kingdom here on earth. Amen.
—Marylynn Herchline