Thoughts for the Day

‘Not everyone who says to me, “Lord, Lord”, will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day many will say to me, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?” Then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.”

‘Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!’

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.

(Lectionary, New Revised Standard Version)

Thoughts

Over the years the phrase "in one ear and out the other" has been used a lot. What do I mean? Well have you ever tried to get the attention of a child when they're engrossed in a computer game? The conversation goes like this:

Mum: Have you done your homework?
Child: (Pause) What?
Mum: You need to do your homework!
Child: (Pause) Hang on, I've just got to complete this boss fight!
Mum: Homework!
Child: Yes, ok...! Later....!
(Later...)
Mum: Have you done your homework yet?
Child: What homework?
Mum: The one you promised to do later!
Child: No, I didn't!
(Conversation continues!)

I would also argue that we adults can behave in exactly the same way! We hear messages from Jesus, and we know them so well that we can virtually quote them. "The wise man built his house upon the rock" we sing, with its companion "The foolish man built his house upon sand", while knowing the result of this was that when the rains came down the house on the sand fell flat!

But the message itself? Well we don't hear it properly. It goes in one ear and out the other! Jesus says that we his followers must put his words into action. Little by little we must change our lives to reflect his teaching, or as these two parables in today's reading show, their could be dire consequences.

Lord Jesus Christ,
forgive us when we only give You
half our attention,
and when we hear but do not act on Your words.
Help us to apply Your teaching to our lives,
and make changes to the way we live.
When we make mistakes
may we learn to correct them,
and move forward with confidence,
with the help of the Spirit.
Amen.