What It Means to Follow Jesus
“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them: He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. When the flood came, the river crashed against that house and couldn’t shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The river crashed against it, and immediately it collapsed. And the destruction of that house was great.” Luke 6:46-49
From the text, our Lord Jesus Christ raised a very poignant question. “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things I say?” From this question, we get the definition of a hypocrite; a person who says with the mouth that Jesus is Lord and Master of life, then never listens to Him or never obeys. Then also we get the definition of a disciple; a person who listens to every word Jesus says and then puts those words into practice in daily living. Here is one final picture that the Lord Jesus Christ used to bring the point home! A contractor agrees to build a house. He digs a deep hole, clear down to bedrock. He fills the hole with a strong foundation laid on top of bedrock. Then he builds the house on that foundation. What does he have to fear? Even the worst flood could not harm the house built on a deep foundation on bedrock. Of course, there is the other kind. The contractor wants to get by as cheaply as possible. He does not even bother to dig a hole or lay a foundation. He just starts building a house on the surface of the ground. The flood comes. Instantly, the house falls. Why? It has no connection to bedrock, no foundation. The choice is yours: hypocrisy or faithful obedience; built on the bedrock of Christ or on sinking sand; eternal life or destruction? Which of these is truly you? The Savior’s call for faith means we have to decide if we will follow him. To follow him means to recognize his authority. To follow him means to realize the end of the road for it could lead to death at the hand of religious leaders who are not willing to let him be Lord of their religious traditions. To follow Jesus means to join those who will tell others about the gospel and to pass on that faith to the next generation. To follow him means to follow his teachings; biblical truths that stand in stark contrast to normal religious teaching. We are called to test ourselves and to make sure hypocrisy have not gained control of our lives. We are called to be followers setting our goal to become like our Lord and Master. We must build our lives on the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ. Then we will bring forth good fruit for him.
Blessings,
Noel De Guzman
www.my-wbc.com
