The True Disciple

Today's Reflections 

      

 

The True Disciple

Mt 7:21-29

[Jesus said to his disciples,] ²¹“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. ²²Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ ²³Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’

²⁴“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. ²⁵The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. ²⁶And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. ²⁷The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”

²⁸When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, ²⁹for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

HOUSE ON ROCK. There are two kinds of hearers: one who hears the word of God and puts it into practice; the other is one who hears the word but does not act on it. The first is a wise man who builds his house on rock; the second is a fool who builds on sand.

Jesus uses the image of two foundations—solid rock and sandy soil—at the close of his Sermon on the Mount. It is not enough to listen and be moved, even be “entertained,” by the wisdom that emanates from the mouth of Jesus. We must act on the word, not only listen to it. Our spiritual life must be solidly founded on the word of God and on prayer if we are to withstand the trials of daily life.

“It is possible for people to admire good preaching,

and yet to remain in ignorance and unbelief;

to be mesmerized, and yet not converted.

Why? Because preaching remains

in the level of entertaining,

to draw attention to themselves”

(Pope Benedict XVI).