The Gospel according to Matthew (7:21-29)
Jesus said to his disciples:
“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.
Many 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?’
Then I will declare to them solemnly,
‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone who listens to 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 buffeted the house.
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.
And 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.
The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house.
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
When Jesus finished these words,
the crowds were astonished at his teaching,
for he taught them as one having authority,
and not as their scribes.
Reflection:
In 1991, Ana and I attended a Marriage Encounter weekend. That experience changed our lives profoundly. It was there that my faith life went from an ember to a roaring fire. My experience as a husband and father, for the first time, was cast in a light that produced many beautiful facets of the God who created me and was the center of the Sacrament that I shared with Ana. Priorities were shifted and my journey has never been the same.
To our surprise, we were asked to join the ministry that facilitated the weekend retreats. We were in awe of the wonderful, faith-filled couples who were part of this loving community. I will never forget the shock we experienced when we witnessed a brutal exchange between a couple who was mentoring us. They got into an argument, and we heard some pretty horrible stuff. When Ana and I left we couldn’t understand what we had just observed. We started to question the ministry and our involvement in it. Thank God, with discernment and guidance, we realized that participating in ministry comes with many surprises.
I don’t know about you but today’s gospel, especially the first part, makes me really nervous. Am I one of those who will cry, “Lord, Lord” only to hear that I am not known?! After all, I am a sinner who falls and at times does not follow the will of God. If these thoughts are the focus of our faith life, then, without ignoring the tendency to sin, we must focus on the salvific words of Jesus. Words that are full of hope and mercy for those who listen and act on what we hear.
We are all works in progress. What will ensure we heed all Jesus taught on the Sermon on the Mount (Mt chapters. 5-7) is reliance on the cornerstone of any Christian foundation, the love of Christ, the person of Christ. We can and will withstand any storm if we rely not on our own strength but on the mercy and love of God in Christ Jesus. He has the words of everlasting life.
Action of the day:
Let us all focus on the cornerstone of our faith life. Don’t be tempted to take things out of context. I encourage you to read chapters 5 through 7 of Matthew’s gospel and allow the words of Jesus to fortify your foundation. Listen to what he has to say, then act according to the will of God.
Click below to hear the audio reflection.
