Relationship on the Rock

This morning I am continuing my reflection based in Matthew, Chapter 7.  Jesus says many challenging things in this chapter, and many of them are focused on listening and taking action.  He closes the "Sermon on the Mount" with the following statements - Matthew 7:24-27 NIV:

[24] “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. [25] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. [26] But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. [27] The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”  

The focus here is clearly hearing and action.  We must not just agree, but we must change our actions, making His words our practice, our life work.  IN previous verses he talks about the narrow way, talks about true disciples, and both are categorized by their hearing, and obeying (taking action).  All of this is impossible without the first part which is hearing.  Hearing in this case is related to our relationship with the Lord, believing that He will speak into our lives.  

There is a great difference between knowing the written words of the Lord, and actually being engaged in a living relationship with Him.  As I quoted yesterday, Jesus, as recorded in John's Gospel, said that He and the Father would come and make their home with them (those that heard and obeyed) (John 14:23). Earlier He said if we loved Him, that person would be loved by the Father and by Him (John 14: 21).  This is the language of relationship, and most healthy relationships involve listening and doing, being engaged in conversation, and reacting to those conversations.

It is not unusual to expect both individuals in a relationship to share and communicate, but somehow many people have missed the relational context of this faith.  The invitation is constantly put forth by the Lord, but religion has managed to construct the trappings of a more formal relationship, but somehow left out the important inner and personal relationship.  

There seems to be fear that God cannot communicate effectively with His sons and daughters, and thus we must speak for God.  There was the real fear of heresy and the Church stepped in a provided a strong hand of guidance.  Now I will say there are definitely a healthy amount of people who are off in their ideas, but that doesn't mean we should reduce the idea of communication between God and the individual to rote prayers and formal statements by the Church.  It seems the church prefers this at time over teaching, mentoring, encouraging and pastoring, the real work of the Church.  One could call this all discipleship, and some people will take more effort than others for sure.  It seems to me that the church at times has become a guardian of its charges, much like the Law was, simplifying faith to the point that it is just a list of rules as guidelines that replace the raw and real relationships we are supposed to have with the Lord.

In my experience with the Lord, He deals with me directly, intimately, and gently.  It is a real conversation, a real relationship.  The Lord deals with me in a way, that while unique to me, is very similar to the way He interacts and guides many others that I have talked to and read about.  Its doesn't make me special, just a normal son.  In the same way that my earthly father, gave me guidance, direction and conversed with me, the Lord interacts with me.  My earthly dad has passed into Eternal life, but I still remember many of the things he said, many of the life lessons, and at times those memories give me guidance.  While at times that is the way it is with the Lord, me remembering scripture or previous interactions, most of the time, the conversation is fresh and real, something I can no longer have with my earthly dad.  

The thing about this all, is that this relationship with the Lord is supposed to be the bedrock of our life, as Jesus so perfectly described in the verses above!  His word, His direction, guidance, love and support are meant to be firm and unchanging, and enable us to withstand much that gets thrown at us in our earthly life.  This can't just be rules from church, or a distant sense of God, for neither will sustain us in times of difficulty in the moment of indecision, doubt or real struggle.  We can choose not to believe the words from John 14 that I shared above, or we can embrace them and press into the promised relationship with the Lord.

My prayer for all is that we might discover this relationship, and embrace our sonship, our daughtership, and begin to communicate with our Heavenly Father in our daily lives.  My prayer is that we learn to foster this in others, that we lean into the Lord, and in doing so, provide a pathway for others as well.  My prayer is that we encourage true discipleship, for this produces healthy, mature brothers and sisters who are rightly connected to the Lord, and the rest of the Body of Christ. We need a church who have relationships founded on the Rock.

Amen and Amen!