and acts according to them, is like a wise man, who built his house on rock. The rain poured down, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house.
But it did not collapse, because it was built on rock. But anyone who hears these words of mine, and does not act accordingly,
is like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain poured, the rivers flooded, and the wind blew and struck that house; it collapsed,
and what a terrible collapse that was!” When Jesus had finished this discourse, the crowds were struck by the way he taught, because he taught with authority,
unlike their teachers of the law.
REFLECTION:
Words are cheap; that is, unless they are put into concrete action. Emotions and feelings, no matter how strong and stirring, are equally cheap;
that is, unless they lead us to make a concrete and meaningful change in ourselves and in the world in which we live.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds us of the necessity of acting upon the word that we receive, of doing something that will bring about a positive change
in our lives and in the lives of those around us. The Letter of James speaks of the kind of faith that brings about nothing positive in the world,
it calls it “a faith that is dead”. Words and emotions aren’t bad, they can stir up something very powerful inside us.
But unless they move us to do something, something concrete, something good, something worthwhile, they are like shifting sand, ultimately useless.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2020