Sermons for the Month

Hear, Do and Stand Firm
DATE: May 29th, 2005
SERVICE: Second Sunday After Pentecost
TEXT: Matthew 7:21-29 and Romans 1:16-17; 3:22-28
“To all of you Saints here this morning, grace and peace to you from God our Father, from His Son, Jesus Christ and His Holy Spirit. AMEN

Most organizations have increasing their membership as a goal. But this week I read about a parent's group that does not want new members. In fact, it hopes to one day cease to exist. Even though some of its members are Israelis and others are Palestinians they have something in common. They have lost children in shootings and suicide bombings in that violence-riddled part of the world.

They live a life we dare not imagine. And yet, one father whose 12-year-old daughter is number 406 of the more than 800 children related to the group says of himself and his wife, "We pray for peace with forgiveness. We must forgive even our enemies. I want love for all."

This from a man who was driving with his family on the Saturday before Easter when the soldiers "made a mistake" - as the military described it later - and poured 300-400 shots into their vehicle. The father was shot nine times, the mother and older daughter sustained multiple wounds, and 12-year-old Christine died. In the face of such tragedy the grieving father said, "Me and my wife, we have strength. With our faith in Christ, we managed to continue our life. I have peace that Christine is in heaven with God. The pain, with love, we will make it something for others." (1)

They are living examples of the words of Jesus in today's Gospel lesson. "Everyone then who hears 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 beat against that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock."

Jesus uses the image of a house to talk about people. He focuses only on the foundation which, if it is strong, allows the house to survive the worst imaginable weather. Please note that the house is not spared the storms; the house does not survive because it is sheltered. Instead, the one that is built on a stable base has what it takes to stand firm. On the other hand, the house that is built on that which shifts will, in the face of the same storm, collapse.

The collapsing house is the foolish person (in fact the Greek word that is used is the one from which we get the English word moron). The battered, but still standing, house is the wise person. And what makes the difference between the two? What gives a person a firm foundation and makes him or her wise? It is hearing and doing the words of Jesus.

It's interesting to note that the implication is that they both are believers, they both have heard the Word, but the house that crashes is the one who finds Jesus' words important enough to hear but not realistic enough to live. (2)

In the true account with which I began my sermon the parents had heard the words of Jesus, and I would surmise had acted on them before their daughter's death. They certainly lived them at the time of her death as they expressed a desire to forgive those who had harmed them and to be at peace. And, as a result, they will survive the chaos of their lives, they are standing firm, and they are, no doubt, a positive impact on others.

They know in whom their feet are planted, as is clear in the father's words, "This is who I am. This is the kind of man I want to be. This is who my God is. This is how my God calls me to live." (3)

You know, sometimes we get mixed up about the focus of this text. The emphasis is not on doing God's will as a way to earn or to assure our salvation. The words that Paul wrote to the Romans, which we read today, make it clear that people are justified - which means to be declared not guilty and to have our offenses removed from God's record - by faith, not works. Our justification is a product of God's grace; we cannot do enough good to deserve being declared forgiven.

In fact, if our motivation is unacceptable, the doing "good" might actually bring a negative result. At the beginning of the Gospel reading there is an example of people who appear to have great ministries - they have done amazing things in Jesus' name, but are nevertheless on shaky ground. Evidently there is something about the things that they have done is not in line with God's will. And that, in turn, throws the sincerity of their faith into question.

Now, obviously, only Jesus can make a determination concerning what's in their hearts, judging whether or not they are sincere believers. This should not be the focus of our attention. Instead, we must be intent on the this text which is not that doing God's will saves us, but that good things happen when we hear the word of Jesus and do it. For one thing, we stand on a firm foundation and can survive life's storms. For another, we become a positive influence on the world.

What else could be the case of those who keep the commandments, deal with anger, resolve conflict, maintain healthy marital relationships, speak honestly, act in generous and loving ways, give to those in need, forgive, make living out their faith a priority and refrain from judgment? And consider the fact that hat's just some of what Jesus tells us to do in just three chapters of Matthew. (Chapter 5-7)

Doing these things create an internal strength that cannot be shaken by the storms of life, and they leave an impression on those around us.

I found it a bit humorous that just as I was preparing a sermon on creating a strong foundation there was an article in the Business section, of all places, that was headlined, "Shoe inserts allow Christ to firm up footing in faith."

It seems that there is a woman in Copley Township who has created shoe inserts with biblical passages. Her company is named In-Souls, and the inserts have four themes - salvation, faith, love and wisdom. (4)

The one that was pictured in the paper quotes Jesus' words from the Gospel of Mark about loving your neighbor as yourself. There also was an affirmation that says, "I have nothing but love for my neighbor, and I show that love daily." The idea of In-Souls is to offer Christians a concrete tool for strengthening their faith…by standing on the word of the Lord, literally.

Now, some may think this is a hokey idea, and perhaps it is. But, there's something positive about making that connection between God's word and our feet. Afterall, it is our feet that stand on the firm foundation that is created when we hear what Jesus said, and it is our feet that move us forward - at least figuratively - to act in his name to make a difference in our lives and in the lives of those around us.

I can't help but wonder … if we seriously heard and did the word of Jesus, might the storms - like those in Israel where there is a group for parents who have lost their children to violence - be lessened? Might our world then be closer to what God intended? Perhaps that is what it truly means to be the wise person who built a house upon the rock.

AMEN

  1. "Child 406" by David L. Miller, "The Lutheran", May 2005, pg. 58.
  2. Bruner, Frederick Dale, Matthew: Volume 1, The Christbook, Matthew 1-12 (Dallas:Word, 1987), pg. 290.
  3. "Child 406" by David L. Miller, "The Lutheran", May 2005, pg. 58.
  4. "In step with her beliefs: Shoe inserts allow Christians to firm up footing in faith" by Mary Ethridge, "The Akron Beacon Journal," May 24, 2005, pg. D1.