Building on Solid Ground (Matthew 7:21-27)

A few years ago, a hurricane was bearing down on New Jersey. For those of us who had lived here for a long time, this was a rather unique event. A major storm projected to make landfall on the coast of our state was unsettling and we didn’t quite know what to expect. When the storm hit, it did unbelievable damage: blowing homes from their foundations and creating more destruction than we had ever seen. Jesus uses the picture of a catastrophic storm to sum up His sermon. Just like Superstorm Sandy, Jesus talks about the storms of life beating against the lives we’ve built. His point is that what we choose to do with what He’s said is the difference between weathering the storm or collapse. In painting this picture, He directs all of us to go beyond just thinking about what He has taught. Instead, we are called to live in response to Jesus’ words. And the choice we make on this issue decides whether we stand or fall.