“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 on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock.” – Matthew 7:24-25
The theme for St. Luke’s in 2018 is Telling the Story. This theme is an acknowledgement that the world is a rapidly changing place. We are constantly being bombarded with new innovations, exciting inventions and different events which fill the evening news. In a world that changes so quickly it is easy to lose sight of who we are called to be. In order for us to find stability in a world that is constantly fluctuating we must know the Biblical story. The Bible tells the story of God, creation and God’s will for His good creation. This amazing story speaks to us and reminds us of who we truly are, even in the midst of a world that is changing before our eyes.
Today’s scripture (Matthew 7:24-25) appears at the end of Jesus’ teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). These three chapters contain some of the most notable teachings of Jesus. They are directions for living the Christian life. Phrases like, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (5:6) and “Do not judge, so that you may not be judged” (7:1) define God’s kingdom, a kingdom Jesus tells us to pray for so that it will be, “On earth as it is in heaven.” (6:10)
How do we know who we are? How do we know how to act? What ethics guide our daily lives? What does God’s kingdom look like? We know the answer to this question by reading our story. When we know this wonderful story, we find that our feet are set on a solid foundation. When we meditate on God’s story we find that the rapid shifts in our world are not able to sweep us off our feet, but instead we stand strong in our faith.
I want to encourage you to take a few moments today and read these three powerful chapters from the book of Matthew (5-7). Take some time to meditate on the teachings of Christ and place your feet on solid ground.
Keith King, Online Campus Pastor
