LUKE 6:46-49 – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Everyone who comes to me and hears my words and does them, I will show you what he is like: he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when a flood arose, the stream broke against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the one who hears and does not do them is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the stream broke against it, immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
THEME OF THE DAY. THE QUESTION OF ALL QUESTIONS. Jesus often used the effective teaching method of asking penetrating questions to His disciples. Unlike human teachers who ask a question and often get blank stares from disengaged students, Jesus not only asks the question but knows the answer. There is no ability within us to answer, “I don’t know” or just remain silent. And when it comes to the questions of Jesus, there are two that determine everything about us now and forever. The first one is fairly “safe” in responding. On the surface, it doesn’t appear to ask much of us, and if we see it like that, two things – first, we really don’t understand the question, and secondly, we don’t know the Jesus we claim to know. Here is question number one . . .
Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13). Every Christian is going to say quickly the right answer, “The Son of God, the Savior of the world.” However, the right answer is only the right answer if our lives reflect this answer. Remember, when we “signed up” to be a follower of Jesus, we became His property – bought by Him. And if we truly believe He is who He is, then our lives will reflect the on-going process of dying to this world, personal desires, and be all about Him in what we do, who we associate with, what governs our lives, and where life is oriented – heaven where Christ, who is our life is located (Colossians 3:1-4).
The second question comes from today’s scripture and it isn’t safe. At all. It is the most penetrating and revealing question our Lord will ever ask of us. And He asks it a lot. Like daily. Are we hearing it? When it comes to the Christian life our biggest problems will not be running around committing sin. No, sins of commission are not our daily battle. It is the sins of omission – not purposefully, intentionally, and consistently doing what the Lord commands of us. Just doing life easily gets in the way of living the Christian life. Think about that statement for a minute. How easy it is to live executing obligations, duties, routines, and rarely think about obeying known commands like, “encourage other believers” and “being in fellowship with other believers.” And Jesus’ question pierces the heart of the believer who is doing life but omitting and neglecting known commands all the while professing to know Christ. Camp out in our Lord’s question – “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” It is revealing isn’t it? That is because there is nowhere to hide from the answer that He already knows. Friends, the reason why we live so easily omitting the commands of the Lord is because we don’t think about them. Our minds are not conditioned and disciplined by truth. And a mind not stayed on truth produces a life not living truth. Remember, the answer to Jesus’ question is singular. We don’t obey because we neglect, which is choosing to disobey. Let that sink in for a moment and be determined not to have Jesus ever ask us that question because we are striving to do what He says intentionally and consistently.
PRAYER: “Father, please open the eye of my understanding to see life is about obeying You in everything.”
QUOTE: “There is only one hindrance to our obedience to God. It is the person we greet each morning in the mirror.”