“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
Matthew 7:24-27
Greatest of All Times – GOAT
The sports world will at times navigate into the often-controversial assessment of a particular athlete’s career seeking to crown them with the acronym “GOAT” which of course stands for “Greatest of All Time”. The means of assessing top performers for a given sport is through comparison. All the relevant metrics are captured, compiled, evaluated, and weighted, with the goal of an objective conclusion. However, the debate seems to continue even in the presence of strong supporting evidence because subjective influences cloud the goal of objectivity. In our youthful years, we would idolize these top athletes, dreaming of one day achieving the same level of success. Our imaginations would take us to that moment when we hit the homerun in the bottom of the nineth for the world series championship, catching the pass in overtime for the Super Bowl win, or making the 30 foot putt to take home the Green Jacket.
Alas, those athletic comparisons with the great athletes give way to more attainable goals in the journey of life. Our career aspirations can be motivated by comparison with a mentor/leader who has achieved the pinnacle of success. The response to such comparisons can encourage a bold approach, inspire commitment, and challenge previously held assumptions that might discourage our pursuit of a lofty goal. Perhaps our musical instructor plays a recording of a fine instrumentalist asking us to listen and compare our timbre with what have heard. We compare the pros and cons of moving to a new home versus remaining where we are. And what of a wine tasting party where we compare one vintage from another to select the finest. The act of comparing serves us well in many aspects of life. However, this same tool can also be abused – a warning that challenges us to wield it carefully. Too often the act of comparison can lead to significant discouragement because we perceive our status is just not good enough. Others seem to be so far ahead of us in the achievement of some important goal that we feel like giving up the pursuit.
Our hearts become fixated on perceived failure leading to vision impairment in our lives. It would seem we have lost perspective.
May Be Compared To
In our ongoing look at Jesus teaching, we come to the phrase “may be compared to” which highlights a technique Jesus employed throughout His teaching ministry. In the Hebrew culture one of the ways of communicating truth was through metaphor or story. As an example, rather than stating that “The Lord cares for me”, it would be said, “The Lord is my shepherd”. The figure of speech is not meant to be a literal comparison; rather it capitalizes on familiar imagery as a means of communicating a deeper understanding of and appreciation for characteristics of the subject – in this case of this study, the subject is the hearer of His words. Through the use of metaphorical language, Jesus is going to identify two possible outcomes or responses to the hearing of His words.
The people gathered that day were no doubt motivated for a variety of different reasons to make the journey to hear Him speak. Perhaps they were drawn to the event hoping to see another miracle. There was no denying that His instruction was with authority and power unlike the scribes and lawyers. The truths contained in the Sermon on the Mount were challenging to the hearers, overflowing with spiritual implications, and strong in conviction. That is if the hearer’s hearts were truly hearing. Not everyone was impacted in such a powerful way. Not everyone embraced Jesus’ teaching. Having reached the finale in this Sermon on the Mount symphony of didactic moments, it seems plausible that Jesus paused his delivery looking in the direction of the gathered Scribes and Pharisees. His heart was moved with grief at their rejection, those who were hearing but not acting. Rather, these spiritual leaders were planning His demise. The pharisees, scribes, and lawyers were convinced His teaching was demonic.
Matthew 7:24
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to …”
In our passage, Jesus is about to bifurcate between the two possible responses to His teaching. These words conjure up all kinds of emotions as you consider the implications of learning how to identify those who are truly hearing and acting. Then you wonder about yourself. Surely, I am not like the Scribes and Pharisees? What will the comparison reveal in my life? Will it be a moment of affirmation, acknowledging progress and instilling a renewed motivation to press on toward the prize? Or will it be a stream of discouragement, a realization that I am coming up short of expectations?
Now it has become personal.
I didn’t have the privilege of being on the Mount of the Beatitudes overlooking the Sea of Galilee when Jesus gave this great sermon. I am 2000 years removed, reading the written account with my imagination attempting to transport me to the moment. The first group Jesus describes heard and acted. Their lives were impacted by the message – a heart transformation. But what did I hear or what was I supposed to hear? I quickly retreat to the beginning of the Sermon in Matthew 5, verse 1, scanning for clues. He told us how to be blessed or happy. Salt seasons the heart with the truth of God’s word making it most appetizing. But does my salt have any taste? No one who has the Light of truth hides it under a basket. It is to be shared with everyone in the house. We are called to be a light before men, demonstrated through good works to the glory of our Father in heaven. How many lumens emanate from my life? But wait a minute! My righteousness must surpass the spiritual elite to gain entrance to the Kingdom. I can’t even think bad thoughts about my brother, or I have committed murder. What? Cut off my hand if it makes me sin? No lustful thoughts toward a woman, no divorce and be careful of those oaths. Come on, Love my enemies? He calls me to be perfect just like God. There is no question that I will come up short as Jesus shares the comparison. My head hangs in comparative depression realizing I only made it through Matthew chapter 5.
I can sense the dark clouds appearing on the horizon, the storm approaches. I long to be faithful, to hear and to act on what God has revealed. His teaching has been revolutionary in many ways, causing true consternation in my heart about what it means to live by faith in God almighty, walking in a manner pleasing and acceptable. But the bar is so high. God is the standard against which I am to compare: “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” I might as well quit now. I can’t measure up to that standard. I’ll never even get close. God is indeed the quintessential GOAT to which there can be no challenge. How can I measure up? After a few quiet moments sitting with my head in my hands in discouragement recognizing the impossibility of meeting the standard, there comes that small still voice that you know is divine in origin. The whisper says, “Exactly”. There’s more to the story.
Reflection
- Who are those historical figures that serve as heroes in your life, people you admire and look up to as you define the goals for journey?
- How has the act of comparison impacted your life? Think about some examples that have influenced your thinking and assess the constructive or destructive outcomes.
- As you study the scriptures, being mindful of God’s call to “Be Holy as I am Holy”, what is your reaction to the progress made in being conformed to the image of His Son? Are you inspired to press on or discouraged at lack of progress?
- Is it surprising that we have to get to the point of admitting we just can’t do it, clearly demonstrated by our inner struggles, to finally cry out? And then think about how this study ended – a whisper of “Exactly”. You need something else apart from your own strength and ability.
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