Wednesday, April 8, 2015

100 Days on Jesus’ Sermon Mount (Day 92)

Jesus said, “So everyone who listens to these sayings of mine and puts them into practice can be compared to a wise man who built his house on rock.”
— Matthew 7:24 (USC)
“WHAT is truth?” said Pilate to Jesus (John 18:38). This, right here, is the summation of truth. There is no truth where there is no wisdom. Truth and wisdom correlate, in terms of reality, as never two did before.
Truth and wisdom.
Building on rock is wisdom; it’s building on the solid and certain basis of the truth in our lives. Truth is the rock we build upon. Truth is the honouring of God. Truth attests to reality; truth is seeing like for like.
As we build upon truth we distance ourselves from those factors and circumstances that would otherwise derail our lives. Not that we won’t be shaken by these factors and circumstances. But, if we are built on the firm foundation of truth we won’t be carried away on a torrent… for the torrent is coming to all lives. Best are we to prepare for the inevitable king tide.
When we build our lives on the rock of truth we have wisdom not simply for today.
Wisdom is our greatest necessity for tomorrow as well, as hope is an indispensable possession.
Yet only when we build on the rock of truth is there a vibrant hope for tomorrow that we can indeed trust.
God implores us to follow Jesus; to listen to his sayings and to put them into practice.
Our Lord knows what is best for us for the longer term, and it’s our decisions now that are getting us there.
***
Truth is a rock we can rely on; a very faithful guide that helps us negotiate the storms of life. The winds of injustice may blow, and the swell of wicked circumstance will rise up, but under such conditions truth is a faithful ally that holds us firm enough.
Truth is a rock we build on to survive the pitfalls of death in life.
Truth is a rock we build on when we have committed to the courage of honesty. Such a life of integrity never lets us down; it only makes us more fearless by the day.
The greatest truth of all is the teaching of Jesus.
Commit to it with all you have, and even in your fallibility, Jesus’ teaching will guide you.
***
QUESTIONS in REVIEW:
1.     Think of the times when you’ve built on the reliability of rock; the basis of truth. How did it feel during that entire process or season? What sense for confidence in God did you have?
2.     What could be the opposite of building on the rock of truth? What are the terrible possibilities and how can you identify them now and prevent disaster before it sweeps through your life?
© 2015 S. J. Wickham.
Note: USC version is Under the Southern Cross, The New Testament in Australian English (2014). This translation was painstakingly developed by Dr Richard Moore, a NT Greek scholar, over nearly thirty years.

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