Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.”

Gospel Reading: Matthew 7:21-29

21 "Not everyone who says to me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 On that day many will say to me, `Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?' 23 And then will I declare to them, `I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.' 24 "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house upon the rock; 25 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; 27 and the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell; and great was the fall of it." 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Have you ever built a sand castle on the beach? You pack the sand in your bucket, you tamp it and then flip it over to reveal a sand structure. You build walls and little towers. Dig moats around the castle to protect it from the ragging the waters. But no matter how diligent you are at building the sand castle, it always crumbles. The sand castle crumbles because there is no foundation and the structure is weak. If our faith is formed like the sand castle on the beach, it may appear grand, but in reality it is weak and easily destroyed. Jesus tells us that we must build our faith on a solid foundation. Otherwise, when the trials come, our faith will crumble. How do you form a good foundation? By seeking out Christ in the world; by finding good and seeing the glory of God in the creation that has been set before us; by making sacrifices for the benefit of others; and by committing your life to the salvation of others. Humility is the key to a good foundation.

Jesus makes it quite clear that we have to do more than preach. It is not enough to be able to say that “I prophesied in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and did many mighty works in your name.” We do not need to keep a score card. If we do these works for our own benefit, then we are not really doing the work of God. We must be willing to humble ourselves and wash the feet of those around us before we will be able to see the kingdom of heaven. It’s one thing to memorize the Bible, it’s another thing to live the Bible. So often we are criticized because we cannot cite chapter and verse. The scribes could recite the scriptures from memory and were quick to let you know their proficiency. But the real issue is, can I truly live out the chapters and verses of Christ. When you face God, will you brag about the things that you did, or will you humble yourself before God and ask for his mercy. Is your life formed like the grand sand castle on the beach only to be destroyed by the first big wave that comes along? You must examine your inner soul to see the true foundation of your faith.

A Simple Prayer

God, you are the one true foundation of faith.

It is only in your glory that my house should be built.

Give me the strength and wisdom to live out your words,

To know what is good and what is bad.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon