'Do as I do.' What is Jesus actually asking of you?

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with an example. You probably know it well. Two houses. Two storms. And two foundations. And in that last part lies the difference. One house is built on sand, the other on the rock.

And that makes all the difference.

One house collapses.

The other stands firm.

The application? If you don’t build your house on the rock — Jesus — things will eventually fall apart, and sooner or later, it will collapse.

So, what does it mean to ‘build on the rock’ — Jesus? It’s the difference between hearing and doing, and hearing and not doing.

Do you hear Jesus’ words?

What are you doing with them?

Jesus teaches. He invites disciples to follow Him. You and I can be part of this group of people who recognize Jesus as Master. But acknowledging Him as Master means He calls the shots. And then the lessons from the Sermon on the Mount aren’t just beautiful teachings to study, but essential to practice.

So, act.

Love.
Be generous.
Pray.
Don’t judge.
Don’t be afraid.
Seek His kingdom.
Let your light shine.
Be the salt of the earth.

And the list goes on. Flip through the Sermon on the Mount again. Jesus teaches His disciples with the expectation that they will also do what He says. That’s what makes the difference, and that’s where you find the difference between a ‘hearer’ and a ‘disciple.’

Maybe it’s a challenging question, but if you pause — take a deep breath and ask yourself: “Is there something in my life that I know but am not doing?” — what comes to mind? What is the Master Jesus asking of you?

Follow Him.
Listen to Him.
Do what He says.

Build your house on the rock.

Take the following questions with you to reflect on:

• If you take a moment of silence and ask Jesus to bring to mind things you know but (still) aren’t doing, what comes to mind?
• What will you do with that?

Prayer: “Lord Jesus, I want to build my house on the rock. I trust that this is what is best for me and that it will stand firm in the storms to come. Lord, give me the courage to be a doer of Your word — someone who listens and acts. Along with many who have gone before me, I want to say today: ‘Speak, Lord, Your servant is listening and wants to obey.’ Amen.”