Whenever an institution or organisation pauses to commemorate its beginnings it is always an opportune time to reflect on its past, look at its current status and identify its future path if it is to remain relevant and purpose-driven in the years to come. It is the opportune time to reflect on what we have been and what we will bequeath to those who come after us.
In St. Matthew chapter seven, where our text for today’s message is located, Jesus uses a parable about construction to highlight the importance of his message to the disciples which he has been giving throughout chapters five through seven. In the text he tells the parable about two persons who have constructed their houses. One has built his house on sand with the result being that when the elements of nature came against it, it was destroyed. It could not survive because its foundation was weak. On the other hand, the second builder built his house on a rock and though the elements also beat against it with great ferocity, it was able to withstand and remain firm, because it was built on a firm foundation. The builder whose house was destroyed because of his poor choice of a foundation was described as foolish while the other whose house remained secure because of its firm foundation was described as wise.
There are two quick observations we can make from the text. First of all, although the parable used is about building construction, it is not ultimately a parable that is about construction principles. Secondly, the parable gives us insight into Jesus’ knowledge about many facets of life in his time. There are many parables he told or points he made in which he alluded to different aspects of life in his day. Some were about the weather; some were about agriculture and some were about the animals that existed in his day. As I mentioned earlier, this text is not really about construction principles but it is entirely about obedience to his word. You will observe that at the end of a long teaching session which only Matthew records in this way from as early as chapter five beginning with the Beatitudes and concluding with this parable, Jesus has been giving teachings about how to live as true followers of God which often times seem to contradict the established religious understanding and teachings of the Law and the Prophets. It is very unlikely that this section of teachings was done all at one time but more likely that the writer of the gospel compiled them into one lengthy discourse. The main point here though, is that at the end we hear Jesus saying, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like…” And then he goes on to describe the wise builder and then again he says, “But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice…” and then he goes on to describe the fate of the foolish builder. The text is about obedience to God’s word. The conclusion to be made therefore is that it is obedience to God’s word that guarantees a firm foundation while ignoring or disobeying God’s word is the recipe for a disastrous foundation.
A church like any other organisation or institution is built on a foundation. The type of foundation that it is built on greatly determines its longevity and prevailing relevance or usefulness. As a result, we can see that many churches have folded and closed their doors and many have remained steadfast and are even growing. As we pause we must again look at what our foundation has been and whether or not that foundation is being eroded or remaining firm and secure. Like any construction, as times go by touching up or fixing up of some parts of the foundation or a more comprehensive renovation of the structure might be needed in order to ensure its future strength. The greater challenge for us all is to identify what our foundation has been and where the enhancements might be needed so as to guarantee our continued relevance in this age and for the years to come.
Jesus makes it clear that it is his words that must be our foundation but what exactly are those words. This is the great issue of our time and has been throughout history. What exactly are his words? In order to understand what his words were meant to be for the people then and us today, it is obviously important to look at what he said. A proper study of this section of St. Matthew will show that Jesus essentially addressed the established teachings of scripture in his day by seemingly turning it on its head. For all of the major teachings of the Law and the Prophets, Jesus emphasised a different understanding or interpretation than what was the established teaching and practice of the time. He was not asking the people to evade or deny or ignore scripture or the Will of God for humanity. He was instead giving greater clarity as to what the Law and the Prophets should mean in a practical way for God’s people. In essence, being true to the Will of God is not about what we show on the outside but what is the true motive or intent of the heart. In this way, Jesus was seen as radical and even counter-cultural in a negative way and my reading is that Jesus is asking the Church today and by extension all of us as Christians today to be just as radical and counter-cultural. This does not mean ignoring the basic teachings of scripture as Jesus himself said in St. Matthew chapter five when he said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (See St. Matthew 5:17 NIV). So then being radical in following the Word of God is not at all about ignoring or disobeying the scripture but finding and adhering to the true meaning and purpose of the scriptures which more often than not requires us to think and act differently from what is the established and dare I say fashionable and popular understanding and practice of the scriptures. Our foundation cannot remain firm and secure unless we are prepared to be true to the Master Builder, Jesus the Christ alone. But how willing are we to be seen as a Church that goes against the established expectations and understanding of what a church should be and what a church should be doing? How willing are we as individual Christians to practice a faith that is driven by a willingness to be humbled, ridiculed, mocked, denied what you believe is rightfully yours or even give away more than you have so that others including those who have done everything to hurt you can be better off than you are? How willing are we as Christians to live in such a way that we regard the things that people regard as important to success and achievement as unimportant in comparison to one’s faith and as such would willingly part with those things or positions that you hold dear for the sake of the gospel. This is what Paul wrote about when he said in his letter to the Philippians, “I consider them rubbish that I may gain Christ…” (See Philippians 3:8 NIV) Unlike the Jewish leaders in Jesus’ time, an obedience to Scripture is not about seeking public acclaim and endorsement but all about humble service even to one’s own disadvantage and the promotion of others who we would normally prefer to ignore or have nothing to do with or who we do not like. It is about practicing a faith that comes from the heart, a faith whose motives are pure and Christ-centred. The Word of God can mean and has meant different things to different people throughout different times of human history and it still is interpreted and even manipulated today to suit all kinds of personal and political and social and religious agendas today as it was in Jesus’ day. It is important to note that at the end of his discourse Matthew tells us that the people were amazed because he taught them as one who had authority, not as their religious leaders. This obviously was suggesting that Jesus was the real authority on the scriptures not the religious leaders of the day. Why wouldn’t he be? He is God’s son. But the issue for us to contemplate today and going forward from here is whether or not we as Christians speak and act with authority in our communities and in our homes. The Greek word for authority denotes the right as well as the capability to do something or in this case to say something. Having the authority therefore means that you are authentic. Jesus did not speak to the people as someone who was a fake or someone’s representative. He was the real deal. Our firm foundation is dependent on how much we show to people and to the world that we are representing or working for the One who is the real deal, the One who is authentic and true. Do we look and act as people who are really God’s messengers or we are just fake? Many people are turning away from God and the Church because they do not hear an authentic message from authentic people about God’s love and mercy for us all. We do not come across as authentic or real or believable in our message and our actions. We are instead seen as hypocrites half of the time and unconvincing doubters of our own message the other half of the time.
Our foundation for the next 158 years and beyond as a congregation will be greatly dependent on how we understand and seek to practice a faith that is relevant for today as our forebears practiced a faith that was relevant for the times in which they lived. Above all, it must be a faith that denies self and promotes God’s love for all others irrespective of how different they are from us. It must be a faith in which we seek to grow by being different from the rest of society even if it means giving up on relationships that are unhealthy or potentially inhibiting to one’s growth in Christ. This does not mean that following Jesus means separating oneself from the world. Far from it. It means that in every sphere of life, the difference in our values and actions must be clear for the world to see that we are following faithfully the One who is the “author and perfector of our faith” who is our Lord and Saviour Jesus. On this day when we pause to reflect on our past and look to the future of this Church and the work of Christ through us, may we choose to keep following the Master Builder, our Lord and Saviour by seeking to be the authentic and true messengers of his gospel to the world even as we grow in the faith that is radical and even counter-cultural because this is what our Saviour demands of us today. This is the way to securing the Church’s foundation in Christ for the next 158 years and beyond. May God continue to give us the grace and courage to be his true ambassadors in our living and in our message to the world. Amen.
