On Line Bible Study - For the Week June 21-27, 2010
Lesson 445
This is a rabbinic story, but as the rabbis told it, the rock is the law. For Christians, the rock is the authority of Jesus.
Luke 6: 46"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? 47I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. 48He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. 49But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
This is a rabbinic story, but as the rabbis told it, the rock is the law. For Christians, the rock is the authority of Jesus.
The parable may have its roots in a passage from the prophet Ezekiel 13:10-16. In that passage the people are warned about flimsy walls that are covered with whitewash. When the walls come tumbling down the people don't complain about the whitewash, anymore than we would blame the paint on the wall for the crumbling of a house. The problem is deeper, more structural.
The question is: Upon what can we build a solid life? Jesus is telling us two things are necessary. First, he is Lord. It is right to assign him the place of authority. It is right to come to him and proclaim him our teacher and master and put our whole faith in him. The second thing: his authority is not only to be proclaimed; it is also meant to be lived. All three parts of the equation have to be honored - ...come to me; hear my words; put them into practice... Believing and doing are two sides of the same coin.
As the rabbis saw it, the law was like our laws of the road. Who comes to a complete stop at stop signs? Who never exceeds the speed limit? Our tendency is to slow down, but then roll through the intersection. The practice of many is to allow themselves 5 miles over the speed limit. Whether talking about what it meant to be "clean" or how to keep the Sabbath, the question seemed to be: How far can we go?
Jesus does not allow such latitude. But the reason for his insistence has to do with what it means to build a life of integrity - a saved life, if you will. As St. Paul notes, the freedom we have in Christ was never intended to mean we are free to do whatever we want. Rather, we are now free to love our enemies! We don't have to hate anymore. We don't need to worry about protecting our turf, guarding our borders, hoarding our goods, passing judgment on our neighbors. Putting into practice the teachings of Jesus means taking seriously the message contained in Luke 6.
Darrell Bock summarizes this section of Luke's Gospel (6:17-49) as follows:
The question is: Upon what can we build a solid life? Jesus is telling us two things are necessary. First, he is Lord. It is right to assign him the place of authority. It is right to come to him and proclaim him our teacher and master and put our whole faith in him. The second thing: his authority is not only to be proclaimed; it is also meant to be lived. All three parts of the equation have to be honored - ...come to me; hear my words; put them into practice... Believing and doing are two sides of the same coin.
As the rabbis saw it, the law was like our laws of the road. Who comes to a complete stop at stop signs? Who never exceeds the speed limit? Our tendency is to slow down, but then roll through the intersection. The practice of many is to allow themselves 5 miles over the speed limit. Whether talking about what it meant to be "clean" or how to keep the Sabbath, the question seemed to be: How far can we go?
Jesus does not allow such latitude. But the reason for his insistence has to do with what it means to build a life of integrity - a saved life, if you will. As St. Paul notes, the freedom we have in Christ was never intended to mean we are free to do whatever we want. Rather, we are now free to love our enemies! We don't have to hate anymore. We don't need to worry about protecting our turf, guarding our borders, hoarding our goods, passing judgment on our neighbors. Putting into practice the teachings of Jesus means taking seriously the message contained in Luke 6.
Darrell Bock summarizes this section of Luke's Gospel (6:17-49) as follows:
- God's promises are for those who unite themselves to him (especially the poor, hungry, mourning, and persecuted).
- We are called to a radical love - a love willing to subject itself to repeated abuse from our enemies - a love that is as available to others as God's love is available to us.
- Love for God is demonstrated in our obedience to Christ.
posted by Mark D at 3:09 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home