3 December 2015 - rocking out

[ Today's Readings ]

The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 

On what are we building our lives? What is the base that underlies everything we do? Sand or rock? How susceptible, ultimately, are our lives to the winds and the rain? If the circumstances get bad enough will we collapse completely? If our foundation is solid we don't need to fear the wind and the rain.

For no one can lay a foundation other than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 3:11).

It isn't enough to talk about it. It doesn't help to know the best building practices if you don't use any of them. It doesn't help to know that Jesus would be the right answer without choosing to follow him. We can't tell ourselves we're building on the rock and then go on doing our own thing. 

So let's say, 'Lord, Lord.' But let's really mean it. Let's be doers of the word and not hearers only.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves (cf. James 1:22).

We read what to expect if we insist on building on other foundations:

The rain fell, the floods came,
and the winds blew and buffeted the house. 
And it collapsed and was completely ruined.

The LORD is a strong city for us, with ramparts to protect us. All we need to do to take advantage of this protection is to keep the faith and to have a firm purpose. We don't need any merit on our part. We don't earn it with our own success. The only thing God asks of us is fidelity. Mother Theresa reminds us, "God does not require that we be successful only that we be faithful." This is the Father's will for us. When we choose it we build in a rock.

Trust in the LORD forever!
For the LORD is an eternal Rock.

When we read that only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom of heaven we tend to switch into full blown 'works righteousness' mode. We get out our lists and start measuring. But we cannot succeed this way. We don't have the strength in ourselves to do the good we need to do.

For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing (cf. Romans 7:18-19).

We can't hear that we must do the Father's will and then set out to do it through our own effort. Instead, we must hear this as a call to cling ever more closely to the grace and strength that come from God himself. Only by doing so do we truly have a rock foundation.

On our own we are brought down. But trusting in him we stand firm.

He humbles those in high places,
and the lofty city he brings down;
He tumbles it to the ground,
levels it with the dust.
It is trampled underfoot by the needy,
by the footsteps of the poor.

Let us enter the gates of justice. Our own effort does not gain admittance. This is the LORD's own gate. Only in his name, his grace, and his strength, can we enter.

O LORD, grant salvation!
O LORD, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD;
we bless you from the house of the LORD.
The LORD is God, and he has given us light.