Week 23—Saturday Mark 7:35-37
Week 23—SATURDAY
“AS ONE WHO HAD AUTHORITY”
We come now to the last meditation on the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus draws the net to the shore and lets us see the catch, the final outcome. “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” (Matt. 7:21). Saying “Lord, Lord” is the Word of allegiance become word, but doing “the will of my Father” is the Word become flesh. Nothing could be clearer than that the Christian faith is a sound and solid realism and not idealism at all.
And Jesus gives a final illustration of the parables of the two men—one who built his house upon a rock and the other who built his house on the sand. One stood when the storm struck, and the other collapsed. Why was one on rock and the other on sand? This is rock: “Every one then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” “Hears these words of mine and does them”—this is the Word become flesh. This is sand: “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” (Matt. 7:24, 26). This is the word become word—“hears but does not do them.”
So the greatest sermon that was ever preached was not a sermon at all—it was a revelation of reality. And the people heard it as such: “The crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes” (Matt. 7:28-29). As we have said, the phrase “as one who had authority” could be translated “as one who spoke according to the nature of things.” The Greek word is exousia—“out of life,” literally. So Jesus was a Revealer of the Nature of Reality. And the one who obeys him is “wise,” not only “good” but “wise”; and the one who does not obey him is “foolish,” not only “bad” but “foolish.” The Christian faith is not only goodness—it is wisdom. And you are a fool if you don’t take it.
O Jesus, Teacher and Lord, your teaching is Deep speaking to deep. It finds our depths. We cannot argue—we can only obey and be saved, or refuse and be damned, self-damned. Save us from ourselves and our foolishness. In your dear and precious name we ask. Amen.
AFFIRMATION FOR THE DAY: If I am wise, I will say “Lord, Lord,” with my life and lips.