REFLECTIONS TODAY
Today’s Gospel concludes Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (Mt 5-7). Here Jesus is presented as a “lawgiver” like Moses and as a “wisdom teacher.” In the perspective of Matthew, Jesus brings from the storeroom of Israel the old treasures with which he combines the new things of the Kingdom of God. In the Sermon on the Mount, we have the ethical foundation of the new covenant that Jesus inaugurates.
When Jesus finishes teaching, the crowds are spellbound by the authority of his words. But astonishment and admiration for Jesus are not enough. He teaches his disciples that they must ensure a solid foundation for their faith, one that stands the test of adverse elements. Listening is not enough; one must act. Saying is not enough; one must do.
If one is left spellbound by Jesus’ teaching or even by his whole personality but does not struggle to live his faith in Jesus in season and out of season, in good times and in bad, one stands on a shaky foundation. In contrast, if one is a good listener and is prompt and persevering in doing the will of God, he wisely builds his faith on solid rock that can withstand life’s trials and temptation. One must “walk his talk” and should not be content in calling, “Lord, Lord.”
GOSPEL • MATTHEW 7:21, 24-27
Jesus said to his disciples: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.“Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 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. And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”SOURCE: “365 Days with the Lord 2021,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.