Jesus said, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.’
“Everyone then who hears 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 beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell—and great was its fall!” Matthew 7:22-27
When I was a child I remember visiting the ocean after a particularly bad storm. Pieces of houses and furniture were floating through the streets. Sand was everywhere in people's houses - the ones that still stood that is. The clean up was extraordinary and we saw devastation and despair everywhere around us. Folks love and ocean view, they pay top dollar for a house in the sand, yet they foolishly believe nothing will happen, since it has not happened recently. They assume they are different from previous generations.
Jesus is pushing his disciples harder since they seem to not understand the stories he tells.He has given them gifts and he is insisting that they use them. They are reluctant, as we are reluctant sometimes to use the gifts given. And yet, not using these gifts make us vulnerable to shifting sands and changing tides. The more we use these gifts, the more we are grounded, enmeshed and buidling on the solid foundations of Christ's love.
Today, I ask God for continued strength to use the gifts I have been given. May we all be founded of the rock, building day by day, using our gifts for the blessing of this needy world.
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