“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Luke 7:24-27
Here in Florida we know the importance of a strong foundation and a well built house, especially right on the coast.
But as followers of Jesus do we really apply the principle of this passage? We certainly know a lot of the words of Jesus. We probably understand most of them. But to what extent do we do them?
What does it really look like to have a life established in Christ?
Matthew the tax collector is featured in season one of The Chosen. His calling is documented in Matthew 9.
And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13
Matthew was a Jewish man who had left his childhood beliefs and values to serve the Roman Empire as a tax collector. He was not living in line with Jewish law or cultural tradition. Yet Jesus called this man and even went to his house to eat with his other tax collector and “sinner” friends. The religious leaders questioned this association with such unclean company. And Jesus responded by quoting Hosea 6:6.
This Sunday (11/5/23) we will study Hosea 6 to obey Jesus direction “Go and learn what this means.” What we will see is a simple four step progression.
If we don’t love people it reveals the underlying problem that we don’t know God. To know God is to love Him, and if we love Him we will obey Him, which will lead us to love people as He does.
“Let us know; let us press on to know the Lord; his going out is sure as the dawn; he will come to us as the showers, as the spring rains that water the earth.”
Hosea 6:3
Hosea is a call to God’s people to repent. As Hosea’s wife was unfaithful to the prophet, so God’s people had been continually unfaithful to God. Yet the Lord called them back and promised to pay the price for their redemption.
“Therefore I have hewn them by the prophets; I have slain them by the words of my mouth, and my judgment goes forth as the light. For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
Hosea 6:5-6
God’s word through prophets like Hosea was a challenging gift to the wayward nation of Israel. To be hacked and attacked by the confrontation of God’s holiness and judgment for our sin is like LIGHT that reveals our hearts. Animal sacrifices and burnt offerings are not the response God seeks, if the peoples’ hearts were not in them. God has never been interested in empty rituals, but always wanted the hearts of his people.
“Let us press on to know the Lord.” Let’s listen to His Word even when it confronts our selfishness and complacency, even when it exposes our empty religious activities. For the Word of God is working in us to help us know God and to be established, as Matthew was, in the life-changing grace of Jesus.