ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHING
July 16, 2021
Scripture: Matthew 7:24
Everybody who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise builder who built a house on bedrock.
Thought for the Day: For Matthew, the words of Jesus are the words of God. I don’t know if Matthew would say they are word for word what God would say, but I believe Matthew would say they can be trusted as expressing God’s dream for the world. Of course, this verse of scripture comes toward the end of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus puts forth some key words (phrases and ideas) that we are to put into practice. Among them – the love of neighbor and enemy; praying for those who persecute us; turning the other cheek; the blessing of the peacemakers; a call to be light to the world; reminder not to be hypocritical and not to focus on earthly treasures… and the list goes on. It all begins with hearing what Jesus said and understanding his words as providing a clear picture of God’s hope for us. It is one thing to echo what we read in the above verse and something very different to go and explore what those words might be. Once we do that we are to put those words into practice. That’s where the proverbial rubber meets the road.
Prayer: Continue to draw me to the words of Jesus, O Word of Life. Continue to put before me the teachings of Jesus, for there I find your vision for my life and your dream for this world. Amen.
9am or 11am
