Whoomp! there it is: a sermon by Jesus

A friend and I have been going through the book of Luke and we got to Jesus’ first sermon: the sermon on the plain. At first reading it’s like “So Jesus is a great teacher huh? What on earth is he talking about?” Here’s my two cents…

I think the sermon is one of those three point deals. The first point is a description of two groups of people: true and false prophets. What is a prophet? Someone who tells others about God. This section is a reversal of the Deuteronomy blessings and curses. In Deuteronomy the obedient people are blessed and the disobedient are cursed. But Jesus says that the “disobedient” people who realize that they have nothing to offer God, weep over their sin and are persecuted by men because they believe in Jesus will be the blessed ones. The “obedient” people who think they are making it in God’s eyes and teaching others that they can keep God’s laws are loved by men but they will be cursed by God.

Then Jesus goes on to lay down the heaviest law you have ever heard on his listeners; Love your enemies, give to those who steal from you, do not retaliate when you are insulted, give away your stuff, don’t look down on others, forgive others. All this law comes with a large side helping of hardcore self examination: look at your heart, is it good or evil? You correct your neighbour for tiny sins but you have a huge log in your eye called self righteousness etc. Just when you can’t take it anymore Jesus finishes the sermon with the “two builders” parable.

If you obey all of the law Jesus has just laid out, you will be sitting on the “solid rock” of righteousness (perfection). When God’s judgment sweeps through like a flood you will be safe. But if you examine yourself and you have broken any of it then you will be swept away like a man who builds his house on sand when a flood comes. Well I’m screwed, so much for Jesus meek and mild.

But this is not the end of the story. Go back to section 1. Doesn’t Jesus start the sermon by saying that the person who knows they are on sinking sand before God (poor) and weeps over their sin will actually be blessed by God? Huh?

Yes!  And Jesus can say that because this sermon is not the end of the story. Jesus' whole reason for coming to earth was to look for people despair because they can’t keep His laws, then save them and He’ll do it by dying on a cross. His original listeners don’t know about this yet but we do! On the cross He took your sinfulness and gave you His righteousness. So if you recognize that you are on sinking sand because of your sin and you put your trust in Jesus to save you from God’s judgment then you are actually on solid rock and blessed because you wear Jesus’ righteousness! You are safe!

I think legendary 90’s hip hop group Tag Team sums up Jesus’ description of God’s kingdom best:

“Upside down and inside out

I’m bout to show all you folks what it’s all about”*

(*If you click on the link be prepared for some bad language)

This is not about Japan

*****Watch the youtube clip to the end before reading this post****

I’ve been doing a Bible study with a friend and we came to this passage in the book of Luke:

(Jesus speaking) “So why do you keep calling me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say? I will show you what it’s like when someone comes to me, listens to my teaching, and then follows it. It is like a person building a house who digs deep and lays the foundation on solid rock. When the floodwaters rise and break against that house, it stands firm because it is well built. But anyone who hears and doesn’t obey is like a person who builds a house without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.” Luke 6: 46-49

So Jacqui, what are you trying to say about Japan? Are you saying that the reason they had an enormous tsunami is because they are under Gods judgment? NO, that’s not what I’m about to say and that’s NOT why I wanted you to see the video.

Jesus wanted His listeners to imagine a house being swept away by huge, scary floodwaters. Well you don’t have to imagine anymore, because you just watched it happen. You also saw what happened to the man filming it; he was safe because he was literally standing on a big rock.

When God’s judgment does come to this world (and it comes to all of us at our deaths) it will be as unrelenting as a tsunami through a city. The only people who will be safe on that day will be those who built their house on a rock, that is, Jesus explains, only those who followed His teachings. “Do to others as you would have them do to you… If someone demands your coat, offer your shirt also… Love your enemies! Do good to them… Do not condemn others… Forgive others… Lend to them without expecting to be repaid… etc… etc… etc…” Luke 6:36. 

That doesn’t really fill me with a lot of hope.  I can see that those are all good things to do, and I would like to be that kind of person, but if that’s what building your house on the rock means then you can forget sand, my house is built on a foundation more like rotten marmalade jelly, or something. There’s a huge storm coming and unless someone rescues me, I haven’t got a chance…

But that’s just it. There was someone who built their house on the rock by following all of Jesus teachings completely, one hundred percent. It was Jesus himself. He’s got a big ol' house up there on that rock and there is plenty of room inside. Room for anyone who looks at their badly built, junk homes with no foundation and realizes that the flood is going to wipe them out. 

When you realize you need to be rescued from sin, Jesus will save you. Finally you will be safe on the “rock” of His perfection, as safe as the guy filming the video was from the tsunami.

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness;

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.

On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand;

All other ground is sinking sand,

All other ground is sinking sand.

The Solid Rock (Edward Mote)