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Luke Lesson 21 (2009)

AUTHENTIC CHRISTIAN- II
(The wise and foolish builders)

Luke 6:37-49
Key Verse: 6:47-48

“I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built.”

Some of the teachings of Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount are extremely difficult to follow. For example, Jesus told his followers that they should love their enemies, do good to those who hate them, bless those who curse them and pray for those who mistreat them. (6:27-36) He even said that if someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn to him the other also. If someone takes our cloak, we should not stop him from taking our tunic. We should not take revenge or overcome evil with evil. Verses 27, 31 and 36 read, “Love your enemies… Do to other as you would have them do to you… Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” These verses set the unchanging truth and principle of Christian ethics. We are called to obey Jesus’ command of love. (Jn 13:34-35) Authentic Christians are not those who just say that they are Christians. Authentic Christians are those who seriously struggle to follow Jesus’ command of love. That’s why he said to his followers in verse 46, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” In fact, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount is the core of Jesus’ disciples. But since it is so challenging, most people like to hear it but are not willing to practice it. One of the reasons they give up is that they don’t know how to put them into practice. In today’s passage, Jesus gives several practical instructions as to what kind of attitude we should have as Christians in order to bear good fruit and be wise builders. There are around 6 parables in today’s passage. But we find three basic steps.

First, stop judging others. (37-42) One of the most serious problem of Christians that hinders them from bearing good fruits is a judgmental attitude. When we have a judgmental attitude, we cannot truly love others. Jesus talks about this problem over and over in different ways in verses 37-42. Read verses 37-38. “Do not judge and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” How do you not judge others?

A Lady in an airport bought a book and a package of cookies to eat while she waited for her plane and took her seat in the terminal. She got engrossed in her book. But soon she noticed that the man one seat away from her was fumbling to open the package of cookies on the seat between them. She was so shocked that a stranger would dare to eat her cookies. She didn’t really know what to do, so she just reached over and took one of the cookies and ate it. The man didn’t say anything but soon reached over and took another. Well, the woman wasn’t going to let him eat them all, so she took another. When they were down to the last one, the man reached over, broke the cookie in half, and got up and left. The lady couldn’t believe the man’s nerve, but the announcement had just come to board the plane. Once the woman was aboard, still angry at the man and puzzling over the incident, she reached into her purse for a tissue. There in her purse she found her still-unopened package of cookies. It’s a funny story that tells us that we really shouldn’t judge people too harshly and quickly. Most of us quick to judge others like baseball umpires. We like to call strikes and balls on somebody else based on our own moral standards, ideas and values. It’s extremely hard not to judge others because it is against our instincts.

There are certain times we need to judge because we need to discern between right and wrong. All humans are ethical and moral beings, regardless of their religious or cultural backgrounds. Therefore, it’s impossible for any human not to have any value for judgment. Especially, Christians and disciples of Jesus who may have higher standards of morality and ethics may become even more critical and judgmental of others. That’s why Jesus warns Christians very seriously not to be judgmental. We know that having discernment is different from being judgmental. Being judgmental means to be extremely critical, unforgiving and pronouncing a final sentence on them. This kind of judgmental attitude is not an acceptable attitude for any human being, especially for Christians because judgment and condemnation belong to God who is righteous, not to man. If we are judgmental of anyone, we are playing God. After all, God didn’t call us to judge others. He called us to be merciful because He is merciful to all of us. In fact, we were shown mercy not because we deserved it but only because of God’s mercy. So when we are not showing mercy by being judgmental of others, we are not representing God in the right way. It’s a sign of spiritual blindness and not knowing God’s grace. As we have been shown mercy from God, we should also show mercy others, never condemning anyone but always forgiving.

Saint Paul said in Ephesians 4:32, “Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgive each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Most people today, especially in this difficult time, tend to be self-absorbed. We often say, “Yeah, I will forgive you. But just leave me alone, and I will also leave you alone. I am too busy. I have too many problems.” Or we say, “As long as you are kind to me, I will be kind to you.” But that’s not Christian. Forgiving one another in Christ is basic. We should also show our kindness and compassion to one another even when the other party is grumpy and not so kind to us. That’s Christian. Someone said, “Be kinder than necessary for everyone you meet is fighting some kind of battle.” We don’t know what’s going on in someone else’s life. If your brother or sister is acting in a strange way, we must assume that something may be going on in his or her life. We may never know but only God knows. Therefore, we should never be judgmental or critical of others. Instead, we should be kinder than necessary. Jesus also said in verse 38 (NLT), “Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full – pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.”

In verses 39 and 40, Jesus went on to tell them more parables. Look at verses 39 and 40. “He also told them this parable: ‘Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit? A student is not above his teacher, but everyone who is fully trained will be like his teacher.’” What’s the meaning of this parable? Jesus was talking about the importance of teachers. Most teachers and pastors tend to talk a lot. They like to give instructions to others. Well, as long as they know what they are talking about, it’s good. Students can benefit from it. But if they don’t know what they are talking about, how can students understand the instruction? Jesus spoke this parable to his disciples who would be teachers, mentors, guidance counselors or shepherds for the people. If the disciples are blind, both they and their students would fall into a ditch. And if the disciples are not making a progress, their students would not make any progress either. These kinds of things should not happen. But why would Jesus warn them of these if it were not possible that they would happen?

According to Matthew, Jesus called the Pharisees and the teachers of the law were “blind guides” because of their legalism and the sin of hypocrisy. (Mt 15:14) According to Luke, Jesus was not talking about them. He was talking about his own disciples, warning them about their own legalism and hypocrisy that would blind them and make them very judgmental of others. In verses 41 and 42, Jesus spoke to them another parable in order to teach them how they could avoid becoming blind and stagnant spiritually.

Look at verses 41 and 42. “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when you yourself fail to see the plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” This parable is very interesting. Jesus was a carpenter. So he knew how it felt like to have the speck of sawdust in one’s eye. It’s very uncomfortable and even painful to have something very small in the eye. You cannot see things until you remove it. I think most of us had experienced it.

But it’s actually impossible to have a plank in one’s eye because it’s too big. Yet, Jesus said this in order to address the seriousness of dealing with one‘s problems before trying to help others. To remove the speck from the eye of others might be a very difficult and sensitive process. You have empathy for your brother who is going through difficult times. Unless you have good spiritual understanding and are delicate enough, you might end up hurting your brother and causing permanent injury and pain in him. To remove the plank in one’s eye requires a major surgery. But without going through this process, the disciples may not be able to understand the pains of their brothers. Therefore, they need to go through the process of removing their huge plank from their own eye through spiritual surgery and sincere discipline.

Second, start good spiritual diet (43-44)

Look at verses 43 and 44. “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn-bushes, or grapes from briers. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks.” It seems that Jesus was saying that in order to bear good fruit we should become good trees. But is this possible? Can a bad tree be changed into a good tree? Or can a thorn bush be transformed into an apple tree? No, biologically it’s impossible. Then is Jesus saying something impossible? No. We can become a new creation and a good tree when we are united with our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Corinthians 5:17 reads, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.” How many of you really feel and believe that you are a new creation in your day to day life? It’s not easy. In fact, just trying to evangelize and teach others without proper mental and spiritual healthcare, one would totally burn out and not able to bear any good fruit.

Then how can we become a new creation in Christ? It’s through cultivating our minds. Romans 12:2-3 reads, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Here, we should pay attention to the phrase, “By renewing of your mind.” Our mind, body and spirit are interrelated. We cannot separate them. But our mind plays the major role in the process of transformation. As Jesus said in the parable, the good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his mind, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. Ultimately, one of the key solutions is how to manage our minds and hearts.

These days, one of the most popular quotes about food and eating is “You are what you eat.” It means that to be fit and healthy you need to eat good food. You cannot cheat. If we want to be fit and healthy, we not only need proper and regular exercise but we also need a good and healthy diet. Taking diet pills may sound easy. But it does not work. Likewise, we not only need spiritual exercise and discipline, we also need to feed our mind and soul with a good spiritually healthy diet. Then we can cultivate the wholeness inside of us that will eventually bring fruitfulness in our lives through the Holy Spirit. That’s why Paul also said in Philippians 4:8 reads, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” How are you feeding your mind and soul? There are many resources of healthy spiritual diet, like Scripture reading and meditation, testimony writing, personal devotion and reading good books.

Third, trust and obey (46-49)

Look at verse 46. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Jesus is the Lord, to whom we belong. But true discipleship is not just calling the Lord’s name but doing the Lord’s will. Jesus compares the disciples’ life with the house building process. In building a house, the most important thing is to build the firm foundation. If the foundation is not solid enough, no matter how beautiful the house is built, it will not last long. When storms come and hit the house, it will quickly crumble.

Look at verses 47-49. “I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete.” Many of us are like the wise builder and some of us are like the foolish builder. But who wants to be like the foolish builder as Jesus’ disciples and Christian? I am sure no one wants to. But why are some Christians like the wise builder while others are like the foolish builder? How is your life-house? Is it well built with the firm foundation or poorly built without the firm foundation? What is your foundation? Money, health, youth, talent or personal success? But those things cannot stand against the storms of life. Jesus is the rock of our salvation and the foundation of our lives.

How can we have Jesus as our firm foundation? It’s only possible through obedience that comes from faith. We are saved by God’s grace and mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ. And we call him “Lord, Lord.” But we are to obey Jesus’ command. There are many religious rules that seem required for our Christian life, Jesus’ command is very simple, “Love one another.” In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Love your enemy… do to others as you have them do to you… Be merciful as your Father is merciful… Do not judge, do not condemn, forgive and give…” We are to stop judging others. Instead, we are to discipline ourselves first, feed our minds and hearts with good spiritual food and build the firm foundation of our life house by trusting and obeying Jesus’ command of love. It’s not easy to follow Jesus’ instruction.

Christian life is not easy. If you want an easy way out, you made the wrong choice. We must also know that easy way does not lead us to heaven. Jesus’ way may not be an easy way, but it is the true way to eternal life. In fact, once we determine to follow Jesus, it’s not as difficult as we might imagine because the grace of God in Jesus and the power of the Holy Spirit continue to work in us all the way through our journey. Each of us is called to live the most blessed, meaningful and fruitful life to live as his disciples. May we all respond to this call by having the right attitude. We may come to Jesus, listen to his words and put them into practice, like the wise builder.