Breakfast with the Word Thursday First Week of Advent
A foundation is the underlying part of a building. The strength of every building is determined by how strong the foundation is.
Foundations are always made with concrete underneath the building to make sure nothing will pull the building down. This is what happens to any life that makes Jesus his foundation.
A Little Understanding
The Greek word phronimo as used in the gospel of today. Matthew 7:21 24-27 describes a wise man as someone who is practically wise, thoughtful, and intelligent.
While the word moro describes the fool as senseless, stupid and foolish. Today Jesus sets the distinguishing factor between who is wise and not wise.
The difference in these factors is living according to His dictates.
In the gospel, Jesus says:
From the gospel, Jesus seems to indicate that whoever lives according to Godly principles is the wise man but whoever lives on His own principles or whoever abandons God is foolish.
The Point
The point here is that the Word of God is not merely for the sake of preaching it or listening to it. It goes deeper than these.
Also, the word of God is not for entertainment purposes. We do not hear it for the sake of hearing it and yet continue from where we stopped.
We hear the Word so that we shall take it as a guiding principle in everything we do. This is not merely when we keep the ten commandments.
This is when we do certainly and accordingly whatever Jesus says. At the wedding at Cana, the advice Virgin Mary gives to the disciples to solve the pressing need of the time is to “Do whatever He tells you” (John 2:5).
Therefore, the Word of God is a guide for daily living, on how we relate, how we pray, a guide in difficult circumstances etc.
Every advice we need in this world is contained in the bible. Those who truly practice the word can experience true blessedness and peace both in this world and after.
Also, Heaven, at last, belongs to those who live the Word. Living in the Word is the best thing that will happen to any soul. It is the greatest avenue to experience the power of God and the change of life.
The One who builds on A Solid Foundation
Today, Jesus sees the one who lives by the Word as a house built on a solid foundation which nothing on earth can defeat.
Jesus is that Rock ( 1 Peter 2:4, Acts 4:11) because Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1-3). When we live in His Word, we make Jesus our sure foundation. The only sure foundation to build is on Jesus.
There are many today who make people their foundation. Whatever their person says whether it is accordingly or not, they swallow it hook and sinker. Because of this, their faith has been affected and their love for God begins to wane.
Sometimes, they forget also that there is the spiritual just as we have the physical. Many thus begin to see everything with the eyes of the mechanical. They are among those people who tell you that Jesus never existed while they are not even aware that scriptures, archaeological discoveries, history and even the Quran said He did.
They tell you that Christianity is a scam while Christianity preaches nothing but salvation, peace, love forgiveness, faith in the midst of difficulties, eternity etc.
Some people also obey the word of their political and societal leader more than they heed to the word of God.
The truly wise man is one who knows that He is just a visitor to a world He did not know how it came to be.
Hence, He decides to abide by the dictates of the Creator of the world who alone knows how one can survive in it.
Jesus as the Rock
When speaking of Jesus as the Rock in Romans 9:33, Paul says that whoever believes in Him will never be disappointed. Jesus can never disappoint you when He is your guide.
When Jesus is the Foundation, nothing on earth can defeat us. It means you are the wise man. It ensures that a Supreme Hand is guiding you, and victory is sure at last.
Let us build our lives on this Solid Foundation and not a human foundation. Every other foundation will fall or depart from this world with us one day to meet our Creator. Only Jesus is the Sure Foundation and when Jesus is the foundation, we will not crash.
When He is the rock, we shall stand against every challenge and temptations. There will be peace, love and progress and then heaven at last.
This is what He means when He says “Rain came down, floods rose, gales blew and hurled themselves against that house, and it did not fall: it was founded on rock”. Therefore, let us build our lives on a solid rock.
To build our lives on Jesus is to build our lives on holiness, faith, charity, good work, prayer life, and total communion with God.
When we build our lives on Jesus, we will never crash. We may undergo difficulties, problems, persecutions, temptations etc, but victory will be ours at the end. For Grace is always abundant even in the time of weakness.
May God bless you and give you the grace to live according to His Word. May He help us to defeat all your challenges. Amen
You may read
Sincere Discipleship: Breakfast with the Word. The Feast of Saint Andrew
The Way We Relate to God and Others.Monday 1st Week of Advent
The Day is Coming: First Sunday of Advent Year C