Confessional Lutheran theology, hagiography, philosophy, music, culture, sports, education,
and whatever else is on the fevered mind of Orycteropus Afer
08 October 2005
Build on the Rock … or in New Orleans
A recent report I read states that when investigations involving Hurricane Katrina conclude, the Army Corps of Engineers may find the biggest finger of blame pointing at itself. Preliminary data shows that the Corps may have mismeasured and misinterpreted data concerning the depth to which New Orleans had already sunk and the rate at which it was still sinking. According to the report, the last major rebuilding of the levees may have left them two feet lower relative to the surrounding water than called for in the specs.
However, while the Corps may be culpable in the New Orleans disaster, it certainly doesn't keep all the blame for itself. Various levels of government all failed to acquit themselves well while the residents certainly compounded problems by staying in a below-sea levl basin while a powerful hurricane was pointing itself directly at them.
And speaking of the people (and the Corps of Engineers), if the builders and inhabitants of the Crescent City have done anything well, they've wonderfully illustrated Jesus' parable on the building of the two houses (Matthew 7:24-27).
There is no "rock" supporting New Orleans' soft, silty surface — dig down a thousand feet and you'll still be shoveling sand. For the hundreds of years people have settled there, the ground's been settling underneath them. All their building has been on an insecure base.
Many who don't live there, who didn't grow up below sea level, cannot comprehend why people continued to stay in the Big Easy. Yet when we look at our own lives, isn't there evidence that we've joined them in a similar manner? Indeed, what we do with our lives is potentially much more dangerous than building houses on a river delta in the center of hurricane country.
The worst thing that can happen to houses of lumber, brick, or stone built on unsuitable soil is that when rains fall, floods come, and winds blow and beat against them, they'll fall. The worst thing that happens to a person whose life is built on anything other than Christ is that when the storms of life rage against them, they'll perish eternally. The fall of human housing can be undone; wreckage can be rebuilt. But when a person dies in his trespasses, there's no government grant, no insurance policy, no helpful contractor ready to put things back together: Death is final and hell eternal.
Jesus said, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)" Of what words was our Lord speaking? This parable closes the Sermon on the Mount, so we should consider it in that context. Particularly, they immediately follow the section beginning, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (7:21-23)" Ultimately, the will of the Father is to save sinners who believe in His Son. As Jesus stated in John 6:38-39, "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day."
Thus, building upon the Rock who is Christ (see 1 Corinthians 10:4) means believing that He lived, suffered, died, and rose to take away our sins, reconcile us to His Father, and bring us to eternal life with God. When we do this, we are solidly grounded against any of life's storms, no matter how savage. No one — not even Satan — can tear us from the Son's loving hands for no one can tear us from the hands of His Father (John 10:28-29).
Our hymnody confesses this secure foundation in many beloved songs. Among them are The Church's One Foundation, Who Trusts in God a Strong Abode, Christ Is Our Cornerstone, and Built on the Rock the Church Doth Stand.
All Bible quotes ESV. ¶ 22:55 |
A recent report I read states that when investigations involving Hurricane Katrina conclude, the Army Corps of Engineers may find the biggest finger of blame pointing at itself. Preliminary data shows that the Corps may have mismeasured and misinterpreted data concerning the depth to which New Orleans had already sunk and the rate at which it was still sinking. According to the report, the last major rebuilding of the levees may have left them two feet lower relative to the surrounding water than called for in the specs.However, while the Corps may be culpable in the New Orleans disaster, it certainly doesn't keep all the blame for itself. Various levels of government all failed to acquit themselves well while the residents certainly compounded problems by staying in a below-sea levl basin while a powerful hurricane was pointing itself directly at them.
And speaking of the people (and the Corps of Engineers), if the builders and inhabitants of the Crescent City have done anything well, they've wonderfully illustrated Jesus' parable on the building of the two houses (Matthew 7:24-27).
There is no "rock" supporting New Orleans' soft, silty surface — dig down a thousand feet and you'll still be shoveling sand. For the hundreds of years people have settled there, the ground's been settling underneath them. All their building has been on an insecure base.
Many who don't live there, who didn't grow up below sea level, cannot comprehend why people continued to stay in the Big Easy. Yet when we look at our own lives, isn't there evidence that we've joined them in a similar manner? Indeed, what we do with our lives is potentially much more dangerous than building houses on a river delta in the center of hurricane country.
The worst thing that can happen to houses of lumber, brick, or stone built on unsuitable soil is that when rains fall, floods come, and winds blow and beat against them, they'll fall. The worst thing that happens to a person whose life is built on anything other than Christ is that when the storms of life rage against them, they'll perish eternally. The fall of human housing can be undone; wreckage can be rebuilt. But when a person dies in his trespasses, there's no government grant, no insurance policy, no helpful contractor ready to put things back together: Death is final and hell eternal.
Jesus said, "Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. (Matthew 7:24)" Of what words was our Lord speaking? This parable closes the Sermon on the Mount, so we should consider it in that context. Particularly, they immediately follow the section beginning, "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (7:21-23)" Ultimately, the will of the Father is to save sinners who believe in His Son. As Jesus stated in John 6:38-39, "I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day."
Thus, building upon the Rock who is Christ (see 1 Corinthians 10:4) means believing that He lived, suffered, died, and rose to take away our sins, reconcile us to His Father, and bring us to eternal life with God. When we do this, we are solidly grounded against any of life's storms, no matter how savage. No one — not even Satan — can tear us from the Son's loving hands for no one can tear us from the hands of His Father (John 10:28-29).
Our hymnody confesses this secure foundation in many beloved songs. Among them are The Church's One Foundation, Who Trusts in God a Strong Abode, Christ Is Our Cornerstone, and Built on the Rock the Church Doth Stand.
All Bible quotes ESV. ¶ 22:55 |
