Luke 6:46
“So, why do you keep calling Me ‘Lord, Lord!’ when you don’t do what I say?” Luke 6:46.
For me, this may be one of the most compelling, challenging things Jesus throws at us during His earthly ministry. Because think about it. How many of us employ pinpoint precision when it comes to how much of our valuable time Jesus is going to get from us each week? “I’m gonna give Him 90 minutes on Sunday morning and then maybe one more church event during the week. I’ll try to read a couple of psalms when I have time and when I drive back and forth to work each week I’ll only listen to K-Love.”
This means that we may listen to what Jesus has for us less than 4 hours or so a week. And statistics tell us that when we listen to someone sharing information with us, we hear about half of what’s being shared. If that’s accurate, and my bet is that it is, that means that most of us are missing out on a whole lot of very important information that Jesus is endeavoring to share with us. Information that can make the difference between knowing true salvation or living under the illusion that “Jesus and me are just fine. He gets me. He knows I don’t have time for the Bible during the week and He sees what a nice person I am even when I’m not in church.”
That’s a very high-risk lifestyle for those who believe they can live that way and experience eternal life.
Part of the problem is our social media driven existence. I don’t have time to listen to what anyone else has to say because the most important voice in the world is my own and I’m going to prove it by constantly posting, tweeting and Instagramming to the world every thought that enters my head from who should be president to how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.
After Jesus poses this question, He continues in verses 47-49.
“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 right on the ground, without a foundation. When the floods sweep down against that house, it will collapse into a heap of ruins.”
Throughout the gospels Jesus provides example after example of how we can go about building our lives on a foundation of stone and yet…how many of us choose to crank open our construction site on wet sand, then buckle up and hope for the best? Instead of hearing Jesus we listen to Satan. He gives us lies that offer convenience and fleshy satisfaction and once he has us on that hook our enslavement to him commences. Jesus’ way requires a lot more effort but with that effort comes a much great payoff. Heaven.
All Satan wants is for you to be dead in every possible way, physically and spiritually.
Chances are no one reading these words considers Jesus’ role in their life as anything less than Lord and Savior and that’s good. But what requires a deeper amount of reflection is this. I call Him Lord, but does He really hold that place in my life? Is He what centers me? Is He the One who helps me navigate the tough times that are sure to come my way?
Am I hearing what Jesus is saying to me or am I just, once a week listening to a pastor read a sermon? Am I spending time in His Word each and every day so that I know in all things He’s the One leading me?
It’s great to call Jesus “Lord”, but it’s only by working at doing what He says that the title takes on the meaning it needs to. So, ask yourself the question just as Jesus asks it here. And understand that if the Holy Spirit convicts you, it’s not too late to pursue Jesus with a new level of desire and dedication!