Building sand castles at the beach is great fun. Can you remember hours in the hot sun…digging with shovels….hauling buckets of water…patting and shaping and letting your imagination run wild? The last time we went to Myrtle Beach there were some real sand architects at work. Their creations were huge and artistic and created a lot of attention as beach walkers watched in amazement. What fun to build and be a part of something creative and much bigger than yourself. And yet, how quickly they spring up and then the next morning all the dragons and mermaids and castles and dolphins are collapsed and washed away. Not a trace to be found….the beach is smooth and waiting…and shifting - scoured by the winds that change and blow. Sandcastles do not last...
Then there are stone castles, and stone churches, and houses built of rock. If you want to get an idea of what it is like to build a castle out of rock and on rock read Ken Follett’s “Pillars of the Earth.” It is a historical novel about the building of a great cathedral… It tells how huge they were and artistic – how long they took to build – how they were built to last and withstand wind and flood and war and the ravages of time. One day they too will be gone...
That was brought home to me as we have been studying the history of our beloved Grace church and found that there have been several sites and buildings that have housed this congregation. And as we gather in this beautiful house built of green stone and blue stone, I am reminded and I hope you are too that we are part of a long tradition of worship. We are surrounded by the years of prayers and hopes and dreams of all those who were Grace Church in other places and times. We are surrounded by all those who have gone on before us.
The building of houses is a metaphor for building a life. Jesus came from a family of carpenters. And so Jesus gives us these familiar images in the Gospel for today as he finishes up the Sermon on the Mount. He has been preaching and teaching about those who are blessed and will receive the Kingdom of heaven. You remember who they are … it is the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted and others.
This list was a surprise to the crowds who gathered because they thought there were other criteria to get to heaven and they had met most of them. Jesus also taught about how and what to pray for, forgiveness, and not judging others. All of this would have surprised the crowds and caused some discomfort. Especially when Jesus said some are not going to make it into the kingdom of heaven. Some of the people might have said, Lord, Lord, we did many things and used you for a reference. Look at all we have accomplished! Doesn’t our prosperity mean God is on our side? The clincher is Jesus says it is not good enough to halfway listen to his words while checking your email, or nod off and leave… feeling good about having gone to church. Jesus says there are two ways we can get through this life…We can really hear what he is teaching and obey his word and follow up with action…or we can let what he says go in one ear and out the other and focus on what we think is important.
Perhaps for some it is too easy to get all caught up in the fun and satisfaction of building sand castles and rock castles and beautiful stone churches and successful lives. And of course some folks are just trying to find a way to get through life… Because Jesus was a builder he knew the foundation is the most important part of the project – whether the project be a building or a life. Buildings need to have rock for a firm foundation. Lives need to be built on another kind of rock - the hearing and doing of Jesus’ words.
Eugene Petersen’s translation of this gospel passage drives the nails home – so to speak… (Jesus said,) These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit – but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock. But if you use my words in Bible studies and don’t work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on a sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards.
When Jesus concluded his address, the crowd burst into applause. They had never heard anything like this. It was apparent he was living everything he was saying – quite a contrast to their religion teachers! This was the best teaching they had ever heard! (The Message, pg, 1757)
Our sand castles wash away…our buildings made of stone crumble away…we will return to dust…Jesus says in the end what matters is the foundation. What kind of foundation are you building your life on?