Listen To My Words

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” — Matthew 7:24-27

Around the age of 3, my daughter used to do the cutest thing.  Placing one hand on either side of my face, she would pull my face toward hers, look deeply into my eyes, and say, “Listen to my words.”  

She picked the behavior up from her preschool teachers, who used this practice to secure a child’s undivided attention before issuing an important direction. The basic translation was: “Are you paying attention?  This is important.”

It’s what Jesus seems to be saying in this passage: “This is of utmost importance. I am talking about life and death here.  Are you listening to me?”

Jesus, the incarnate Word of God, is the One on whom we build our lives.  Deciding to follow Him is the single most important thing we will ever do, and the depth of our relationship with Him will determine the trajectory of our lives. Regardless of our response in the past, He is calling us once again, “Come, follow Me.”

Imagine for a second — Jesus placing his hands on either side of your face and leaning in for a long, loving at you.  “Listen to my words. I love you. I always have and I always will. Will you build your life on Me?”

Reflection

Consider times in the past when you felt Jesus’s invitation to relate to Him on a deeper level. How did you respond then? How do you want to respond to Him today?

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