Gospel for September 13, 2008, Saturday
1st Reading: 1 Cor 10:14–22
Gospel: Lk 6:43–49
Jesus said to the crowd, “No healthy tree bears bad fruit, no poor tree bears good fruit. And each tree is known by the fruit it bears: you don’t gather figs from thorns, or grapes from brambles. Similarly the good person draws good things from the good stored in the heart, and an evil person draws evil things from the evil stored in the heart. For the mouth speaks from the fullness of the heart.
“Why do you call me: ‘Lord! Lord!’ and not do what I say? I will show you what the one who comes to me and listens to my words and acts accordingly, is like. That one is like the builder who dug deep and laid the foundations of his house on rock. The river overflowed and the stream dashed against the house, but could not carry it off because the house had been well built.
“But the one who listens and does not act, is like a man who built his house on the ground without a foundation. The flood burst against it, and the house fell at once: and what a terrible disaster that was!”
Commentary
Following Jesus does not inoculate a person from the trials of this life. The waters rose and dashed against both the house that had been built on solid ground and the one that had less stable foundations. The message of hope in this passage is that the house built on firm foundations endures against the dangerous waters.
Our faith in Jesus Christ is the firm foundation upon which we can build our lives. Yes, trials and dangers face to face us every day. But when we remain steadfast in our faith convictions and close to the Lord Jesus we have nothing to fear.
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