Jesus descended from a mountain top where He selected the twelve, “whom also he named apostles” (Luke 6:13). Having arrived in the plain, our Lord was met by a great multitude of people out of all Judaea, Jerusalem, and the sea coast of Tyre and Sidon. They were there to hear and for healing; “which came to hear him, and to be healed of their diseases” (vs.17). Having spoken to them on a multitude of subjects, in verse 39-49, He enlightened them to at least five basic principles of fruitfulness. We have already addressed four of five, “Progress is dictated by your partner”, “Promotion is determined by your professor”, “Pride is destroyed by your perception” and “Product is the display of one’s person.” At this time, I want to enumerate on the fifth.
Proof is Derived Through Perseverance
Luke 6:46-49 “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like: He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock: and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it: for it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth; against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
When considering the fourth aspect of fruit bearing, we discover that it is imperative that we remember that God has put into place certain laws and principles that cannot be broken, made invalid, or ignored! In our approach to the fifth principle of fruit bearing, we discover that those laws are still in effect! God’s law will always prove to be relevant and in force; to think otherwise is to assure oneself of an undesirable end!
In this particular text, our Lord will build upon the previous thought or principle of fruit bearing; “Product is the display of one’s person.” Jesus pointed out that good fruit comes from the contents of a good heart, and corrupt fruit comes from the contents of an evil heart. In essence, the fruit is nothing more than a revelation of the true nature of the person. Our Lord brings the previous text to a close with these words, “for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh” (verse 45). In other words, the things that are uttered from the lips are the overflow of the inner man, and the nature of the overflow depicts the true nature of the man.
Our Lord opened the next thought magnifying the utterance of certain men’s lips; “And why call ye me, Lord, Lord.” While it is true that the utterance depicts the nature of the heart, it is imperative that one discern the nature of the utterance with respect to truthfulness. Those that are void of discernment assume that all that call Jesus Lord, will go to heaven, but our Lord said, “Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21). Within our text, Jesus said that there is an element of people that are respectful with their lips, but not responsible with their lives. They talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk! As a means of discernment, Jesus will set forth the test of perseverance to prove the validity of the utterance which in turn reveals the true nature of one’s heart.
The Reason For Testing
“why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not”
The reason for testing is that there is a discrepancy between the declaration of the lips and the dedication of the life! This is very apparent from the Lord’s use of the word, “why” which is an interrogative pronoun used in direct or indirect questions. Those, to whom our Lord is making reference, have properly declared aloud that Jesus is the supreme authority, controller, and master of life and yet, their life style gives clear evidence that they have rejected the principles and commandments that He has set forth in His Word. You will note from the phrase in verse 47, “cometh to me, and heareth my sayings” and verse 49, “he that heareth”; the discrepancy between lips and life doesn’t stem from the absence of knowledge or understanding. Both individuals “heareth.” The word not only means to hear in various senses or come to the ears, but also has the thought of understanding; “Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin” (James 4:17). The fact that both heard, reveals that the real problem stems from man’s heart and not his head!
The Regions Of Testing
“laid the foundation on a rock . . . without a foundation built an house upon the earth”
The testing process will be that of contrast; Jesus said, “I will shew you to whom he is like.” The word “shew” means to exhibit under the eyes, to instruct or admonish. Jesus exhibits the activities of two different individuals with respect to two areas! The first area of investigation is that of a foundation; does one exist? Jesus makes it very clear that while both men will build a house; both men didn’t take the time to lay a foundation! One man has a house with a foundation and one has a house without a foundation. There is one thing that we must be mindful of; within this text, there is a difference between “a rock”, and “a foundation.” I believe that Jesus’ reference to the foundation that must precede the building process is that of faith! While both hear, both don’t enact faith in what they heard; “For unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it” (Hebrews 4:2). Listen to the words of Stuart Holden, “The man who digs deep must throw out the earth as he digs, and rid himself of that which prevents his naked soul attaching itself to the Rock. He must renounce that which comes between himself and the Saviour, and in such loss he will find eternal gain.” It is only by the means of faith that one can attach himself to the Rock of Ages!
The second area of investigation is that of footing; “on a rock” or “upon the earth.” There are a multitude of truths that can be derived from this thought. Will your life come to rest on the eternal or the temporal, will it rest upon the spiritual or the secular, will it rest upon the solid or the shifting?
The Revelation of Testing
“and when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently upon that house, and could not shake it . . . against which the stream did beat vehemently, and immediately it fell; and the ruin of that house was great.”
With respect to testing, please pay close attention to the phrase, “and when the flood arose.” It is not if we are going to face the storms and adversities of life, but when! The difference between the two is clear and simple; perseverance! Pause to think how impressive this statement is; “and could not shake it.” The word “shake” means to wavier, to disturb, to agitate, or to stir up. This is what one can expect when their foundation and their footing is correct. Not the case with all those that have cast aside the need for the foundation of faith and begun to build upon on the shifting sand of the temporal secular principles of this world; the end is “ruin.” The word means something torn apart or fragmented.
With respect to our relationship to Christ the proof is derived though perseverance!