Chapter # 6 Paragraph # 5 Study # 33
June 15, 2008
Lincolnton, NC
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AV Translation:
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Whosoever cometh to me, and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will shew you to whom he is like:
48 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.
49 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.
1901 ASV Translation:
46 And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?
47 Every one that cometh unto me, and heareth my words, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like:
48 he is like a man building a house, who digged and went deep, and laid a foundation upon the rock: and when a flood arose, the stream brake against that house, and could not shake it: because it had been well builded.
49 But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that built a house upon the earth without a foundation; against which the stream brake, and straightway it fell in; and the ruin of that house was great.
Luke's Record:
- I. Jesus' Challenge.
- A. The "problem" is serious hypocrisy.
- 1. Having just said "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks", Jesus turns immediately to something coming out of the "mouth" that is patently contrary to the "abundance of the heart".
- a. He is accusing His hearers of saying He is "Lord" while frankly disobeying His doctrine.
- 1) This accusation is easy to make. No one follows the doctrine of Jesus absolutely. The best anyone ever does is to develop a practice of moving toward that practice. Even Paul taught that we need to press forward in a clear-eyed recognition that we have not done real well in the past (Philippians 3:13). Jesus, Himself, taught not "instant discipleship", but "continuance" (John 8:31) over the long haul into genuine discipleship.
- 2) This easy accusation creates a significant "tension" in that all men need human helpers while also needing to be independent of human helpers.
- a) Jesus set the Church up to function with plenty of "human helpers", but retained for Himself the position of "Head". By this means He addressed this inevitable tension. If a person will embrace the help of other members of the Body (and not say, "I have no need of you" -- 1 Corinthians 12:21) while also retaining the "faith" principle of only "depending" upon Him Who is the only Dependable One, he/she will grow up in Christ.
- b) The problems develop whenever the "human helpers" seek to be the "Head" over others.
- b. This indicates the terrible reality of human deceit and makes it even more critical for "disciples" to be extremely careful about taking the words of men at face value. True words out of the mouth of a deceitful man are more dangerous than bold lies out of the mouth of a known sinner.
- c. The problem for "disciples" is that, at any given time, only about ten per cent of what is "said" is even retained, let alone deeply embraced, but what is demonstrated is "picked up on" and copied if it "suits" the preferences of the observer. Thus, serious hypocrisy will be copied and serious discipleship will be ignored...unless the disciple is a disciple indeed. This is part of the reason for the condition of the Laodicean "church": people do what they really want to do no matter who their "teacher" is; and, too often, the "teachers" are saying the right words but doing what they please and, too often, cloaking greed under the false words of some kind of "the Lord led", divine vision thing.
- 2. At some point, every true disciple will become a "self-feeder" because he cannot trust the words of men. Those of Berea have stood as the proper example for hundreds of years (Acts 17:11). And they, like the men of Nineveh and the Queen of the South, will arise in the judgment as a frank statement that no excuses will be accepted.