Matthew 7:21-29 (NRSV)
Read Matthew 7:21-29 on biblegateway.com
Verse 21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. Verse 22On that day many will say to me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many deeds of power in your name?' Verse 23Then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; go away from me, you evildoers.' Verse 24"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. Verse 25The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on rock. Verse 26And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on sand. Verse 27The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell-and great was its fall!" Verse 28Now when Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astounded at his teaching, Verse 29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Devotion
When Jesus ascended to heaven, God sent the Holy Spirit as the new authority. The Holy Spirit is mentioned five times in Matthew, four times in Mark, but 53 times in Luke and Acts. Particularly in Acts, one notices that his followers were always in prayer awaiting the authority and empowering of the Spirit. People were seeking an authority, a mystery they could trust. Today, the burning question among seekers is not “Does God exist?” but rather, “Does God really care?”
Believing in Jesus and behaving yourself in Christ are important means of grace. Christ comes, however, not to make us good children, but to make us God’s children.
All of us are daily dealing with circumstances that test and tempt our inner stances. As a spiritual mentor, my roles are to coach people in spiritual direction and spiritual discernment, but most of all to connect people to spiritual hearts and communities, to where the presence and authority of God reign.
Prayer
Let us pray: Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Melt me, mold me, fill me, use me. Spirit of the living God, fall afresh on me. Amen.