“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46)
It was customary in Jesus’ day to address a man of stature as ‘lord’. The bible versions often differentiate respected men from Jesus by the use of ‘lord’ vs. ‘LORD’ (or, Lord).
However, in this verse Jesus is quoted as repeating the term. This was a way of emphasizing the importance and credibility of the person; in this case, Jesus Himself. Basically, it’s as if Jesus is saying, “Why are you making overtures toward Me as if you consider me God’s messenger, but then you don’t even follow My lead?”
We can imagine Jesus speaking to His disciples after watching their daily lives. Many of them had followed Him and were with Him regularly, yet in spite of their enthusiasm for His message, they hadn’t grasped the significance of it.
We need to regularly pray David’s prayer from Psalm 139:
’Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” (Psalm 139:23-24)
Let’s face it: we are not capable of scrutinizing our own lives. Our sinful ways too often get in the way of seeing clearly. For instance, how often have you discredited someone and then rationalized it away by saying, “I’m just telling you what I heard.”, or you lust after someone and think, “I’m only appreciating the great body God gave him/her!”?
“Rationalization is a process of not perceiving reality, but of attempting to make reality fit one’s emotions.” (Ayn Rand)
We need the Holy Spirit to keep us on the Right Path, daily.
Now, Jesus didn’t just leave them hanging; He illuminated His message.
“Everyone who comes to me and listens to my words and puts them into practice – I will show you what he is like: He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep, and laid the foundation on bedrock. When a flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the person who hears and does not put my words into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against that house, it collapsed immediately, and was utterly destroyed!” — Luke 6:46-49
If you’ve been a follower of Christ for a while, you understand this. Yet, don’t miss the depth of truth in what He says.
The operative phrase in this passage is “the person who hears and does not put my words into practice…”. Even as devout followers, it is too easy to fall back on our ‘successes’ as Christians and fail to see our stumblings. It’s too easy to think we hear Him and then go about our merry way, unaffected.
The true believer hears—really hears!—Jesus’ words and instructions for living and puts them into practice.
Let’s take a look at this rebuke of Jesus for a moment.
To “hear”, in biblical jargon, means more than the physical/aural awareness of words being spoken. Hearing means to take in and embrace Christ’s message, not simply the words spoken. The term encompasses listening intently and allowing what He has to say to register not only in our minds, but in our hearts.
But, it doesn’t end there.
Once we have truly heard Jesus we must—daily—put His perfect word into practice. Let’s be honest: we humans have such a short attention span at times we can’t remember what the sermon was about at church an hour after, let alone take in deep, concrete instruction and perform it flawlessly.
We need to practice, practice, practice.
I know Jesus said to pray for our “enemies”, but I am forever being admonished by Jesus’ Holy Spirit for failing to follow through. I’d rather disdain someone who hurts me than pray for their souls—as if I have the right to judge them and leave them floundering spiritually (because, in my heart, “it serves them right!”).
[BTW…Jesus began this entire rebuke with “Do not judge…” — Luke 6:37]
One of my personal prayers is that I never take Jesus’ words for granted. He was not just “a guy” who occasionally shared some tidbit of wisdom. There is nothing(!) Jesus ever said that is the least bit trivial. I pray I remember that. Friends, I pray you all remember that as well.
So, let’s HEAR Him, and put His words into PRACTICE.
Then…(and, I believe only then) can we rightly call Him, “Lord, LORD”.
“One of my personal prayers is that I never take Jesus’ words for granted. He was not just “a guy” who occasionally shared some tidbit of wisdom. There is nothing(!) Jesus ever said that is the least bit trivial. I pray I remember that”. GREAT prayer!!!!