Daily Reflection by Fr. John O’Connor OFM
There are two important teachings in this passage:
Jesus demanded that individuals should listen. One of the challenges today is communication. During my years as Provincial, with the members of my administration I developed a five-year strategic plan for the Province (445 Friars). Some months later I was at a meeting at one of our larger houses and during the question-and-answer period of a presentation that I was doing, one of the younger friars commented, “What we need as a Province is a strategic plan.” Hello! We have had one for almost a year!
Too often these days we hear people quoting Jesus and they really do not know what He said, or even what the Church teaches. People too soon make judgements without knowing the facts.
The second thing that Jesus demanded is that individuals should do!
Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into action. Theory must become practice. As one author said, there is little value in going to a doctor unless we hear what he said for us to do and we do it. Too many Christians listen to the gospel being preached but do not put it in to practice. Why? Because living the Gospel is not easy.
There is only one way that a person’s sincerity can be proved, and that is by putting it into practice. “Fine words can never be a substitute for fine deeds.”
Finally, Jesus tells us in this passage that the operative word for putting His words into practice is obedience. He promises us that a life based on obedience to Him, is safe, no matter what storms in life may come.