Jesus told such vivid and easily memorable stories that people of every age and in every part of the world could learn a lesson from them.
Here, he ends his series of short sermons with a stern warning conveyed with another dramatic illustration.
We are asked to examine our hearts and know that what is
truly in our hearts will be evident in our lives: our talk and deeds. “The mouth speaks what the heart is full of” is a familiar saying. We cannot help ourselves eventually revealing our true character and motives through what we do and say and through what we don’t do or say. ‘Actions speak louder than words’ is yet another way to express this same truth. So often, when our backs are against the wall, our cover is broken at the most inconvenient times, and our masks fall off. Jesus warns us to
be careful of this.
Listening to true wisdom and not putting it into practice is like building without foundations. Sooner or later, the floods will come, and then it will be apparent what sort of building you live in.
In plain language, pretending is pointless because we will always be caught out. Perhaps as we enter the Lenten season, we need to ask ourselves
some straight and possibly harsh questions.
What is truly stored up in my heart?
Are there ways in which I pretend to be what I am not?
Do I serve others and God with a ‘double heart’ – following my desires while pretending to follow God’s law?
Reflections by Reggie Venter
