Simple, But Not Easy

Today's Eucharistic Gospel reading is Matthew 7:21-27.  Here he compares those who "hear these words and do them" to a wise man building his house on rock.  Those who hear but don't do them are headed for destruction.  So my first question was, "What words is he talking about?"

This passage is the ending to the Sermon on the Mount.  Jesus has been teaching for three chapters about how to live, how to pray, what to value.  Many of the teachings are inspiring and uplifting: "Do to others as you would have them do to you"; "Don't worry about tomorrow"; the Lord's Prayer.  But many are disturbing and challenging, to the point where we have decided as churches and as cultures to ignore them: no divorce except for adultery, no adultery for that matter, fasting, not retaliating or harboring anger, loving our enemies.  Matthew doesn't separate some of these out and make them optional.  All of these, according to Matthew, are Jesus' "words."

So: are you ready for Advent?  Are you ready to meet God again, in the flesh?
Are you ready to meet God in the annoying neighbor, the bully, the political opponent, the unwashed homeless person, the panhandler?
Are you ready to meet God as the one who wants to forgive you for your failures, who forgives you your anger, your annoyingness, your rudeness or disdain?  Are you ready to start again?

I could avoid all this by explaining how some of these prescriptions were shaped by Jesus' society, a society radically different from ours.  I could say that some of these just aren't realistic.  And they aren't.  They fly directly in the face of my primitive survival instinct, my "realistic" fears and desires. But I do believe that Jesus said them and meant them.  So I'm in a hard place.

I can do my best to build my house on rock, but I'm pretty sure I've got too much sand in it for it to stand really firm.  My only hope is to do my best and trust in God's mercy to show me how to do better.  Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.