The Wise Man Acts

The wise man acts. They live by the wise words of Benjamin Franklin, “Don't put off until tomorrow what can be done today.” This is the message of our Lord as he closes his Sermon on the Mount in this Gospel. It is not enough to profess faith in Jesus Christ, to call oneself a Christian. To truly be a Christian requires action. It requires one to develop a relationship with Christ, to repent of one’s sins and conform one’s life to Christ’s teachings, and to go forth and share the Gospel with others.

The Wise Man Acts

Gospel - Matthew 7:21-29

Jesus said to his disciples:

"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.

Many will say to me on that day,

'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name?

Did we not drive out demons in your name?

Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?'

Then I will declare to them solemnly,

'I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.'

"Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them

will be like a wise man who built his house on rock.

The rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.

And everyone who listens to these words of mine

but does not act on them

will be like a fool who built his house on sand.

The rain fell, the floods came,

and the winds blew and buffeted the house.

And it collapsed and was completely ruined."

When Jesus finished these words,

the crowds were astonished at his teaching,

for he taught them as one having authority,

and not as their scribes.

Scriptural Analysis

It would not have been uncommon for a teacher to remind his students to avoid false prophets or to note the need for his students to bear fruit. However, Jesus will now make a claim that is without equal. In his explanation of who will enter heaven, Jesus places himself as the judge of the world. This would have been unheard of. No other teacher would make such a claim.

The focus of this final dialogue in the Sermon on the Mount is an exchange between Jesus and those who are considered evildoers. Interestingly enough, these ‘evildoers’ are not what one would expect them to be: murderers, atheists, godless men. Instead, these are people who lived their lives as professed Christians. They have called upon the Lord and claim that they have performed miracles in His name. Yet despite their external appearance, Jesus declares to them that he never knew them.

The point Jesus is trying to stress is that externals do not matter. Just because someone can perform a miracle in the name of Jesus via charismatic grace, does not mean that the faith has taken root in their heart: that sanctifying grace has penetrated them, bringing them closer to Christ. Simply professing the faith does not mean that one truly believes. It does not mean that they have a personal relationship with Christ and are obedient to the Father’s will. This is what we will ultimately be judged upon.

Jesus presents a parable about two builders: one who is foolish and one who is wise. The parable’s central theme is that obedience to Christ’s words must be the foundation of our lives. We will all stand before Jesus and be judged on whether or not we put His Gospel into practice. In Palestine, the winter season is characterized by the rainy season, during which storms arrive accompanied by powerful winds and torrential rains. The dry land can be filled quickly, leading to flooding. This can also lead to rapid erosion, which can devastate any building constructed on sand. Any house not built on solid rock will collapse. The wise builder is the one who took the time to build on a solid foundation, whereas the foolish builder did not, resulting in disaster.

The Jewish listener may hear in Jesus’ parable a reference to the Book of Proverbs. In Proverbs, we hear that “The house of the righteous will stand,” whereas “The house of the wicked will be destroyed” (Proverbs 12:7 & 14:11). The wise man is the righteous man, whereas the foolish man is the wicked man. The wise man puts the teachings of Jesus into practice, whereas the foolish man hears them but fails to put them into action.

Matthew chooses to close the section of his Gospel with the statement, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.” For the Jewish people, the Mosaic law defined every aspect of their life: faith, worship, morality, and civil order were all judged by the Law of Moses. When the scribes taught, they would appeal to both the Mosaic law and the teachings of rabbis who had come before them. Jesus, on the other hand, makes the absolute judge of human conduct his teaching. He reveals that he is the final judge, not only surpassing the scribe but also about Moves himself. He is claiming absolute lordship over all of human life in an unprecedented way.

Daily Application

Pew Research recently published a survey showing that only 28% of Catholics attend Mass weekly. Although it is a precept, a rule of the Church, that one must attend Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, only 28% of those who identify as Catholic adhere to this precept. That means almost 75% of those who identify as Catholic don’t do the most important thing for a Catholic to do: attend Mass and offer God the worship he is due.

This is what Christ warns us against in this Gospel. It is one thing to say that you are Catholic, but it is an entirely different thing actually to live a Catholic life. What is worse, the data from Pew shows a very strong correlation between Mass attendance. That same study shows that:

91% of Catholics who go to Mass at least weekly say that having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is essential to what being Catholic means to them, compared with 67% of Catholics who go to Mass monthly and 63% of Catholics who go to Mass a few times a year or less often. Among Catholics who never go to Mass, 45% say having a personal relationship with Jesus is essential to their Catholic identity.

Jesus has told us that developing a relationship with him is essential. The place where that relationship takes root, grows, and blossoms is in the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

But it does not stop there. The same study reveals that 65% of Catholics who attend Mass weekly recognize the need to help the poor and needy, while 39% recognize the need to care for immigrants. Both of these data points are substantially lower for those Catholics who fail to attend Mass weekly.

Jesus tells us in this Gospel that we must put His teachings into practice. Calling ourselves Catholic is not enough to enter into heaven. We must live a Catholic life. That begins with attending Mass on Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation. That becomes the foundation of the relationship with Christ we are called to enter into and cultivate. Out of that relationship flows our service to our brothers and sisters in need. Out of that relationship flows a desire to evangelize: to share the Gospel message with those we meet. It is not enough for us to say we are Catholic; we must be Catholic. The fool is content with a label. The wise man acts.