Friday, March 19, 2021

Today’s reflection is written by Deacon Karen Katamay.

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” —Matthew 7:24

I remember first learning about the wise man/foolish man story in Sunday School a long time ago, and to this day I still remember most of the song we learned along with the story. Songs are such a fun way to learn stories, aren’t they? And a great way to help you remember. In the song for this story, the first verse teaches us that the wise man built his house upon the rock and when the rains came down and the floods came up, the house on the rock stood still. The second verse teaches us that the foolish man built his house upon the sand and when the rains came down and the floods came up the house on the sand fell down. But the third verse is my favorite.  It tells us that when we build our lives on the Lord, Jesus Christ, the blessings will come down as the prayers go up. Building our lives on the Lord fills our lives with blessings and gives us a firm foundation for those stormy times in our lives so we don’t come crashing down. 

I’m not sure if they still teach this song and others like it in Sunday School, but I hope they do. From the wise man/foolish man story to this little gospel light of mine, the words of Jesus (and the songs based on them) still teach us today how to live and love and care for others. And as Jesus reminds us in Matthew 18:3, when we become like children, with open minds and hearts, eager to learn, we will begin to truly see the kingdom of heaven! Amen.