"And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?"
Luke 6:46
Part 1
In these last four verses of Luke 6, the end of the Lord’s “Sermon on the Mount,” Jesus teaches us a simple truth. Those who listen to and really hear Him, and then act on His words are wise. These are like the man who built his house on the rock, a safe place. But others listen to the same teaching and ignore whatever they choose too, are like a fool who built his house on the sand.
The test of a true Christian is, what does he/she do with what the Lord says?
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord?”
Names are important. In the Bible, names often described the character of the one named. This is especially true of the God of the Bible with His show of countless meaningful names. One day Jesus was with His disciples when He asked them this question,
“…Whom do men say that I the Son of man am?” (Matthew 16:13).
The answer to that question is essential. No, Jesus was not taking a “poll” to feel out the pulse of His crowds, to try and figure out what He should do next. He was going to use the disciples’ thoughts, to teach them a valuable lesson. Their answer to Jesus was,
“…Some say that thou art John the Baptist: some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets” (Matthew 16:14).
Jesus’ followers had many wrong ideas about who He is. His disciples saw that. Then Jesus asked this of them,
“…But whom say ye that I am?” (Matthew 16:15).
Jesus just made the discussion personal to each of them. I would guess that as He looked around at the faces of His men there in Caesarea Philippi, He watched them squirm a while before Peter finally spoke up and said,
“…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).
Peter’s answer is the correct one, and Jesus went on to tell him that the Father had revealed that truth to him. As the men began to understand who Jesus is, the “Christ”—the “Messiah,” and “God’s Son in human flesh” living on the earth among them, they must obey Him without question or hesitation. What ever He says, they must obey. This is a lesson vital to every believer!
“And why call ye me, Lord, Lord?”
As Jesus is finishing His Sermon on the Mount, he asks His hearers this question. And by it, He is showing us that calling Him “Lord,” does not make it so! If we call Him “Lord,” it does not mean that He is our Lord. There is more to salvation than just speaking His name or title.
“Outward conformity is not enough. You must be a doer of the Word, not only a hearer. Calling Jesus “Lord” is an empty statement if it never makes a difference in your life”[1] (Guzik).
Dear reader, may I ask you this question? “Who do you say Jesus is?” How you answer this may have a massive impact on your eternity!
Please come back tomorrow as we think about this question, “How can we call Jesus’ Lord,’ and then disobey Him?”
Quote: “I really don’t think…you are in a bargaining position with God. He is the Master. He is the Commanding Officer. It is not for you to have input. It is simply for you to accept the orders as the orders are given”[2] (Elisabeth Elliot).
[1] Guzik, David. David Guzik’s Enduring Word Commentary, the electronic version in eSword.
[2] Elisabeth Elliot quote, Downloaded: Monday, July 20, 2020.
From: https://www.christianquotes.info/quotes-by-topic/quotes-about-obedience/.