But why do you call Me `Lord, Lord,’ and do not do the things which I say? “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. “But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great. (Luke 6.43-49)
Prayer: Almighty God, who formed the earth out of water and through water by your word, who saved Noah and his family through water while destroying the wicked, who delivered your people Israel through the Sea while defeating Pharaoh and his armies, all of which are types of baptism into Christ Jesus, we pray that you will look mercifully upon Diana, saving her with your people while destroying sin and death. May she, throughout her life, relying upon the grace you give to her this day, continue to mortify sin so that at the last day she may participate in the resurrection of the just and reign with Christ Jesus eternally. Amen
At the end of what is commonly called “the Sermon on the Plain,” Jesus speaks a parable to the great crowd of disciples. This parable is a contrast between two different people. These people aren’t different in what they hear or in the fact that they will face floods in their lives. Both hear, and both will be assaulted by floods. The only difference between these two people is what they do with the words of Jesus. One person lives according to Jesus’ words, and the other one doesn’t.
The one who does Jesus’ words and doesn’t only hear them is the one who digs deep and builds his house upon an unshakeable rock. The other man who doesn’t live according to Jesus’ words is the one who builds his house on the superficial, shifting soil.
The effects of the flood upon both are drastically different. The one loyal to Jesus’ words is able to withstand the flood. The other person is eternally swept away. These floods of which Jesus speaks are the torrents and trials that ultimately culminate in God’s final judgment. Each and every person will face various floods whether Christian or non-Christian. All will face God’s judgment. The one characteristic that will distinguish between the two and the effect of the flood will be whether or not their thoughts, words, and actions were controlled by the words of Jesus.
Today, the Lord Jesus is speaking to this child, her parents, and to the rest of the church. We are all hearing what he is saying. Hearing is necessary, but it is not will protect Diana or any of the rest of us. Conforming our lives to what Jesus says in baptism will.
Diana is a subject to the Lord Jesus in his kingdom, a citizen of the New Jerusalem. Today her’s and her parents’ fealty is pledged to Jesus as Lord, which means that they pledge to do what he tells them to do.
Parents, yours is the responsibility to take the word you have heard today from our Lord in Diana’s baptism and teach her and train her by it. Remind her that Jesus spoke to her directly, telling her that she belongs to him and that he loves her.
In response, she is to give her heart to Jesus; to obey him out of a heart of love and gratitude to him for saving her because she trusts that he loves her and only wants what is best for her. She is to be faithful in meeting with God’s people for worship. She is to live a holy life as she walks through the world. She is to build her life on Jesus’ words.
Like everyone else, she will face floods. There will be trials and possibly persecution along the way. But as she builds her life on Jesus’ words, no matter the future flood she faces, because she has entered the flood of judgment with Jesus this day in baptism, dying and rising with him, she will not be eternally swept away. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
