Built to Last
June 26, 2025 - Thursday of the Twelfth Week in Ordinary Time
Matthew 7:21–29
Not everyone who says the right things is doing the right things. That’s the hard truth Jesus gives us in today’s Gospel.
“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.” (Matt 7:21)
In other words: God isn’t looking for lip service. He’s looking for lives that reflect His will.
What’s shocking, though, is what Jesus says next. There are people—religious people—who have prophesied, cast out demons, and performed miracles in His name. And yet, He’ll say to them: “I never knew you.”
That’s unsettling. How can someone do powerful, even spiritual, things and still be far from God?
The Bible gives us a chilling example: Hophni and Phinehas, the sons of Eli. They were priests. They held sacred roles. But Scripture calls them “worthless men who did not know the Lord” (1 Samuel 2:12). It’s possible to wear the right robe, say the right prayers, and still not know God.
That’s not just ancient history—it’s a warning for today. People can claim to represent Jesus, gather crowds, go viral, even perform wonders—while quietly dismantling the Gospel through their actions, attitudes, or abuse of power.
But Jesus sees through all of it. We can fool others. We can even fool ourselves. But we can’t fool Him.
He knows what’s behind the performance. He knows the heart.
So what is the will of God?
For Jesus, it meant laying down His life in love—“Behold, I come to do your will” (Hebrews 10:7).
For us, Paul writes: “This is the will of God—your sanctification” (1 Thess 4:3). In plain language: it’s about growing in holiness. And holiness always looks like love.
– “Be holy, for I am holy” becomes
– “Love one another as I have loved you.” (John 13:34)
Love doesn’t manipulate. It doesn’t lie. It doesn’t exploit.
As Paul says: “Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law” (Romans 13:10).
To close His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus gives one final image: two houses.
One built on rock. One on sand. One stands in the storm. One collapses.
The difference? The foundation.
Not just hearing His words—but doing them.
In the end, Jesus says: it’s not the flashiest house that lasts.
It’s the one built on obedience.
So here’s the question:
What foundation are we building our lives on?
Do His words shape our choices?
Do His teachings shape our relationships, our priorities, our hopes?
It’s never too late to start rebuilding.
Because when the storms come—and they always do—only what’s built on Him will stand.