USE YOUR COMMON SENSE!

9^th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Mt 7:21-27

The problem with common sense is that it is not at all very common. That, however, does not mean that not all people have it. On the contrary, all people are gifted with it, but not all people use it.

Salvation, while it is a sheer gift from God, needs a lot of common sense from one who desires to be saved. While it is God’s gratuitous offer to us all, salvation is a two-way road. We have to do our part. We must make our choice. We need to act. And in the process of doing so, we should use our common sense.

We love God, should we not strive to please Him? That is common sense. We long for Him, must not our life-choices be according to His will? That is common sense. We want to live with Him forever someday, ought we not start living with Him even now? That is common sense. Why listen to Him when we do not obey Him? Why believe in Him when we do not trust Him? Why call our selves Christians when our living is anything except Christ-like? It does not take a genius to answer these questions. Even the unschooled can answer them. Common sense can show anyone the truth.

A man builds a house. But he builds it on sand. Should he expect his foundation strong? Only a moron will rely on the strength of a sandy foundation. Common sense are given to all; even morons have it, but they do not use it.

The word of God is the rock on which we must anchor our lives. Choosing otherwise is not using our common sense. Why make decisions based on the options that the world offers, when we all know that everything in the world – including the world in itself – passes? Only Jesus, the Word of God Himself, remains the same yesterday, today, and forever. Why obey men rather than God, when, in the end, men themselves are accountable to God for their lives? Jesus, the Word of God Himself, is the judge of heaven and earth. Why gain the whole world but lose your soul in the process? Jesus, the Word of God, is Himself the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Why build your life on sand, when you may – and you should – build it on rock? Jesus Himself is that rock. Having known Jesus, only a moron will anchor his or her life on something else, on somebody else.

But what does it mean to build our life on Jesus? What does it take to anchor our life on Him?

Building our life on Jesus means striving to live as Jesus lives. He is the obedient Son of the Father. Following His example, living His life, we do our best each day not only to listen to Jesus but, like Jesus, obey the Father’s will. Certainly this makes radical demands on us. It cost Jesus His very life. Should we expect a lesser demand on us? But the resurrection of Jesus proved who really in the end gained the better. We may likewise expect nothing less for us if we persevere in following Him.

The story is told of an American naval officer who dreamt of commanding his own vessel. When he finally realized his dream, he was given charge of a great destroyer. Immediately, he set on a voyage. Immediately, too, a fierce storm set in. a competent captain that he was, the officer was able to maintain his course despite the huge waves and forceful winds that buffeted his great destroyer. It was not, however, the storm that troubled him, but a light that shone from some distance. Whatever that light was, it certainly was directly on his path and, unless either him or the signalman would change course, a head-on collision was sure to happen soon. So, he ordered the signalman: “You are directly on our path, please alter your course twenty-five degrees to the south.”

A response came: “You, instead, should change course twenty-five degrees to the north.” A little annoyed, the captain sent another message: “This is a high-ranking naval officer and I order you to alter your course twenty-five degrees to the south.” A reply came: “Sir, I am but a third-class seaman. With due respect though, I suggest that you change your course twenty-five degrees to the north.”

Infuriated, the captain issued a warning: “You better change your course or else I will smash you into pieces. I am a destroyer.” The response that came back could not be less clear: “Sir, you better be the one to alter course. I am a lighthouse!”

Listen to Jesus. Live like Jesus. You may be the captain of your life. But the light ahead of you is Christ. Follow what He says. Do what He does. And that is pure common sense, too.