H. Michael Brewer
Crescent Springs Presbyterian
March 14, 2004
DIGGING DEEPER
Luke 6:47-49
Last week we looked at the parable of the two people who built their houses respectively on the
sand and on the rock, and we talked about the importance of building our lives on the right lot. But
what if we end up in a place we never meant to be? Maybe we come to a place we never chose to
be because circumstances or other people made choices for us, choices we would not have made on
our own.
For instance, I have friends who are struggling financially in spite of having made all the “right”
choices. They went to school, they trained for careers in a booming field, but thanks to the downturn
in technology and the whims of corporate America, they find themselves struggling to survive. It’s not
where they chose to be, but there they are anyway.
Consider the middle-aged man who has given up his career and lives in constant pain because of
an automobile accident that was not his fault. Other people I know live with the invisible pain of
persistent depression or chronic anxiety. What about the person who didn’t want a divorce, but is
suddenly single again anyway? Then there’s the woman I met who doesn’t believe in abortion and
finds herself raising a child conceived in an act of violence in an unlighted parking lot.
I have a number of friends in Alcoholics Anonymous. They come from various backgrounds.
Some are religious, some aren’t. Some are professionals, some are students. Basically my alcoholic
friends have two things in common. At some point they all chose to drink alcohol, and none of them
chose to become alcoholics. Why is it that some people can drink a glass of wine with dinner or have
a beer at the game and it never hooks them, while others end up addicted for life? I don’t know.
All I really know is that sometimes good, decent, well-intentioned people simply end up in places
they never meant to be. When that happens, what do we do? There’s no rewind button on life. We
don’t get “do overs” in the real world, and even if we did there’s no guarantee we wouldn’t end up
someplace even worse—which brings us back to the parable of the two builders.
Last week we looked at Matthew’s version of that parable, but today we want to study the way
Luke received this parable. The differences are subtle, but significant. Here’s the way Luke heard the
story.
I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, hears my words, and acts on them. That
one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when a flood
arose, the river burst against that house but could not shake it, because it had been well built. But the
one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation.
When the river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house. (Luke 6:47-49
NRSV)
If you recall last week’s reading, you know that the parable in Matthew’s gospel emphasizes
choosing the right place to build, not down in the river valley, but up on the rock. But the parable in
Luke shifts the focus away from location. In Luke’s version, both homeowners apparently build on
the flat, dry riverbed. It’s not a good place to build. Maybe they made a mistake; maybe they didn’t
know any better; maybe it was the only land available. Whatever the reason, they both end up in a
bad place.
The difference between them is how they build in that bad place. When the inevitable flood
arrives, the river bursts against both houses, but only one house is swept away. The other house is
equally battered by the floodwaters, but in this case the builder had dug deeply, excavating through
the shifting sand and laying a solid foundation. And that house—the house in a bad place with a good
foundation—that house survives the flood and still stands when the waters have passed.
The way Matthew records this parable, it teaches us the important lesson of deciding wisely in life,
choosing the best place to build. We will all do well to take that to heart. When we choose values
and priorities that honor Christ, our lives will be built on his strength.
On the other hand, the parable from Luke’s Gospel is a gift to those whose choices have gone
awry or those who never got to choose freely. The story of the two men who build on the riverbed is
for people who find themselves in places they never expected to be, never meant to be. And the
lesson of this parable is that even in the most difficult and painful situations, we can still dig deeply and
establish our hopes on the foundation of Jesus. No matter where you are or where I am, we can
reach Jesus from there. Beneath our circumstances is bedrock that never trembles or cracks. If we fix
our future on Christ, nothing in the present can undo us.
I’ve been fortunate enough to do a little traveling, and one of my favorite places is the watery city
of Venice. Of course, nobody in their right mind chooses to build on water. The Venetians built there
because they didn’t have any other choice. No doubt, the first Venetians would have loved to build a
proud, tall city on dry ground, but constant invasions and attacks forced them onto the scattered
islands in the lagoon. Adapting to life on the water was more desperation than decision. Living in the
lagoon offered protection from attack. The average depth of the lagoon is only about three feet—too
deep for invading foot soldiers and too shallow for battle ships.
So they made the best of the bad place where they found themselves. The islands were too
swampy to bear heavy structures, so the builders innovated. Since there was no solid ground
available, they would make their own. The trunks of alder and larch trees were cut to length—
between six and eight feet—and driven into the sandy mud one by one. These massive stakes or piles
were placed snugly side by side in an arrangement of concentric circles. The pilings were topped with
a thick layer of non-porous limestone, and this provided the necessary foundation for erecting
buildings. At first, construction was limited to the surface of the island itself, but these early engineers
soon extended the pilings into the shallow floor of the lagoon. With that step taken the city continued
to grow beyond the boundaries of the island. In the process, literally millions of massive wooden
stakes were driven into the soft soil.
Through determination and faith, Venice became a leading city in both art and commerce. Today
Venice is a living museum, and architectural marvel. Virtually untouched by centuries of military
conflict, the city of canals remains one of the best-preserved ancient sites in Europe, a magnet for
sightseers from around the globe.
Bear in mind that this lovely and gracious city did not grow in ideal circumstances. To the
contrary, Venice was born from danger, hardship and struggle. No one would willingly elect to build
soaring cathedrals upon the muddy ooze of the sea bottom, but having been forced into that situation,
the Venetians proved what wonders are possible when a firm foundation is established beneath the
sinking sand.
If we have ears to hear, there’s a lesson here for you and me. Each of us can point to conditions in
life that we didn’t choose and never wanted—a physical disability, emotional problems, a stormy
marriage, career setbacks, injuries or illnesses, thwarted hopes—but we don’t have to let these
frustrations define our limits. With the proper foundation deep beneath our disappointments, we can
still build lives of beauty, wonder, and accomplishment.
Every carpenter knows that a building is both supported and limited by its foundation. Once the
foundation is established, the maximum size and scope of the building is pre-determined. The
structure obviously cannot be wider than the foundation, and even the height is limited by how much
weight the foundation can bear. In life we are limited not so much by our unchosen circumstances, but
rather by our chosen foundation. If we dig beneath our hardships and disappointments and our
defeats, we will find Christ waiting for us even in the bad places. And if we dig deeply enough to build
upon the rock of Christ, what can diminish us? No burden is too heavy to be borne when Christ
upholds us. No God-given aspiration is too distant for one who stands upon the rock of ages. Christ
alone is the foundation without limits.
The Good Carpenter teaches us two foundational truths. Like the man who built his house in a
secure place above the flood plain, Jesus urges us to choose carefully where we will build our lives.
The teachings of Jesus offer us high ground. Those who act on his word, embracing his values, will
find spiritual security. That’s the first fundamental truth.
And when faced with circumstances we would not have chosen, we may learn from the man who
dug deeply through the sandy soil to lay a firm foundation. Upon a solid base that house stood strong
against the flood. That’s the second foundational truth. Even in the worst of circumstances we may
still establish our lives upon the bedrock of Christ.
Archimedes, the ancient Greek thinker and mathematician, once said, “Give me a place to stand,
and I will move the earth.” Christ gives precisely this blessing to those who trust him. Our Lord grants
us a solid place to stand. Whether we move the world or not, when we take our stand on Christ we
may be sure the world will not move us.
Soli Deo Gloria!