But everyone who hears these words of Mine

and does not put them into practice is like

a foolish man who built his house on sand.

And Jesus adds: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” This is Christ’s warning. It is said briefly: the house fell with a great crash. Why did this house of human life fall? It was built on the sand of one’s dreams, plans, demands… It was not built on the rock, that is, on Christ and His Gospel demands. However, it is not enough to hear them; we need to put them into practice.

Jesus pointed out the need to put God’s word into practice when a woman in the crowd called out: “Blessed is the womb that bore You…” He said: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” (Lk 11:27f)

Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine

and puts them into practice  is like

a wise man who built his house on the rock.

Jesus continues: “The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” (v.25) At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says this parable of two builders. One built a house on the rock, the other on the sand. It is said that the one who built on the rock not only heard God’s word but also put it into practice. That is why in life’s trials, likened in the parable to wind, storm or sea waves, the house did not fall because it was built on the rock.

“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’

shall enter the kingdom of heaven,

but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

After these words, Jesus continues in the Gospel: “Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practise lawlessness!’”

Jesus speaks here about a false disciple, saying that such disciples will not be saved because although they use religious phrases and hide behind the name of Jesus they do the exact opposite. Moreover, even if they prophesied, cast out demons or did many wonders, it would not help them to be saved.

“Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down

and thrown into the fire.”

Jesus does not speak here about a physical tree, but rather about man and his evil works. He says it at the end of the statement about false prophets, who come in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Jesus continues: “You will know them by their fruits.” And then He adds: “Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles?” And then: “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.” With a nature corrupted by original sin, we can’t really bear fruit that lasts for eternity. The root of original sin is the seed of the devil. This is the pride of self-deification and rebellion against God, either overbearing pride and arrogance or subtle spiritual pride of pharisees, which is even worse. All this grows from a poisoned root, and that is why Jesus says: Deny yourself, i.e. the source of evil within you.

Beware of false prophets,

who come to you in sheep’s clothing,

but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.

This warning of Christ is highly topical too. Today many shepherds of the Church are no longer servants of Christ, but servants of the antichrist. Naturally, this is not outwardly recognized. They really wear sheep’s clothing and use psychological methods to manipulate people. They speak of love, compassion, listening, discerning, welcoming, accompanying, and all this is actually a trap of ravenous wolves baring their fangs and tearing up naïve and often sincere deluded souls. These shepherds only talk about love, but they avoid true love – the cross of Christ.

Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate

and broad is the way that leads to destruction,

and there are many who go in by it.

Jesus’ advice is very serious. It concerns each of us. Heeding this earnest counsel brings forth the fruit of eternal life and eternal happiness in the kingdom of heaven. The gate which leads to life, however, is narrow, and unfortunately many do not know it, do not want to seek it, and if it is pointed out to them, they boycott it to their temporal and eternal detriment. On the other hand, Jesus warns of the wide gate and the broad way that leads to eternal destruction. It is a tragedy and a painful reality that there are many who have chosen this broad path of life that ends in destruction. This broad way does not bring true happiness and true peace in this life, but unrest of the soul and uncertainty. Then at the hour of death comes despair which is followed by eternal damnation. This is not an exaggeration or just some scaremongering; this is a serious warning from our Saviour to walk the narrow way of which He said: “I am the Way, the Truth and the Life.” “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.”

“Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.”

These words remind us of a very important rule for our personal life, for our relationships with those closest to us as well as for our relationships with other people. We usually want others to do something and we are sad when they do not do what we would like them to do or we reproach them for it. Or we even make a gloomy face because they are unable to guess our wishes. This is the picture of the old self. We should learn our lessons from this unsound thinking, and learn true self-criticism instead. We have to assume that the other person is just as unsound in his thinking. If our thinking was vertical, in other words if we sought first the kingdom of God and the salvation of our soul and communicated with God in prayer, we would also seek the kingdom of God within us first and prefer it to temporal and passing values such as human glory, recognition, excessive wealth, vanities, etc.

“Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”

Jesus lays down principles even for the mundane matters of our daily life. These are common worries, worries about the future, about food, about finances, about health, about yourself and your family, worries about your house, etc. Jesus gives a simple instruction that we should not worry about tomorrow, because each day has enough trouble of its own. So we should focus on the day that is given to us and live it according to the will of God. Jesus says, “Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” In another place, Jesus says that we should watch because we do not know when death will come. Death will relieve us of all worries. Scripture tells us to redeem the time. Worries rob us of peace. If we are overwhelmed by worries, we need to set proper priorities and distinguish what needs to be done first in a given situation, and then do it, and put aside what is not so relevant or even what is unnecessary.

The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is clear, your whole body will be full of light.

If you have bad eyes, or your eyesight is failing, you suffer. If you lose your sight, you are in complete darkness and see nothing of the material world.

A particular kind of look or facial expression may reflect an inner harmony or disharmony. A gloomy face, an evil look, an envious or lustful eye conveys sin and disharmony or spiritual bondage that enslaves man.

Nowadays, with the help of so-called modern psychologies, even the greatest criminal can easily create an artificial smile or pretend kindness, but it is unnatural and fake. Sooner or later it will be unmasked.

We have three kinds of sight or eyes – physical, mental and spiritual. With our physical eyes we see the material world. Mental sight is our reason and we can use it to discover the invisible realities, such as abstract, mathematical or even logical truths. In the light of reason, we can also recognize moral laws, which are reflected in the sphere of mutual relationships.

Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal.

Our nature corrupted by original sin is not concerned with treasures in heaven, where rust does not destroy and where thieves do not steal, but rather is inclined to materialism. It believes material things will provide for our future, and it even indulges the pride of life and looks down on the “have-nots”. Jesus says in the parable of the rich fool who wanted to pull down his barns and build greater: “You fool! This very night your soul will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?” Naturally, such people are not mindful of death or the end. Finally, in time of serious illness, and especially in the hour of death, they receive quite a shock. They may even keep the Christian faith, but if their heart clings to possessions, they will hardly get rid of the demon of mammon at the hour of death. Jesus says clearly: “You cannot serve God and mammon.”

For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

This is the only Jesus’ comment on the Our Father, where we pray: “Father,… forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.” To be forgiven by God, I have to forgive far lesser trespasses that my neighbours have committed against me. A person who is aware of his guilt before God as well as of the punishment for his guilt takes God’s demand for granted. Jesus then adds: “But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” So it is perfectly clear.

There are people who say: “I can’t get rid of the feeling of guilt. I just can’t believe that God has really forgiven me. I’ve confessed my sins, but the feeling of guilt persists.” The reason why the soul is restless and unsure of forgiveness is that a person does not forgive others their minor trespasses and is left with a feeling of bitterness.

When you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.

Jesus continues in verse 7: “And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases like pagans, for they think that they will be heard for their many words. Do not be like them…”

Jesus then tells us how to pray, and teaches us the Our Father (vv.9-13).

The word of life assures us: “… your Father (God) who sees in secret will reward you.” Verse 8 adds: “For your Father knows what you need before you ask Him.” Prayer requires favourable conditions. One of them is to go into your room and shut the door, that is, to quieten your heart and not be immersed in your plans or worries. Today, the Internet, mass media, mobile phones, and thus constant communication with people, are major obstacles to silence of heart. There is no need to go into your room for such communication. But if you are to communicate with God, this requires outward separation from the world, but also inward silence of thoughts.

But when you do a charitable deed,

do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.

In connection with this statement, Jesus says: “Take heed that you do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them. Otherwise you have no reward from your Father in heaven.” And next, Jesus explains: “Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward.” (Mt 6:1-2) And He continues: “But when you do a charitable deed, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your charitable deed may be in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly.” So, Jesus emphasizes that we should not seek recognition, or even glory, from people. If we apply this counsel of Christ, we are spared many disappointments. Jesus points out that we should do good deeds in secret with the motivation to please God. In addition, it is true that we thus store up for ourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy them and thieves do not steal them. Such motivation requires faith. This involves sacrifice, and you can even expect that people will slander and discredit you for that. But you have all the more credit with God if you endure all this out of love for Him.

But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.

Jesus tells us what our relationship should be to our enemies:

1) we are to love them;

2) to bless those who curse us;

3) to do good to those who hate us;

4) to pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us.

Each of these four requirements may seem absurd at first glance and give the impression that by fulfilling them we open the door for evil to spread through evil people. The world has different standards, which are contrary to Christ’s requirements:

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I tell you not to resist an evil person. But whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also.”

This quote cannot be taken out of context; otherwise we would reach the wrong conclusions. The given principle applies to cases where it is necessary to prevent an avalanche of revenge. The fact is that when a person is harmed, he automatically seeks revenge, regardless of whether he himself provoked the offensive reaction or was harmed unjustly. This response, the will to revenge, proceeds from corrupt human nature. Rather than respect the principles of justice, a person is carried away by the spirit of anger and hatred. He burns with a desire to knock out all teeth for one tooth and two eyes for one eye. He will pay back in spades and not allow for forgiveness. Sometimes it goes so far that he takes revenge even on the offspring of the one who hurt him. This automatism of revenge coming out of the old self within us takes no account of God, our own guilt before God, or the reality of God’s just judgment and eternity.

To conquer the law of vengeance, a person needs a clear motivation, that is, faith in God. He needs to be aware that the one who harmed him was to some extent deceived by the spirit of lies, just as each of us is deceived many a time and harms others. In the end, it is often our fault that we get hurt. And even if we were quite innocent and someone wronged us, we should forgive our enemy from the heart for God’s sake.

If you do well, will you not be accepted?
And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door.
And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.

The Lord spoke these words to Cain before he committed fratricide. Why did he commit fratricide? Because his heart was filled with envy at his brother Abel, who was righteous before God and offered God-pleasing sacrifices of his first-born sheep. Cain, on the other hand, was an egoist and had no good relationship either to God or his brother. He reproached God for not hearing his insincere prayers from a heart full of jealousy, resentment, even hatred, which he felt towards his brother, and for no reason at all. The Lord says that it is not enough just to be passive, but we should do well both to God and to our brethren. If we do not do well, God warns us that sin lies at the door of our soul and seeks to blind us and dominate us like it did with Cain. That is why God commands us: You should rule over sin and not be its slave.