The Scripture….“These words I speak to you are not incidental additions to your life, homeowner improvements to your standard of living. They are foundational words, words to build a life on. If you work these words into your life, you are like a smart carpenter who built his house on solid rock. Rain poured down, the river flooded, a tornado hit—but nothing moved that house. It was fixed to the rock.
Matthew 7: 24-25 from The Message
The Devotion… In our reading today Jesus has concluded his teaching, the teaching we have called, “The Sermon on the Mount.” Jesus is giving people a choice…to follow him, the road less traveled that leads to life….abundant life ….or… to follow the crowd…. the status quo and whatever that may bring. Just before Jesus ends his teaching, Jesus speaks the words in our scripture today. Jesus invites the crowd to ground themselves in the firm foundation of his teaching so that when the storms of life come they will not be easily blown off course.
One of the primary teachings of yoga is that whether it be in our breath, our asana’s or in our meditation …we ground ourselves. We root down through our feet, our sit bones or in our minds so that we may not easily be distracted and drawn off course….away from the experience of God’s presence. We ground ourselves at the beginning of our practice and, again as we leave our practice to go back into the world….we do this through the power of prayer and the invitation of God’s holy Presence in our lives. It is in that strong foundation that we embrace and embody the faith practice of Yogadevotion. It is from that firm foundation that we receive the benefits of a healthy body, mind and spirit…. we receive life abundant.
