[ … if you continue in your faith,] … established and firm …
Summary: Faith is a funny thing. Sometimes, we see it as a rock, and other times, we think of it as a tree. There are things to be learned from both examples.
What does it mean to be “established and firm” in our faith?
It is a fair question because “faith” is one of those things that can be hard to wrap our minds around.
The first word to come to mind when I read this passage is “foundation.” If you build a building and want it to last, you need to make sure it is “established and firm” on its foundation.
Jesus uses a house foundation as an example. He says:
“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.” (Matthew 7:24)
He goes on to say that what we build on matters. Rock is solid and unmoving, but something like sand can be washed away in a storm.
When Solomon built the first Temple, he built it on a solid foundation of stone blocks (1 Kings 6:7). The Bible doesn’t tell us how big they were, but for some reason, it records the size of the foundation stones used for Solomon’s palace. Scripture tells us:
“The foundations were laid with large stones of good quality, some measuring ten cubits and some eight.” (1 Kings 7:10)
A “cubit” is about eighteen inches long, so these stones were twelve to fifteen feet. (I’m assuming this is the length of the stones, but we don’t know for certain.) A stone fifteen feet long, five feet wide, and three feet high would weigh about seventeen tons. A stone that big isn’t going anywhere, so it would make a very good foundation to build on.
It is important to point out that building on a firm foundation does not mean you are building something that does not move or is not flexible. Jesus also used the illustration of a mustard seed to describe faith:
“He told them another parable: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed, which a man took and planted in his field. Though it is the smallest of all seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds come and perch in its branches.’” (Matthew 13:31-32)
When a tree grows, it puts down roots. The roots Jesus’ parable mentions grow deep into the ground and are “established and firm.” The tree is immovable, but its branches flex with the wind.
Life comes at us fast and can hit us hard. If you are a tree, flexing can be the difference between breaking and surviving. To mix metaphors, we are to stand on the rock of Jesus (1 Corinthians 10:3-4) and hold firm like a tree with roots that go deep. If we can do that, we will never be moved.
Application: Keep your eyes upon Jesus.
Food for Thought: How does being established and firm in our faith help us when we are under spiritual attack?
Continue reading “Colossians 1:23c – Roots & Rocks”