The Words In
Red!
"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of
Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a
wise man who built his house on the rock."
Matthew 7: 24
Rubrication (from Latin “ruber,” or “red”) was
a medieval practice colorizing, usually in red,
words in biblical manuscripts for emphasis.
Fast-forward to 1899, when the first modern
red-letter edition of the New Testament was
published, printing words of Jesus
Christ
in red ink.
If you have a red-letter edition of the New Testament,
Matthew 5–7 are in red ink. That’s because they are
Matthew’s record of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, His
lengthy exposition of Kingdom theology based on a
proper reading of the Old Testament.
He summarized this lengthy teaching in Matthew 7:24-27
by referring to “these sayings of Mine.” Anyone
who hears
these teachings “and does them” will be like “a wise man”
who built his house on solid rock instead of shifting sand.
This firm foundation will withstand the storms of life.
The key to any stability is not just hearing Jesus’ words
but doing them. Build a strong life by not just
hearing,
but also doing what the Word of God says.
"The Church’s one foundation
is Jesus Christ, her Lord."
Samuel John
Stone