What does Luke 6:48 mean?
The crowd listening to Jesus' recent message has received challenging commands. Now He explains why it is so important they respond to His teaching.If the people follow Him, they will face persecution. They will be called evil by friends and family and possibly be expelled from society and culture. That will lead to social isolation, poverty, and hunger (Luke 6:20–22). But, as serious as these hardships are, they are physical, worldly, external, and temporary. Internally, spiritually, and eternally, faithful believers will stand strong. They will be living in accordance with the omniscient God who created them and the world. Their eternal reconciliation with God will give them far more peace than any gained from circumstantial ease.
Jesus equates obedience with a solid foundation. Obedience is the outward sign of a deep and true faith in Christ. If we believe He is the God of the universe, that what He says is true, and that He loves us and wants the best for us, we will obey. Both the acts of obedience and the faith that drives those acts will build a strong connection with Christ that the world cannot destroy.
Conversely, Jesus explains, if we hear Jesus' words but don't do them, our faith is either weak or non-existent. We don't trust God. Relying on the world or ourselves for peace and security is a very precarious choice (Luke 6:49).