Jesus concluded His sermon on the mount with an illustration of two men who each built a house. While they shared some similarities, there was a key difference between the two, which led to very different outcomes. There are some important lessons we need to learn from this.
“Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:24-27).
First, let us notice what the two men had in common:
- Both men built a house. No other details were given about the construction, design, or materials used because these were irrelevant to His point. In the parable, there was no difference between the two structures.
- Both men labored diligently to build their house. Jesus was not comparing a hardworking individual to a lazy person. Both men spent time, money, and effort constructing their houses.
- Both men faced a storm. Again, no other details were given. Therefore, there was no difference in the weather conditions, location, or the surrounding terrain. Both houses faced the same threat.
By outward appearances, it would seem that these men did the same thing. However, there was one key difference between them. This variable determined whether he was saved or ruined.
What was the difference? It was the foundation upon which the men built their houses.
- The wise man built his house on the rock. Because of this, he had a solid foundation under his house, which enabled it to weather the storm without suffering loss of life or property.
- The foolish man built his house on the sand. Even though the structure of his house may have been the same as the wise man’s house, it was toppled, and the man who built the house was ruined.
What does this mean for us?
The key to understanding Jesus’ point is to recognize what the foundation represented in His illustration. He spoke of “these words of Mine” (Matthew 7:24, 26) at the end of this sermon in which He described the characteristics of those who would be part of His kingdom. However, while we might rightly say that His word provides us with a solid foundation, that is not the whole point that Jesus was making on this occasion.
Remember, both the wise man and the foolish man heard Jesus’ words. His teaching, which would enable them to withstand the storms of life, was given to both builders. Yet there was a significant difference between them:
- The wise man is one who hears the words of Christ “and acts on them” (Matthew 7:24).
- The foolish man is one who hears the words of Christ “and does not act on them” (Matthew 7:26).
That is the difference. We can have a solid foundation for our lives by hearing the words of Christ AND doing what He teaches us to do.
In fact, Jesus emphasized our responsibility to do what He taught throughout the sermon on the mount:
- We are to exhibit the characteristics outlined in the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12).
- We are to “let [our] light shine” so that others will “see [our] good works” (Matthew 5:16).
- We must possess a “righteousness [that] surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees” (Matthew 5:20).
- We “are to be perfect, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).
- We are to store up “treasures in heaven” rather than on earth (Matthew 6:19-21).
- We must recognize that we cannot “serve two masters” (Matthew 6:24), which necessarily implies our responsibility to serve the Lord.
- We are to “seek first His kingdom and His righteousness” (Matthew 6:33).
- We are to “treat people the same way [we] want them to treat [us]” (Matthew 7:12). We often call this practicing the “golden rule.”
- We are to follow the narrow and difficult way that leads to life (Matthew 7:13-14).
- We are to do the will of God in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, not do whatever we think is pleasing to Him (Matthew 7:21-23).
The points above are just a brief overview of Jesus’ sermon. We could spend more time on a more exhaustive, in-depth study, but this list helps us see the point: the Lord expects His people to do His will, not just say they believe in Him. After all, James said that anyone who fails to do His will has a dead faith (James 2:17, 26). This illustration of the two builders is the logical conclusion to everything Jesus taught on this occasion.
All of us will face storms in life. These trials will come in the form of temptations to sin, discouragement that makes us feel like giving up, and hardships that make it difficult to know where to turn and what to do. Without a solid foundation, we have no hope, regardless of how carefully and diligently we work to build the life that seems best to us. Therefore, it is critical that we build upon the foundation that Jesus described.
- We need to believe in Jesus, but not just that. After all, “the demons also believe, and shudder” (James 2:19).
- We need to accept His word as truth, but not just that. Otherwise, we may be like those who are “merely hearers who delude themselves” (James 1:22).
- We need to DO what Jesus said to do. He said elsewhere, “Why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We cannot rightfully claim Jesus as Lord (one with authority) if we do not do what He taught. James said we must “prove to be doers of the word” (James 1:22) and “show [our] faith by [our] works” (James 2:18).
Jesus said there is hope for the one who “hears these words of Mine and acts on them” (Matthew 7:24). Let us be sure we are building our lives upon His teachings and obeying His will in all that we do.
