The Wise Builder – SOTM Series (14)
Part 5 – Murder/Adultery/Divorce
Part 6 – Oaths, Eyes & Enemies
Part 7 – Hiding In Plain Sight
Part 8 – The Lord’s Prayer (1)
Part 9 – The Lord’s Prayer (2)
Part 11 – Don’t Worry, Be Righteous
“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. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” -Matthew 7:24-27
Pulled from the context of the wider Sermon on the Mount and reduced to a well meaning children’s hymn, the parable of the Wise & Foolish Builder is robbed of its place as the powerful conclusion to a powerful message. When a Jewish teacher finished such a significant teaching, the closing portion was significant, tying the whole thing together in the end. So then, what this story really mean?
Jesus’ listeners would have made a couple of connections when hearing His words. First, they would know from living in that arid land the importance of a strong foundation. It was standard practice to only build homes on solid rock, even if that meant digging quite deep to do so. This was just common sense. Alone, this would have been an anti-climactic, simple lesson at the end of a revolutionary teaching. However, His words would also have brought to mind something far more important.
When Jesus started talking about a strong foundation, the words of the prophet Isaiah would have surely come to mind (Isaiah 28:14-18). Israel, facing the invading armies of Assyria, decides to make a pact with the Egyptians rather than trust God for deliverance. Isaiah rebukes her for this unfaithful compromise, likening it to building upon weak foundation of clay that will wash away with the rain. Any compromise to complete submission and surrender to God would lead to the crumbling of the foundation of their faith.
However, in the middle of his rebuke, Isaiah eludes to a future promise, to a new and real foundation. The tool that will forge such a foundation? Righteousness and justice. Isaiah’s prophecy of this new foundation became a deeply held hope for many generations of Jews, even unto Jesus own time. At different times in their history, they would attempt to see that promise fulfilled, even establishing an actual stone which they called ‘the foundation’, which became a central aspect of the Temple itself.
Jesus’ words, then, strike at the very heart of their hope, making a claim so powerful that no one would have missed it. He clearly states that anyone who hears the words of the Sermon on the Mount and puts them into practice builds their life on the true Foundation. And like Isaiah foretold and Jesus repeated again and again, it is built through righteousness and justice- not merely adherence to the law, but it truly loving God with all that we are and loving others as we would have them love us. He extends the promise, the covenant hope, not only to the Jews, but to any who obey Him as Lord.
‘As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe, “The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone,” and, “A stone that causes men to stumble and a rock that makes them fall.” They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.’ -1 Peter 2:4:8
This is not a teaching about Christians vs. non-Christians. Just like in the previous section of the Sermon where both sides call Jesus Lord, here both sides build a house. It was not the act of “building” that was crucial, just as prophesying, casting out demons or performing miracles was not the point. It is not about going to church, being good or doing ministry (though they are important in their own right). Rather it is only upon the foundation of uncompromising submission to the Lordship of Christ, by living out His teachings to love God and others, that we have any hope of seeing His Kingdom.
John Stott warns us of this:
“In applying this teaching to ourselves, we need to consider that the Bible is a dangerous book to read, and that the church is a dangerous society to join. For in reading the Bible we hear the words of Christ, and in joining the church we say we believe in Christ. As a result, we belong to the company described by Jesus as both hearing his teaching and calling him Lord. Our membership, therefore lays upon us a serious responsibility of ensuring that what we know and what we say is translated into what we do.” (“The Message of the Sermon on the Mount”, IVPress, pg. 210)
“When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.” -Matthew 7:28,29
When the scribes taught, they only taught with an authority given to them. Rather, it was the authority of Law and the Prophets. Jesus, on the other hand, taught from His own authority. This was demonstrated by the power of His words and the consistency of His example. They were amazed because the implications of His words was that He was, indeed, the promised Messiah and the very Son of God.
Jesus does not ask for our amazement, though we should be amazed as we hear and understand the words of the Sermon on the Mount and see the example of Love incarnate in His life, death, resurrection and ascension. No, Jesus does not ask for our amazement. He asks for our uncompromising and loving obedience, even until death. Jesus Christ is not only God to be worships, but He must also be a Lord who is followed.
