The Wise & Foolish Builder
This fall, we’ve meditated on our theme verse:
Matthew 11:15 | Anyone with ears to hear should listen and understand.
We’ve learned that with these words, Jesus was truly instructing us to hear His teachings and to then live them out. In Matthew 7, He told a parable that explained why doing this is so important.
Jesus’ story compares men who build two different houses: a house built on a rock (vs. 24) and a house built on sand (vs. 27). While the houses likely look very similar from the outside, their foundations are very different. These foundations are tested when harsh storms come. The house on the rock—
Matthew 7:25 | Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.
The house on the rock is still standing strong! But the house on the sand?
Matthew 7:27 | When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash.”
The men in the story are people who hear God’s Word — His teaching. The only difference between them is how they respond to those teachings.
The man who builds his house on the rock is the person who hears God’s teachings and follows them (vs. 24). Those who hear God’s teachings but don’t obey are like the foolish builder on the sand (vs. 26).
Both types of people know God’s teachings and what is right. The difference is their actions.
Interestingly, both types of people endure the same storms. These storms represent times that our lives are shaken by the temptations, trials, and hardships of this life. But after the storm, it is evident who has built on the Solid Rock of Jesus Christ. Only the life [house] built on the Rock [Jesus] is left standing. The house [life] built on the sand [worldly pursuits and philosophies] crumbles.
Is your life built on Jesus? Do you hear his Word and live it out? Or is stored away as memorized fact that doesn’t influence who you are and how you live? The parable of the wise and foolish builder teaches us that true followers of Jesus learn God’s Word and then put it into practice [with no excuses!] (James 1:22).
What does a person do to build their life with Jesus as the foundation?
Where can the teachings of Jesus be found? What are some of the teachings a wise person lives out?
What types of things might the foolish person in this parable build their life on (or center their life around)?
Are you more like the wise or the foolish builder in the story? How/Why?