Sand and Stone
Sermon
Preaching the Parables
Beachfront property runs the danger of being built on sand, for the beach naturally consists of sand. When a storm comes off the ocean, houses built close to the water are often washed away or toppled over. Government regulations now require buildings on the beach to be built on stilts at least the height of one story. This allows the raging sea to move under rather than through the house.
Wise builders make sure that beach property is built upon rock below the sand. On Sand Key in Clearwater, Florida, a new eighteen-story high-rise condo is about to be built. Dirt-moving machines removed sand twenty feet deep. Then concrete pillars were driven down to the rock. To test whether the pillars could stand the weight of the building without sinking even an inch, a dozen huge concrete blocks, each weighing tons, were placed on several pillars and remained there for months. If there were any sinking, the luxurious building would crack or tumble over. The loss would be terrific, for a single two-bedroom condo costs from $225,000.
Today's parable deals with a wise and a foolish builder who erected his house on stone or sand. The house built on stone withstood the storm and flood. The foolish man's house, built on sand, was washed away. The difference was in the foundation. Jesus is teaching that a life is like that. A wise person builds his life on a rock base. What is that solid foundation? Jesus says it is doing the will of God and obeying his teachings. Christians are not to be hearers only, but also doers of the Word. They are not only to worship, but to serve. Christians are not only to confess, but to commit their lives to living the Christian life. Faith demands expression. Teachings are to be lived. Laws are meant to be obeyed. The rock foundation of life is obedience to Christ's teachings as we have them in the Sermon on the Mount.
Context
Context of the Church Year
For all practical purposes, Pentecost 2 is really the beginning of the Pentecost season, because the two prior Sundays are major festivals: the Day of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. With Pentecost 2 we begin the longest season of the church year - twenty-seven Sundays long, a half year. It is the practical season of the church year. Now comes the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth. It is the season for exercising the Gifts of the Spirit. We are now concerned with the ninefold fruit of the Spirit. Pentecost season is the time for living out in a practical, day-to-day fashion the basic truths of Jesus' advent, incarnation, manifestation, passion, death, and resurrection.
For the preacher, the Pentecost season, according to the Common Lectionary, is a wide-open period for preaching. It gives a variety of choices for preaching. Beginning with Pentecost 2, there is no unifying theme to combine the lessons with each other as well as with the liturgical propers. Using Lesson 1, a preacher may choose to preach a series of biographical sermons on Old Testament characters. Or, using Lesson 2, a preacher may wish to use book sermons on Romans, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians. If the gospel lessons are chosen, the sermons will deal with the Matthean interpretation of Jesus' teachings and miracles from chapter 7 to chapter 25. Although there is no unifying theme, the Psalm of the Day harmonizes with Lesson 1, and the Prayer of the Day with the Gospel. Since we are dealing with the parables, we would choose the gospel lessons which give us twelve parables in the Pentecost season.
Context of the Sermon on the Mount
Today's parable is part of the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5 to 7. The parable is in chapter 7. In this third chapter of the Sermon Jesus is concerned about the practical application of his teachings: "Enter by the narrow gate." "Beware of false prophets." "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven." Then comes the parable of the two builders. Jesus teaches that a wise man builds his house on rock, while a foolish man builds on sand. The rock represents obeying Jesus' teachings, and the sand represents hearing but not doing. What teachings are obeyed? The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount:
have a righteousness superior to that of the Pharisees; obey the laws not only in letter but in spirit; be merciful, be perfect, etc. You have now heard the teachings. Now comes the living and practicing of them.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
The parable takes four verses of today's gospel lesson. It is preceded by Jesus' speaking about the day of judgment. He warns them that not everyone who worships and calls upon the name of the Lord will enter heaven. They will not enter even if they claim they preached in his name, cast out demons, and did great works. In spite of this, they will be shut out. The parable then carries out his teaching that they who hear his words are to obediently carry them out.
Following the parable, Matthew sums up the section by reporting the affect the teaching had on the listeners. They were amazed at his authoritative teaching.
Context of the Parallel Parable
Luke's version of the parable can be found in 6:46-49. In Matthew the parable concludes the Sermon on the Mount. In Luke the parable likewise concludes the Sermon on the Plain.
Luke adds a note not found in Matthew. According to Matthew the houses built by the wise and foolish builders were equally well built. The difference was in the foundation. In verse 48, Luke says that the wise man's house was so well built that the flood could not shake it. Accordingly, Luke points not only to the foundation but to the structure.
Another difference in the two accounts is that Matthew has the foundation based on rock in contrast to sand. Luke gives us the picture of the wise man's digging deep into the sand until he finds rock. The foolish man just built his house on the ground without a foundation.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Genesis 12:1-9) Abraham obeys God's call to found a new nation. This is the first in a series of five lessons on the Patriarchs. Abraham's example of obedience harmonizes with the parable in the gospel lesson.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 3:21-28) Justification by grace through faith. This pericope opens a series of sixteen lessons from Romans.
Gospel. (Matthew 7:21-29) The concluding words of the Sermon on the Mount.
Psalm. (Psalm 33:12-22) "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." The Psalm harmonizes with Abraham's call to found a new people based on obedience to God's call.
Prayer of the Day. With the gospel lesson in mind, we pray for obedience: "Help us to hear and do what you command."
Hymn. "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less." Referring to rock foundation in today's parable, we sing, "On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Putting it all together
Today's parable does not stand alone. It is supported by Lesson 1, Prayer and Hymn of the Day. They also carry the theme of obedience to God's Word.
Context of Related Scriptures
Genesis 26:1-5 - Yahweh renews the Abrahamic covenant because of Abraham's obedience.
Leviticus 26:14-35 - Punishment for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 28:15-19 - Consequences of disobedience.
Luke 11:27-28 - Blessed are they who keep the Word.
Acts 5:29 - Whom we are to obey.
Romans 2:13-16 - Justification by doing.
Hebrews 5:8 - Obedience learned through suffering.
James 1:22-24 - Hearers and doers.
Content
Content of the Pericope
A. Entrance into or exclusion from the Kingdom depends upon -
1. Entrance depends upon doing the will of God - v. 21.
2. Exclusion results from doing evil - vv. 22-23.
B. The parable of two builders - vv. 24-27.
1. A wise man builds on a rock foundation which is obedience to Jesus' teachings. Result: survival of the storms of life.
2. A foolish man builds on sand which is non-obedience. Result: destruction by the storms of life.
C. The people's response to Jesus' teachings - vv. 28-29.
1. Astonishment - v. 28.
2. Authoritative teaching - v. 29.
Precis of the Parable
So, anyone who hears my teachings and obeys them is like a smart man who built his house on rock. Then a torrential rain came causing a flood. Hurricane-strong wind blew against the house. Because it was built on rock, it remained in place without damage.
On the other hand, anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a fool who built his house on sand. The same torrential rain came down and a flood came. The wind beat on the house, and it collapsed and was washed away. What a fall it was!
Thesis: Obeying Jesus' teachings results in safety during life's storms.
Theme: The rock foundation of obedience.
Key Words in the Parable
1. "Everyone." (v. 24) There is no exception to the truth of the parable. The lesson applies to every person regardless of age, race, occupation, or religion. Hold to the truths Jesus proclaimed and live by his moral teachings and every person will endure the storms of life. The reverse is true. It happens daily to everyone: despise the teachings and live wickedly and your house will collapse when the storm comes.
No one can escape the results of obedience or disobedience.
2. "These words." (v. 24) Probably during his public ministry Jesus spoke tens of thousands of words teaching, preaching, and counseling. What are "these words"? All the words ever spoke or just some of them? If some, which? When we consider the context of the parable as the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, "these words" must refer to the teachings in the Sermon. The Sermon is a collection of Jesus' teachings which are to be accepted and obeyed.
3. "Does." (vv. 24, 26) Perhaps a better word for "does" is "obey." The commands are not for "show" as in a museum, nor for discussion only. They are to be put in practice, to be lived daily. As James said, true religion is taking care of the widow and orphan and keeping unspotted from the world. (James 1:27) Christianity is not an academic venture dealing with theory or doctrine. Christianity is a practical religion that issues in service. Being turns into doing, theory into action, hearing into practicing.
4. "Wise." (v. 24) Here is a man who had practical wisdom. He was wise enough to build his house on a rock foundation. His wisdom paid off in protecting his property from destruction. A wise person is one who obeys Jesus' teachings, for he will be able to withstand life's storms. Living the Christian life as obedience to Christ's teachings can be done out of self-interest as well as out of gratitude and loyalty to Christ. Obey and protect yourself from a future downfall.
5. "Foolish." (v. 26) The man who built his house on sand was, according to Jesus, a fool. He may not have been an unbeliever nor an anti-religious person. Maybe he was not an unusual sinner. He was just a fool. He lacked good sense. He did not foresee the coming storm and what it would do to his house. Did he not know that rushing water washes away sand? To be disobedient to moral principles is to be a fool.
6. "Rock." (vv. 24, 25) A rock is heavy, hard to break, and permanent. It is associated with security, stability, and safety. Christ is our rock, our cornerstone. Jesus built his church on the rock of Peter's confession that he was the Christ. A former president of the United States said that the Bible was the rock upon which the Republic was built.
Contemplation
Insights
1. The storms of life. The storms of life come to everybody whether good or bad, rich or poor, Christian or non-Christian. In the physical world all are subject to blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and typhoons. Sooner or later a storm will hit us. it becomes a matter of enduring the storm so that there is no loss of life or property. Jesus had in mind the moral and spiritual storms that come in adversity, hardship, fear, and loss. A storm can be weathered or it can destroy and kill. It becomes a matter of preparation before the storm comes. Noah built his ark when the sun was shining and the skies were blue. We do not wait to board up our windows until a hurricane is blowing down nearby trees. The preparation is building your life on a rock foundation which is obedience to Jesus' teachings.
2. Rock house or rock foundation? In the parable the houses of the wise and foolish builders were equally well built. The difference was in the foundation. Each house may have been a stone house well built, with solid walls, and made of excellent materials. When the sand foundation gave up, the tragedy was the loss of the excellent superstructure and all the money it cost to build it. When the ground settles, cracks appear and walls fall. In life people have attractive, well-built superstructures, but when adversity hits, those disobedient to moral and spiritual principles experience a terrific downfall.
3. The sands of life. One house in the parable was built on sand. It was not even tough clay. When the sunshine and the breezes were mild, sand seemed satisfactory as a foundation. When the floods came and the sixty-mile-per-hour wind lashed against the house, the sand washed away. What constitutes a sand foundation? It is the sand of hearing but not doing the Word. The sand is disobedience to Jesus' teachings. When the pressure comes, the disobedient one's life falls apart. To disobey is to sin, and sin always brings tragic consequences.
4. To obey or disobey? There is something very serious about whether to obey or disobey Jesus. In either case there are serious consequences. To obey means to live with safety and security in spite of the storms of life. To disobey has its results too. The consequences are dire: the destruction of your house, the loss of your home, the disappearance of your money invested in the building of the house. A life of disobedience comes to no good end, nothing but destruction and death, hardship and suffering.
5. The basis of obedience. Who are you to give commands? Why should anyone obey your orders? It depends on your authority. A parent has authority over a child whose responsibility is to obey. We obey the officer of the law, because he/she has the authority given by the State. A soldier obeys a superior officer. The employee does what his/her employer prescribes. Why should we obey Jesus' teachings? Because he has authority as God's Son to command us. At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, the people are amazed at the authority with which Jesus taught. He has the authority of God, and since we are children of God, we have the duty to obey him.
Homily Hints
1. Two Men in a Storm. (7:24-27)
A. The fool built on sand.
1. He heard but did not obey Jesus.
2. Result: destruction.
B. The wise man built on stone.
1. He heard and obeyed.
2. Result: safety, security, stability.
2. The Sure Foundation. (7:24-27) The sure foundation for a house of life is obedience to Jesus' teachings. Consider the steps leading to such obedience -
A. Hearing the Word.
B. Believing the Word.
C. Accepting the Word.
D. Obeying the Word.
3. Rocks for the Foundation. (7:24-25) Life is to be built on a firm foundation consisting of the rocks of obedience -
A. The rock of the Bible.
B. The rock of the promises of God - "Standing on the promises of God."
C. The rock of confessing Jesus as Christ - "On this rock I will build my church."
D. The rock of Christ - "On Christ, the solid rock, I stand."
4. Believing and Behaving. (7:24-27) Believing and behaving belong together if life is to be secure and successful.
A. Trust and obey.
B. Hearers and doers.
C. Words and deeds.
5. Words to Obey. (7:24) Who hears and obeys "these words of mine" Jesus said. At the time Jesus did not say what "these words" were. Why obey these words? Because -
A. His words are words of authority - Matthew 7:29.
B. His words are words of truth - "thy word is truth" -John 17:17.
C. His words are permanent - "My words shall not pass away" - Matthaw 24:35.
D. His words are words of life - "Thou hast the words of eternal life" - John 6:68.
6. Do It! (7:24-25) Jesus insisted that his people were to do what he said, so that they might withstand the troubles of this life. What did he command?
A. Repent - Mark 1:15.
B. Believe - Mark 1:15.
C. Love - John 15:17.
D. Come - Matthew 11:28.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. A world of disobedience. The parable deals with obedience to the teachings of Jesus expressed in the Sermon on the Mount. The teachings were and are given in a world of disobedience to those teachings. There is a point of contact between the world and Christian teaching. It is a world that ignores or despises moral teachings. Consequently, we live in a world of secularism, humanism, and materialism. Wars never cease. Crime abounds. The innocent are victims of violence.
2. A church of indifference. The Sermon on the Mount was given to the disciples, the church of Jesus' day. The Sermon spells out the moral character for the people of God. Yet, the church is too much like the world. She, to some extent, participates in the disobedience of the world. We are more interested in religiosity than in religion. We love to worship but are reluctant to serve. We are quick to hear but slow to do. It is to the shame of the church that many members participate in the crime of the world: rape, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, etc. If all Christians would stop their worldliness, the crime figures in America would plunge to new lows. Is this sermon needed by the church as well as by the world? You'd better believe it!
3. Storms of life. In the parable, a storm comes upon the two houses. This is life. It has its storms for every person, wise or foolish. God has not promised his people "skies always blue and flowerstrewn highways all our lives through." Life brings storms: terminal illnesses, physical handicaps, mental illnesses, black Mondays of financial loss, bereavement, and loneliness. The parable contacts our lives when we consider what we can do to live through the storms successfully. How can we keep our "houses of life" from going down the drain? Jesus' answer: obey my teachings, put them into practice, and your house will be safe and secure.
Points to Ponder
1. Is preaching foolish? If nothing results from preaching, is it not foolish to preach? Why bother? Why spend hours in preparation if the message will not be accepted and obeyed? This plagues every sincere and earnest preacher. It must have concerned Jesus, too. He preached his Sermon on the Mount, but will anything come of it? To be sure the people will practice what he preached, he tells the parable of the two builders. If they would be wise, they must lay down a rock foundation in building the house of their lives by obeying his precepts. A preacher has a right to expect some practical results. Right? If the sermon is only talk to fill in the time of the worship hour or to entertain, it brings frustration, futility, and foolishness.
2. Saved by grace or obedience? Is the preacher in danger of preaching salvation by good works rather than by grace through faith? In both Lesson 1 and the Gospel for the day, emphasis is laid upon obedience. Abraham in Lesson 1 obeyed the call to found a new nation. In the pericope, only those who do the will of God enter the Kingdom. The parable emphasizes obedience to Jesus' teachings as the way to a safe and secure life amid the storms of life. We are in danger of preaching obedience as the way to salvation. Today's Lesson 2 checks us in this possible error by reminding us we are not saved by the works of the Law but by grace through faith. How then can we preach the Gospel while dealing with this parable of obedience? Is this the solution? We preach that we are made right with God only by the grace of God in Christ. This free gift of salvation is accepted by faith. But faith, to be true faith, involves obedience, for faith without works is not true faith. Really, there is no conflict here. It is a matter of making clear the proper place of obedience in the matter of salvation.
3. What is the point? In preaching on this parable, it is easy to miss the point. One must consider the need for a proper foundation for life. But what is that foundation? How is it laid? The point of obedience and the living of Jesus' teachings are too often overlooked. The foundation of a secure and successful life is obedience to and practical living out daily of the teachings of the Master.
4. The big problem. As it was for Jesus, so it is for us preachers who follow in his train. How can we get people to obey the laws of God? How can we persuade them to put their faith into operation? Many Christians feel they do their duty by going to church and leaving an offering. Then it is back to normal living according to the world's standards and practices. We tend to park our Christianity until the next Sunday. Our religiosity is like the insulation of an electric extension cord. The power is inside, but we can touch the wire without getting shocked. The insulated wire keeps us from the power that could give us light and energy. To get the power of Christ in our lives, we must strip ourselves of the insulation of religiosity and secularism in order to be enlivened and empowered to obey Christ.
Illustrative Materials
1. Believe and Behave. At the 1987 convention of the Assemblies of God Church, the executive committee met to consider the accusations against Jim Bakker and Richard Dortch of the PTL. In announcing that the ordination papers were going to be withdrawn from the two, the president remarked, "We not only need to believe the gospel, but we need to behave the Gospel."
2. Live Your Faith. Some time ago a Hindu woman was converted to Christianity by hearing the Word read. As a result she suffered very much persecution from her husband. One day she was asked, "When your husband is angry and persecutes you, what do you do?" She explained, "Well, sir, I cook his food better; when he complains, I sweep the floor cleaner; and when he speaks unkindly, I answer him mildly. I try, sir, to show him that when I became a Christian I became a better wife and a better mother."
3. Words and Deeds. Albert Schweitzer once said: "I wanted to be a doctor that I might be able to work without having to talk. For years I had been giving myself out in words. This new form of activity I could not represent to myself as talking about the religion of love, but only as an actual putting it into practice."
4. Show Your Religion. A Girl Scout leader was impressed by the remark of one of her smallest Scouts. They had completed a strenuous hike and were resting, when the girl noticed the leader's miraculous medal. A good Roman Catholic, she always wore it hanging outside her uniform. The girl said, "Your religion is showing."
5. Fruit of Obedience. The head of a monastery ordered a monk to plant a dry stick in the sand and water it daily. So distant was the spring from his cell that he had to leave in the evening to bring the water and he did not return until the following morning. For three years he obeyed the order. At the end of this period, the stick suddenly put forth leaves and fruit. The abba picked the fruit, took it to the church, and invited the monks to eat saying, "Come and taste the fruit of obedience."
6. Life in a Storm. Broadway actress, Lena Horne sings "Stormy Weather." It is a song about her stormy life. As a child she was farmed out to families in the South while her parents traveled on vaudeville tours. Her first marriage failed. Then she married a white man and was subjected to racial harassment. Within an eighteen-month-period she lost her father, husband, and son. She commented, "The pain of loss somehow cracked me open, made me feel compassion. Now I'm kinder to myself and to other people." A reporter commented after seeing her Broadway show: "It has taken a lot of stormy weather along the way, but Lena Horne has finally grown into being Lena Horne."
7. To Obey or Not to Obey. Kasemannin in his book Jesus Means Freedom tells about a church in Holland which felt strictly bound to obey God's commandment to keep the sabbath holy. On a certain Sunday the area was so threatened by the wind and waves that if the dykes were not strengthened, the people would not survive. The police notified the pastor of the danger. He was faced with the decision of whether to call off the services and urge his people to work on the dykes. Unable to make the decision, he called a meeting of his council to decide. They concluded: We live to carry out God's will. God, being omnipotent, can always perform a miracle with the wind and waves. Our duty is obedience whether in life or death. The pastor tried one last argument: Did not Jesus himself break the commandmant and declare that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath? Then an old man stood up and said, "I have always been troubled, Pastor, by something I have never ventured to say publicly. Now I must say it. I have always had the feeling that our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal."
8. Where to Build. A pastor tells of finding a pair of starlings who were building a nest in a downspout on his church building. He said to the birds, "You foolish starlings! Don't build your nest there! Don't you know you are inviting disaster? Don't you know that when the rain comes your little ones and home will be destroyed?" If the birds had built their nest in a tree, the coming rain would not harm them. But, they built their home on a man-made thing, a poor foundation. One day the rain will come and the nest will be washed away like the house built on sand.
Wise builders make sure that beach property is built upon rock below the sand. On Sand Key in Clearwater, Florida, a new eighteen-story high-rise condo is about to be built. Dirt-moving machines removed sand twenty feet deep. Then concrete pillars were driven down to the rock. To test whether the pillars could stand the weight of the building without sinking even an inch, a dozen huge concrete blocks, each weighing tons, were placed on several pillars and remained there for months. If there were any sinking, the luxurious building would crack or tumble over. The loss would be terrific, for a single two-bedroom condo costs from $225,000.
Today's parable deals with a wise and a foolish builder who erected his house on stone or sand. The house built on stone withstood the storm and flood. The foolish man's house, built on sand, was washed away. The difference was in the foundation. Jesus is teaching that a life is like that. A wise person builds his life on a rock base. What is that solid foundation? Jesus says it is doing the will of God and obeying his teachings. Christians are not to be hearers only, but also doers of the Word. They are not only to worship, but to serve. Christians are not only to confess, but to commit their lives to living the Christian life. Faith demands expression. Teachings are to be lived. Laws are meant to be obeyed. The rock foundation of life is obedience to Christ's teachings as we have them in the Sermon on the Mount.
Context
Context of the Church Year
For all practical purposes, Pentecost 2 is really the beginning of the Pentecost season, because the two prior Sundays are major festivals: the Day of Pentecost and Trinity Sunday. With Pentecost 2 we begin the longest season of the church year - twenty-seven Sundays long, a half year. It is the practical season of the church year. Now comes the Holy Spirit to lead us into truth. It is the season for exercising the Gifts of the Spirit. We are now concerned with the ninefold fruit of the Spirit. Pentecost season is the time for living out in a practical, day-to-day fashion the basic truths of Jesus' advent, incarnation, manifestation, passion, death, and resurrection.
For the preacher, the Pentecost season, according to the Common Lectionary, is a wide-open period for preaching. It gives a variety of choices for preaching. Beginning with Pentecost 2, there is no unifying theme to combine the lessons with each other as well as with the liturgical propers. Using Lesson 1, a preacher may choose to preach a series of biographical sermons on Old Testament characters. Or, using Lesson 2, a preacher may wish to use book sermons on Romans, Philippians, and 1 Thessalonians. If the gospel lessons are chosen, the sermons will deal with the Matthean interpretation of Jesus' teachings and miracles from chapter 7 to chapter 25. Although there is no unifying theme, the Psalm of the Day harmonizes with Lesson 1, and the Prayer of the Day with the Gospel. Since we are dealing with the parables, we would choose the gospel lessons which give us twelve parables in the Pentecost season.
Context of the Sermon on the Mount
Today's parable is part of the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, chapters 5 to 7. The parable is in chapter 7. In this third chapter of the Sermon Jesus is concerned about the practical application of his teachings: "Enter by the narrow gate." "Beware of false prophets." "Not every one who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven." Then comes the parable of the two builders. Jesus teaches that a wise man builds his house on rock, while a foolish man builds on sand. The rock represents obeying Jesus' teachings, and the sand represents hearing but not doing. What teachings are obeyed? The teachings in the Sermon on the Mount:
have a righteousness superior to that of the Pharisees; obey the laws not only in letter but in spirit; be merciful, be perfect, etc. You have now heard the teachings. Now comes the living and practicing of them.
Context of the Gospel Lesson
The parable takes four verses of today's gospel lesson. It is preceded by Jesus' speaking about the day of judgment. He warns them that not everyone who worships and calls upon the name of the Lord will enter heaven. They will not enter even if they claim they preached in his name, cast out demons, and did great works. In spite of this, they will be shut out. The parable then carries out his teaching that they who hear his words are to obediently carry them out.
Following the parable, Matthew sums up the section by reporting the affect the teaching had on the listeners. They were amazed at his authoritative teaching.
Context of the Parallel Parable
Luke's version of the parable can be found in 6:46-49. In Matthew the parable concludes the Sermon on the Mount. In Luke the parable likewise concludes the Sermon on the Plain.
Luke adds a note not found in Matthew. According to Matthew the houses built by the wise and foolish builders were equally well built. The difference was in the foundation. In verse 48, Luke says that the wise man's house was so well built that the flood could not shake it. Accordingly, Luke points not only to the foundation but to the structure.
Another difference in the two accounts is that Matthew has the foundation based on rock in contrast to sand. Luke gives us the picture of the wise man's digging deep into the sand until he finds rock. The foolish man just built his house on the ground without a foundation.
Context of the Lectionary
The First Lesson. (Genesis 12:1-9) Abraham obeys God's call to found a new nation. This is the first in a series of five lessons on the Patriarchs. Abraham's example of obedience harmonizes with the parable in the gospel lesson.
The Second Lesson. (Romans 3:21-28) Justification by grace through faith. This pericope opens a series of sixteen lessons from Romans.
Gospel. (Matthew 7:21-29) The concluding words of the Sermon on the Mount.
Psalm. (Psalm 33:12-22) "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." The Psalm harmonizes with Abraham's call to found a new people based on obedience to God's call.
Prayer of the Day. With the gospel lesson in mind, we pray for obedience: "Help us to hear and do what you command."
Hymn. "My Hope is Built on Nothing Less." Referring to rock foundation in today's parable, we sing, "On Christ, the solid rock I stand; all other ground is sinking sand."
Putting it all together
Today's parable does not stand alone. It is supported by Lesson 1, Prayer and Hymn of the Day. They also carry the theme of obedience to God's Word.
Context of Related Scriptures
Genesis 26:1-5 - Yahweh renews the Abrahamic covenant because of Abraham's obedience.
Leviticus 26:14-35 - Punishment for disobedience.
Deuteronomy 28:15-19 - Consequences of disobedience.
Luke 11:27-28 - Blessed are they who keep the Word.
Acts 5:29 - Whom we are to obey.
Romans 2:13-16 - Justification by doing.
Hebrews 5:8 - Obedience learned through suffering.
James 1:22-24 - Hearers and doers.
Content
Content of the Pericope
A. Entrance into or exclusion from the Kingdom depends upon -
1. Entrance depends upon doing the will of God - v. 21.
2. Exclusion results from doing evil - vv. 22-23.
B. The parable of two builders - vv. 24-27.
1. A wise man builds on a rock foundation which is obedience to Jesus' teachings. Result: survival of the storms of life.
2. A foolish man builds on sand which is non-obedience. Result: destruction by the storms of life.
C. The people's response to Jesus' teachings - vv. 28-29.
1. Astonishment - v. 28.
2. Authoritative teaching - v. 29.
Precis of the Parable
So, anyone who hears my teachings and obeys them is like a smart man who built his house on rock. Then a torrential rain came causing a flood. Hurricane-strong wind blew against the house. Because it was built on rock, it remained in place without damage.
On the other hand, anyone who hears my words and does not obey them is like a fool who built his house on sand. The same torrential rain came down and a flood came. The wind beat on the house, and it collapsed and was washed away. What a fall it was!
Thesis: Obeying Jesus' teachings results in safety during life's storms.
Theme: The rock foundation of obedience.
Key Words in the Parable
1. "Everyone." (v. 24) There is no exception to the truth of the parable. The lesson applies to every person regardless of age, race, occupation, or religion. Hold to the truths Jesus proclaimed and live by his moral teachings and every person will endure the storms of life. The reverse is true. It happens daily to everyone: despise the teachings and live wickedly and your house will collapse when the storm comes.
No one can escape the results of obedience or disobedience.
2. "These words." (v. 24) Probably during his public ministry Jesus spoke tens of thousands of words teaching, preaching, and counseling. What are "these words"? All the words ever spoke or just some of them? If some, which? When we consider the context of the parable as the conclusion to the Sermon on the Mount, "these words" must refer to the teachings in the Sermon. The Sermon is a collection of Jesus' teachings which are to be accepted and obeyed.
3. "Does." (vv. 24, 26) Perhaps a better word for "does" is "obey." The commands are not for "show" as in a museum, nor for discussion only. They are to be put in practice, to be lived daily. As James said, true religion is taking care of the widow and orphan and keeping unspotted from the world. (James 1:27) Christianity is not an academic venture dealing with theory or doctrine. Christianity is a practical religion that issues in service. Being turns into doing, theory into action, hearing into practicing.
4. "Wise." (v. 24) Here is a man who had practical wisdom. He was wise enough to build his house on a rock foundation. His wisdom paid off in protecting his property from destruction. A wise person is one who obeys Jesus' teachings, for he will be able to withstand life's storms. Living the Christian life as obedience to Christ's teachings can be done out of self-interest as well as out of gratitude and loyalty to Christ. Obey and protect yourself from a future downfall.
5. "Foolish." (v. 26) The man who built his house on sand was, according to Jesus, a fool. He may not have been an unbeliever nor an anti-religious person. Maybe he was not an unusual sinner. He was just a fool. He lacked good sense. He did not foresee the coming storm and what it would do to his house. Did he not know that rushing water washes away sand? To be disobedient to moral principles is to be a fool.
6. "Rock." (vv. 24, 25) A rock is heavy, hard to break, and permanent. It is associated with security, stability, and safety. Christ is our rock, our cornerstone. Jesus built his church on the rock of Peter's confession that he was the Christ. A former president of the United States said that the Bible was the rock upon which the Republic was built.
Contemplation
Insights
1. The storms of life. The storms of life come to everybody whether good or bad, rich or poor, Christian or non-Christian. In the physical world all are subject to blizzards, hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, and typhoons. Sooner or later a storm will hit us. it becomes a matter of enduring the storm so that there is no loss of life or property. Jesus had in mind the moral and spiritual storms that come in adversity, hardship, fear, and loss. A storm can be weathered or it can destroy and kill. It becomes a matter of preparation before the storm comes. Noah built his ark when the sun was shining and the skies were blue. We do not wait to board up our windows until a hurricane is blowing down nearby trees. The preparation is building your life on a rock foundation which is obedience to Jesus' teachings.
2. Rock house or rock foundation? In the parable the houses of the wise and foolish builders were equally well built. The difference was in the foundation. Each house may have been a stone house well built, with solid walls, and made of excellent materials. When the sand foundation gave up, the tragedy was the loss of the excellent superstructure and all the money it cost to build it. When the ground settles, cracks appear and walls fall. In life people have attractive, well-built superstructures, but when adversity hits, those disobedient to moral and spiritual principles experience a terrific downfall.
3. The sands of life. One house in the parable was built on sand. It was not even tough clay. When the sunshine and the breezes were mild, sand seemed satisfactory as a foundation. When the floods came and the sixty-mile-per-hour wind lashed against the house, the sand washed away. What constitutes a sand foundation? It is the sand of hearing but not doing the Word. The sand is disobedience to Jesus' teachings. When the pressure comes, the disobedient one's life falls apart. To disobey is to sin, and sin always brings tragic consequences.
4. To obey or disobey? There is something very serious about whether to obey or disobey Jesus. In either case there are serious consequences. To obey means to live with safety and security in spite of the storms of life. To disobey has its results too. The consequences are dire: the destruction of your house, the loss of your home, the disappearance of your money invested in the building of the house. A life of disobedience comes to no good end, nothing but destruction and death, hardship and suffering.
5. The basis of obedience. Who are you to give commands? Why should anyone obey your orders? It depends on your authority. A parent has authority over a child whose responsibility is to obey. We obey the officer of the law, because he/she has the authority given by the State. A soldier obeys a superior officer. The employee does what his/her employer prescribes. Why should we obey Jesus' teachings? Because he has authority as God's Son to command us. At the close of the Sermon on the Mount, the people are amazed at the authority with which Jesus taught. He has the authority of God, and since we are children of God, we have the duty to obey him.
Homily Hints
1. Two Men in a Storm. (7:24-27)
A. The fool built on sand.
1. He heard but did not obey Jesus.
2. Result: destruction.
B. The wise man built on stone.
1. He heard and obeyed.
2. Result: safety, security, stability.
2. The Sure Foundation. (7:24-27) The sure foundation for a house of life is obedience to Jesus' teachings. Consider the steps leading to such obedience -
A. Hearing the Word.
B. Believing the Word.
C. Accepting the Word.
D. Obeying the Word.
3. Rocks for the Foundation. (7:24-25) Life is to be built on a firm foundation consisting of the rocks of obedience -
A. The rock of the Bible.
B. The rock of the promises of God - "Standing on the promises of God."
C. The rock of confessing Jesus as Christ - "On this rock I will build my church."
D. The rock of Christ - "On Christ, the solid rock, I stand."
4. Believing and Behaving. (7:24-27) Believing and behaving belong together if life is to be secure and successful.
A. Trust and obey.
B. Hearers and doers.
C. Words and deeds.
5. Words to Obey. (7:24) Who hears and obeys "these words of mine" Jesus said. At the time Jesus did not say what "these words" were. Why obey these words? Because -
A. His words are words of authority - Matthew 7:29.
B. His words are words of truth - "thy word is truth" -John 17:17.
C. His words are permanent - "My words shall not pass away" - Matthaw 24:35.
D. His words are words of life - "Thou hast the words of eternal life" - John 6:68.
6. Do It! (7:24-25) Jesus insisted that his people were to do what he said, so that they might withstand the troubles of this life. What did he command?
A. Repent - Mark 1:15.
B. Believe - Mark 1:15.
C. Love - John 15:17.
D. Come - Matthew 11:28.
Contact
Points of Contact
1. A world of disobedience. The parable deals with obedience to the teachings of Jesus expressed in the Sermon on the Mount. The teachings were and are given in a world of disobedience to those teachings. There is a point of contact between the world and Christian teaching. It is a world that ignores or despises moral teachings. Consequently, we live in a world of secularism, humanism, and materialism. Wars never cease. Crime abounds. The innocent are victims of violence.
2. A church of indifference. The Sermon on the Mount was given to the disciples, the church of Jesus' day. The Sermon spells out the moral character for the people of God. Yet, the church is too much like the world. She, to some extent, participates in the disobedience of the world. We are more interested in religiosity than in religion. We love to worship but are reluctant to serve. We are quick to hear but slow to do. It is to the shame of the church that many members participate in the crime of the world: rape, lying, cheating, stealing, adultery, etc. If all Christians would stop their worldliness, the crime figures in America would plunge to new lows. Is this sermon needed by the church as well as by the world? You'd better believe it!
3. Storms of life. In the parable, a storm comes upon the two houses. This is life. It has its storms for every person, wise or foolish. God has not promised his people "skies always blue and flowerstrewn highways all our lives through." Life brings storms: terminal illnesses, physical handicaps, mental illnesses, black Mondays of financial loss, bereavement, and loneliness. The parable contacts our lives when we consider what we can do to live through the storms successfully. How can we keep our "houses of life" from going down the drain? Jesus' answer: obey my teachings, put them into practice, and your house will be safe and secure.
Points to Ponder
1. Is preaching foolish? If nothing results from preaching, is it not foolish to preach? Why bother? Why spend hours in preparation if the message will not be accepted and obeyed? This plagues every sincere and earnest preacher. It must have concerned Jesus, too. He preached his Sermon on the Mount, but will anything come of it? To be sure the people will practice what he preached, he tells the parable of the two builders. If they would be wise, they must lay down a rock foundation in building the house of their lives by obeying his precepts. A preacher has a right to expect some practical results. Right? If the sermon is only talk to fill in the time of the worship hour or to entertain, it brings frustration, futility, and foolishness.
2. Saved by grace or obedience? Is the preacher in danger of preaching salvation by good works rather than by grace through faith? In both Lesson 1 and the Gospel for the day, emphasis is laid upon obedience. Abraham in Lesson 1 obeyed the call to found a new nation. In the pericope, only those who do the will of God enter the Kingdom. The parable emphasizes obedience to Jesus' teachings as the way to a safe and secure life amid the storms of life. We are in danger of preaching obedience as the way to salvation. Today's Lesson 2 checks us in this possible error by reminding us we are not saved by the works of the Law but by grace through faith. How then can we preach the Gospel while dealing with this parable of obedience? Is this the solution? We preach that we are made right with God only by the grace of God in Christ. This free gift of salvation is accepted by faith. But faith, to be true faith, involves obedience, for faith without works is not true faith. Really, there is no conflict here. It is a matter of making clear the proper place of obedience in the matter of salvation.
3. What is the point? In preaching on this parable, it is easy to miss the point. One must consider the need for a proper foundation for life. But what is that foundation? How is it laid? The point of obedience and the living of Jesus' teachings are too often overlooked. The foundation of a secure and successful life is obedience to and practical living out daily of the teachings of the Master.
4. The big problem. As it was for Jesus, so it is for us preachers who follow in his train. How can we get people to obey the laws of God? How can we persuade them to put their faith into operation? Many Christians feel they do their duty by going to church and leaving an offering. Then it is back to normal living according to the world's standards and practices. We tend to park our Christianity until the next Sunday. Our religiosity is like the insulation of an electric extension cord. The power is inside, but we can touch the wire without getting shocked. The insulated wire keeps us from the power that could give us light and energy. To get the power of Christ in our lives, we must strip ourselves of the insulation of religiosity and secularism in order to be enlivened and empowered to obey Christ.
Illustrative Materials
1. Believe and Behave. At the 1987 convention of the Assemblies of God Church, the executive committee met to consider the accusations against Jim Bakker and Richard Dortch of the PTL. In announcing that the ordination papers were going to be withdrawn from the two, the president remarked, "We not only need to believe the gospel, but we need to behave the Gospel."
2. Live Your Faith. Some time ago a Hindu woman was converted to Christianity by hearing the Word read. As a result she suffered very much persecution from her husband. One day she was asked, "When your husband is angry and persecutes you, what do you do?" She explained, "Well, sir, I cook his food better; when he complains, I sweep the floor cleaner; and when he speaks unkindly, I answer him mildly. I try, sir, to show him that when I became a Christian I became a better wife and a better mother."
3. Words and Deeds. Albert Schweitzer once said: "I wanted to be a doctor that I might be able to work without having to talk. For years I had been giving myself out in words. This new form of activity I could not represent to myself as talking about the religion of love, but only as an actual putting it into practice."
4. Show Your Religion. A Girl Scout leader was impressed by the remark of one of her smallest Scouts. They had completed a strenuous hike and were resting, when the girl noticed the leader's miraculous medal. A good Roman Catholic, she always wore it hanging outside her uniform. The girl said, "Your religion is showing."
5. Fruit of Obedience. The head of a monastery ordered a monk to plant a dry stick in the sand and water it daily. So distant was the spring from his cell that he had to leave in the evening to bring the water and he did not return until the following morning. For three years he obeyed the order. At the end of this period, the stick suddenly put forth leaves and fruit. The abba picked the fruit, took it to the church, and invited the monks to eat saying, "Come and taste the fruit of obedience."
6. Life in a Storm. Broadway actress, Lena Horne sings "Stormy Weather." It is a song about her stormy life. As a child she was farmed out to families in the South while her parents traveled on vaudeville tours. Her first marriage failed. Then she married a white man and was subjected to racial harassment. Within an eighteen-month-period she lost her father, husband, and son. She commented, "The pain of loss somehow cracked me open, made me feel compassion. Now I'm kinder to myself and to other people." A reporter commented after seeing her Broadway show: "It has taken a lot of stormy weather along the way, but Lena Horne has finally grown into being Lena Horne."
7. To Obey or Not to Obey. Kasemannin in his book Jesus Means Freedom tells about a church in Holland which felt strictly bound to obey God's commandment to keep the sabbath holy. On a certain Sunday the area was so threatened by the wind and waves that if the dykes were not strengthened, the people would not survive. The police notified the pastor of the danger. He was faced with the decision of whether to call off the services and urge his people to work on the dykes. Unable to make the decision, he called a meeting of his council to decide. They concluded: We live to carry out God's will. God, being omnipotent, can always perform a miracle with the wind and waves. Our duty is obedience whether in life or death. The pastor tried one last argument: Did not Jesus himself break the commandmant and declare that the sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath? Then an old man stood up and said, "I have always been troubled, Pastor, by something I have never ventured to say publicly. Now I must say it. I have always had the feeling that our Lord Jesus was just a bit of a liberal."
8. Where to Build. A pastor tells of finding a pair of starlings who were building a nest in a downspout on his church building. He said to the birds, "You foolish starlings! Don't build your nest there! Don't you know you are inviting disaster? Don't you know that when the rain comes your little ones and home will be destroyed?" If the birds had built their nest in a tree, the coming rain would not harm them. But, they built their home on a man-made thing, a poor foundation. One day the rain will come and the nest will be washed away like the house built on sand.
