““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.” 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 7:24-29 NIV
This is the last post in this Sermon on the Mount series. Here is a link that references all of the posts in this series:
“Truly God is good to Israel, to those whose hearts are pure.” Psalms 73:1 NLT
“We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” 1 John 4:16 NLT
Let’s start with this premise: God is good, and God is love.
We struggle sometimes with the idea that bad things happen to good people. What if we are wrong about people being good? What if there are no “good” people?
Here is all we can scrap up with our righteousness:
“We are all infected and impure with sin. When we display our righteous deeds, they are nothing but filthy rags. Like autumn leaves, we wither and fall, and our sins sweep us away like the wind.” Isaiah 64:6 NLT
Or how about saying, “Oh, they’ve got a “good” heart.”
““The human heart is the most deceitful of all things, and desperately wicked. Who really knows how bad it is?” Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
To break this down, we need to start at a baseline. If we elevate ourselves in any way, we begin to move into prideful thinking that God stands directly opposed. Everything we have at our disposal is through the grace of God.
Consider this and let it sink in: we are not guaranteed our next breath.
Now let’s go back to our key verses for this post:
“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.
Jesus says, “everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man.”
It is simply not a matter of knowing the words; it is putting into practice that is wisdom. Jesus sets the standard high. He calls us to die to ourselves daily. He calls us to serve others, not just others but people whom we look at as enemies.
He calls us not to judge others to condemnation.
He calls us not to look at others lustfully, claiming that doing this is as if we have committed a physical act.
He says that if we call another a fool, it is as if we have murdered them.
This is contrary to everything we will hear from the wisdom of this world.
The “rock” or the foundation that we build our lives is the teachings of Jesus Christ, but it is not enough to just know the teachings; applying these teachings is where the miracle happens.
There is a battle that goes on in our minds. That battle is, do we react based on the wisdom of this world, which leads to destruction, or do we react with the teachings of Jesus that bring us not only blessing in this life but for eternity?
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.
Let’s look at the two examples in this teaching:
- They are both building houses.
- Rain comes, and winds blow against the house. (Trouble comes to everyone on this heart, both those who believe and those who don’t)
The difference is the foundation on which they build their house. For the believer, trouble comes, but the foundation of our lives is built on a good and loving God.
For the unbeliever, the big crash will come at the end when they face the Lord to give an account for their lives, paying the price for every sin that they committed in their life, followed by an eternity in hell separated from God.
For the believer, we will not die for our sins because of the grace of God through Jesus and His sacrifice of dying for our sins. We will stand, and our works for the Lord will be judged, and awards will be given, awards that we willingly return to the Lord for everything that He has done for us.
Heavenly Father, thank You for Your grace, mercy, and forgiveness.
I pray that You continue to work in my heart, Lord, revealing Your wisdom to me so that I can apply this to my life, glorifying You with every breath.
I am thankful for the challenges You present to me; through my struggle, Your wisdom is revealed, and my faith is strengthened.
In the precious Name of Jesus Christ, the Name above all names, I pray, Amen!! 🙏❤️
