Matthew 7:24-27

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (‭‭Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭24‬-‭27‬)

These verses may evoke childhood memories for some. In your memory you may hear children’s voices singing, “The wise man built his house upon the rock.” And you may see in your mind’s eye, kids motioning the rains coming down and the floods coming up with their hands. But these words are more than a Sunday school song for kids. Adults need to heed them, too. (See this video if none of this is familiar.)

Jesus closed his Sermon on the Mount with this warning to be prepared for the hardships of life (the rains) that will surely come. The positioning of this warning should help us see its value.

Here, Jesus is imploring his audience to build their lives on him (He is the rock). And how would one do that? The quick answer is to embrace the teachings that preceded this closing. The payoff is great. Who wouldn’t want their life and faith to hold up through the storms of life? I don’t think anyone would desire that their own lives fall apart. But a core element in this sermon is discerning the heart. So, while no one would desire that their own life fall apart, their hearts might have a greater desire for something that will inevitably destroy their lives. In other words, they will build their house on sand. Building on the sand is choosing to follow any other voice than Jesus.

We have to be careful here. “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew‬ ‭7‬:‭21‬) The choice isn’t a religious voice versus a non-religious voice. It is Jesus versus every other voice.

This challenge of discernment is for believer and unbeliever alike. Christians can foolishly choose paths that lead to destruction. There are a lot of voices beckoning us down their particular path. WARNING: Not all paths lead to good places. Jesus’ sermon (Matthew 5-7) provides us tremendous guidance on how to build our house on the rock.

Father, I need wisdom and purity of heart. Please help me grow in both so that I may desire Jesus more than anything else in this world. Amen.