Matthew 7:24-27
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. 26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell -and great was its fall.”
As Jesus concludes His message, He advises us to remember what He said and put it to practice. It is important that we do what Jesus said. In following the house metaphor, think about setting out to build a house but only stopping once you have the blueprints. We can talk about how awesome the house is and show people the plans, but if you never actually lay the foundation and start building it, then the blueprints are just a waste of time! Think about what is written in James 1:
22 But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; 24 for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. 25 But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does.
Jesus tells us that by actually putting to practice the things He taught throughout this sermon, we are wise. By putting to practice the principles we just learned, we build our house on Jesus as the foundation, our Rock. By doing this, we will be able to withstand the storms of life. Remember the final beatitude?
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
These are the storms. These are the reason why we need our house built on a solid foundation. By building our lives upon the rock, we will be able to stand firm in the faith when trials come. We will have something to cling to when the rains and winds come to tear us down and can confidently rely on Jesus to help us withstand it. Many people might think this is a threat, but actually it is a warning. Jesus gives us the recipe for success right here; we just have to heed it. Are you?
