Matthew 7:15-29
Wednesday, 11 August 2021
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. -Matthew 7:25
The Sermon on the Mount (Mat.5:1-7:29) attracted several well- known leaders throughout history and many of them adapted a number of teachings and spoke well of them. But majority of them didn’t find the way of salvation. For a child of God, the Sermon on the Mount is like a well that never runs dry. These teachings deals with all areas of our life-from the small to the big.
As he came to the end of this teaching, Jesus spoke of two types of men (Vs. 24 & 26)— one who hears and does it and the one who refuses to do it. He compared them to two types of buildings whose foundations were laid on two surfaces:
Foundation upon rock- the wise man (v25)
Foundation upon sand- the foolish man (v26)
Foundation upon rock: The Wise man (v25)
This man has laid his foundation on the rock which is strong and able to withstand the elements of nature. It may take months to build it up strong. None of the forces that came against it pulled the building down as it was built on this solid rock. The Rock here signifies Christ Jesus, the rock of our salvation. 1Corinthians 3:11: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Peter 2:6 says: “For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion, a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”
A child of God first lays his foundation on the solid Rock- Christ Jesus. One who commits his/her life to Christ, decides to listen and heed His Word. Then his/her Christian life will be built up on a solid foundation. It is a time-taking process, but the Holy Spirit helps us along the way. When we face problems from different quarters, our hope is laid on this foundation, so we will not be shaken.
Foundation upon sand: The Foolish man (v26)
The second man built his house upon the sand—loose and shifting in form. He thought he took a wise decision. In Proverbs 3:7 says “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and shun evil.” As time passed it rained hard and the floods came up and the house upon the sand came crashing down and was swept away. Jesus alludes this man to a foolish one who heard His words but did not obey them.
Jesus emphasized this: whoever heard His words and obeyed Him, would be like a wise man who built on a rock. And that house could never be torn down!! It could never be moved! But the man who superfluously listens to Jesus’ words and does nothing about it—great will be his fall.
Let us look into our lives- when Satan brings trials and temptations what do we do? The Bible refers to the enemy coming in like a flood (Isaiah 59:19). We are not to be discouraged then but take the wise decision to pray and hear HIS voice. We are to stay strong in His Word and obey them. Psalm 18:2 says, “The LORD [is] my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust.”
Let us pray: “Our Heavenly Father, help us to be wise and build our lives keeping You as our foundation and obeying Your commands. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.”
Listen: ‘Song’