Finding our foundation in Christ alone.
by Caroline S. Cooper
“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock” (Matthew 7:24, 25).
At the end of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells His disciples and the surrounding crowds a story of two builders whose houses stood in the path of a storm. The fate of each rested on its foundation. The house built on a solid rock stood strong against the wind and waves. However, the house built on shifting sands broke apart and floated away with the floodwaters. Jesus adds, “And great was its fall” (v. 27), emphasizing total destruction due to the weak foundation.
Jesus reveals an important trait of the builders based on where they built. The man who built on a rock possessed wisdom. Here, Jesus uses the Greek word phronimos, translated “wise” and defined as “having the capacity to understand.” In considering where to build his house, this man understood that a solid, immovable rock would provide the strongest base.
On the other hand, the man who built his house on the sand is described as foolish (mōros in Greek). This word can also be translated “unwise,” a direct contrast to the man who exhibited wisdom. Through this illustration, Jesus teaches that the result of foolishness is destruction.
Proverbs contains many sayings that compare and contrast wisdom and foolishness. One verse can be applied to the builders in Jesus’ parable: “Wise people store up knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction” (10:14). Building on a rock might seem like the obvious choice, but Scripture tells us that we tend to go our own way instead of seeking wisdom. Proverbs 11:2 says, “When pride comes, then comes shame; but with the humble is wisdom.”
Since wisdom is the obvious good choice, how do we obtain it?
Sayings of Jesus
Jesus gives us a hint in Matthew 7:24. The word Therefore at the beginning reveals a connection between what Jesus said before and what He will say next. In other words, the builder is wise by hearing and acting on Jesus’ prior “sayings.” To discover what Jesus taught, we have to go back to the beginning of His sermon.
Jesus started the Sermon on the Mount with the Beatitudes (blessings, Matthew 5:3-10). He continued by teaching about life in the kingdom of God, which included lessons on the intent of the law, relationships, and how to pray. Jesus then issued a warning: “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven” (7:21). The parable of the two builders wrapped up Jesus’ sermon.
Those who listened to the wisdom-giving sayings of Jesus had to rely on the words and stories they heard. Scrolls of Scripture were not readily available back then. Today, we have easy access to the entire Word of God. When we listen to and obey the sayings of Jesus, and the entire Bible, we gain wisdom for building the foundation of our relationship with the Lord.
Sure foundation
Luke’s account of this parable includes additional insights. A person who hears and follows Jesus’ words “is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock” (6:48). In contrast, the foolish man builds his house on the earth, with no foundation.
Wisdom guides us to build on the rock. Digging deep is the key to weathering the storms that come our way. What is the solid, immovable rock we are to build on? Paul reveals the answer in 1 Corinthians 3:11: “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.”
Paul gives additional insight. He tells the church at Ephesus that they are built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Jesus as the chief cornerstone. All believers are being fitted together “for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:22).
Peter also cites Jesus as the cornerstone by referencing prophecies in Isaiah (8:14; 28:16) and Psalms (118:22). We, “as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). When we read, study, meditate on, and memorize Scripture, we are digging deep into God’s truth. As a result, the Lord gives us wisdom to build our lives on the foundation of Christ. With Him, we can celebrate our blessings, stand strong against temptation and trials, and join with other believers to sing praises to our solid and immovable rock, Jesus Christ. Our true foundation.
