If there is anything I love about my childhood, it is listening to folktales from my grandmother and elementary school teachers. These tales are to entertain and to instruct. They often teach life lessons and convey the distinction between good and evil. The ones I love listening to are the stories of Tortoise and his wife (Ijapa ati Yannibo). I remained nostalgic about the good old days of listening to the folktales.
Jesus also told parables in the Bible, and my childhood experience played a crucial role in the way I listened to Jesus’ parables. What is a parable? A parable is a simple story used to illustrate a moral or spiritual lesson, as told by Jesus in the Gospels. In one of the parables, Jesus gave a vivid teaching on building code as He concluded His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount.
The Sermon on the Mount, recorded in Matthew Chapters 5-7, likely took several days to complete. The crowds were gathering, looking for the popular miracle worker in town. However, Jesus wants to teach His disciples the essential points of the Kingdom of God. The Great Sermon on the Mount was delivered to the disciples, not the multitudes. Jesus prepared the disciples to spread the truth of the Kingdom of God to the world that is in desperate need of the truth. After the series of teachings in these three chapters, Jesus summarized the sermon with a parable. Therefore, let us imagine ourselves on that hillside of Capernaum, and Jesus speaking to our spirits as He concluded the sermon.
In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells the parable of two builders: one wise and one foolish. Jesus explained the building materials of the wise. Jesus said,
“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.” Mathew 7:24-25.
Jesus is not talking about a literal building, but a spiritual building, one in which one’s life is built on the word of Jesus. That means this parable is intended for all of us who follow Christ. Everyone is building a house, which is our individual life. In this world, we continually build our lives. The building materials are hearing and putting into practice the words of Jesus. It is not enough to listen to the word of Jesus; we are to obey and practice it. The person who does this is gaining a solid foundation that life’s trials cannot destroy. Such a person is building on the rock. There will be challenges, trials, and temptations of life, which in the parable are called rains, floods, and winds beating on the house, but it did not fall. The foundation of the wise man endures the storms, floods, and winds. Jesus is the Rock, the solid foundation. The Bible says,
“For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” 1 Cor. 3:11
The wise does not just read the Bible or even memorize it. He obeys the teaching of Jesus. He does not just attend church for religious purposes, but he intentionally obeys Jesus. He lays his life on a sure foundation, the LORD Jesus Christ.
The other builder is the foolish builder. Who is the fool? Jesus said,
“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.” Matt. 7: 26-27.
The fool also worked very hard to build. He puts time and resources into the building. The choice of the foundation of the fool is a big difference from that of the wise. He also experienced the challenges, trials, and temptations of life just as the wise man. The foundation of the wise man endures the storms, floods, and wind, while the house of the foolish cannot survive the trials of life because it is built on the sand. He puts himself in the most dangerous position. He hears the same instruction as the wise. It means he is in church, attending seminars, conferences, and midweek programs, and knows the Bible, but the difference is his refusal to obey Jesus’ word. He is building, but he does not follow the building code. Any life that is not built on the truth of Jesus is set up for disaster, a great crash.
Jesus never said there would not be problems, but He teaches us the way out. The fundamental foundation of our life is usually hidden and is only revealed in times of crisis. Jesus said there will be rain, floods, and winds against our lives, but whoever builds his life in obeying the Word of Jesus will escape a collapsed life.
Let us read the Bible to obey it, because the stability of our lives depends on this. So, what lesson do you learn from this parable?