The Two Builders

Introduction

Imagine you enter the airplane for a long-expected vacation on a dream beach destination. You are with your family. Everybody buckles up and waits for the cabin crew's instructions to take off. All is going well until the captain starts to speak. After attending theoretical flight classes, he seems to be nervous and admits this will be his first flight without any previous practice. Would you continue on this flight?

Today we will study a well known passage that has a lot to say to our Christian way of living today. The text can be found on Matthew 7:24–27 and also on Luke 6:47-49 . Today we will talk briefly about both texts, but we will be focused on the Matthean writing.

Passage

Matthew 7:24–27 CSB

“Therefore, everyone who hears these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and doesn’t act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. It collapsed with a great crash.”

Direct Application

It is necessary to free our minds from the pre-knowledge of the text and review it with fresh eyes. On this text we have the representation of two people: A Wise and a foolish person,

The wise person chooses to build his house under a solid foundation. Matthew emphasizes the elements of the nature: rain, flood, and strong winds going against that house and nothing would make it fall.

The foolish person on the other hand builds the house on the sand. The same elements of nature pass through that house, but it did not resist and fell to the ground.

Snodgrass points that in both accounts of Luke and Matthew this passage has the same objective: “to underscore the significance of Jesus’ teaching in the sermon and to urge obedience to his teaching by stressing that security stems from obedience but destruction comes from the failure to obey.”

Snodgrass, Klyne R.. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus . Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.. Kindle Edition. Page 330.

But the question now is: To obey what? how come Jesus is telling us to obey him if I don’t know what is being requested?

For this reason, it is critical for the proper understanding of this passage and what Jesus is asking about his first listeners the context of the parable. To understand properly we must answer a few questions:

How does the parable fits its direct context?

How does the parable fits the entire book by which it is added?

What are the Old Testament texts that connects with this parable?

What are the New Testament texts that alludes or connects with this parable?

Direct Context in Matthew

The context of the parable in both Matthew and Luke is the Sermon of the Mountain. Both New Testament authors placed this parable at the end of the sermon with the intention to highlight the importance of what was taught by Jesus to be put into practice.

The Sermon of the Mountain, in Matthew, focuses on the transformation of the individual from the inside. The key to the true Makarios - Blessedness - Happiness, are a selfless love towards God (Matt. 5:3-11) . The sermon of the mountain is a challenge for a person to leave their religiosity behind and truly live for God (Matt. 5:13-48; 6:1-16). It is to abandon our trust on possessions and to rest in the Lord (Matt. 6:19-34). It is the key to enter the Kingdom of God (Matt. 7:13-23), and much more.

After all the discourse of the Sermon and the amazing teaching Jesus gave, he finalizes it by calling his audience to practice what they just had learned.

Context with the rest of the book of Matthew

On the authoritative claims of Jesus, he says in other parts that his words will endure beyond heaven and earth – Matt. 16:27 ; 25:31-32

Matthew 16:27 ESV

For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

Matthew 25:31–32 ESV

“When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

On the eschatological awareness of the wise person and the response to living according to God’s commands – Matt. 24:45

Matthew 24:45 ESV

“Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom his master has set over his household, to give them their food at the proper time?

Old Testament Related Passages:

When God brought the people of Israel out of Egypt, he gave them his commandments in order the people to live in community and flourish in the presence of the Lord. Not only they needed to hear the commands, they were to practice it and remember always of the words of the Lord so that they would not deviate. Deut. 6:4-9 has the words of God spoken out of Moses to the people.

Deuteronomy 6:4–9 ESV

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.

Jesus command to obey his words are in the same fashion. Also, the same reminder can be seen in Josh. 1:7-8. God addresses Joshua right after Moses’ death and reminds him about the importance to keep God’s commands so that he could succeed in his jorney.

In the OT God is highlighting the importance to have his word engraved on the heart and the necessity to practice of it every day. This obeying would bring blessings, and the disobey of his words would bring curses (see also Deut.28 and Lev. 26). The parable of the two builders tells how is the end of those who obey and those who don’t obey the word of God.

Also, in the Old Testament, we can find about the contrast between the righteous/wise and the unrighteous/foolish. Those texts can be found in Psalms 1 and in the book of Proverbs. The authors demonstrates the choice and the results of a wise man in comparison with the results of the foolish.

Finally, the parable of the two builders also fits the pattern of the exhortation material found in the Old Testament bringing a sense of urgency on the need to obey the Word of God. Those texts can be found on (Deut. 30:1-20; and Josh. 24:14-24).

New Testament Related Passages:

On the theme of obeying the word of God and the need to put it into practice James 1:22-25 and John 2:14-17 bring home the topic by exposing the necessity for a believer to practice their faith. There is no meaning for someone who claims to believe in God and does not put into practice what he commands his followers to do. Christians must be intentional in their actions towards the kingdom of God. To claim any faith in Jesus Christ and maintain a sinful life is a foolish thing to do. Very close to what Jesus says in the parable, James wrote:

James 1:22–25 ESV

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

Obedience has to do with love. In John 14:21-24 Jesus talks about those who receive his commands and obey. Those who obey are the ones who love Christ. In this passage, Jesus promises to manifest himself to those who love him. Also, in the same passage, there is the image of the Father and the Son coming and making home with those who love and obey his words. This is another strong text that demonstrates the necessity to obey Jesus’ teachings for a life transformation.

Interpretation of the Parable.

The central theme of the parable is to obey the Word of God. As we saw on the texts above, there is a relationship of blessing and curse onto obeying the word of God on the Old Testament. Jesus, brings the concept of

Jesus’ claim for authority in the likeness of God requesting the obedience of the Torah on the Old Testament is worth noting. This portion of the teaching was not

- The central theme of the parable is to do and obey the will of God. The parable is placed at the end of the sermon on the mountain. The sermon calls for the transformation of religious paradigms, and Jesus is telling what people should do to find the true Makarios. For that instance, they should respond to his transformational call with faith and action by putting into practice what they had learned to be the proper way to interpret the Law.

- Jesus’ authoritative words were the right interpretation of the Law and should be followed. The wise and the foolish comparison in the parable is a comparison of those who practice his words and those who don’t, which is in direct connection with the Old Testament accounts of God’s commands to the people of Israel. It was clear to the original public that the Torah should be obeyed and followed. Also, Psalm 1 makes quite clear the distinction between the wise and the foolish in reference to meditating and obeying the Word. Jesus was claiming something similar for his words. Jesus was claiming the same authority by applying blessing and condemnation for those who did not follow his word(Snodgrass, 334). This explains the reason the multitude was astonished by his authoritative teaching (Mt. 7:28-29)

We must avoid trying to find excuses to deviate our focus from the centrality of this parable. It is about obeying and putting into practice what we learned. It is about laying the foundation of our lives into the Word of God. Believing in Him, and transforming our lives accordingly. And where can we find those live changing commands?

This paint is from a contemporary Canadian artist called Melani Pyke. What this paint tells you?

Is the Bible the center, the source of your life?

Are you building your life upon the Word of God?

Do you put into practice the teachings of the Bible?

Do you believe to the point of resting in God?

https://www.etsy.com/listing/1417592065/wise-and-foolish-builders-8x10-original

May we Love God and His word up to the point we cannot live without it.

To finalize i wanted you to watch this short video telling the effects of reading the Bible 4 or more times a week has in a person’s life.

Bellow I am sharing the link of the study for you to read more careful at home.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2n8YHceqNo

https://research.lifeway.com/2021/01/20/9-tangible-benefits-of-bible-reading-for-your-church/

May the Lord bless you all.