Two Men and Two Houses [Matthew 7:24-27]

Stand for the reading of the word of God [Matthew 7:24-27]

Over the last couple of weeks I’ve said multiple times that the words of our Lord Jesus are very solemn and startling. Again the text we look at today and for a couple of weeks paint another startling and solemn picture. The picture is a familiar one, even among those who do not posses much knowledge of scripture this picture is familiar. This parable of two houses, one built on rock the other on sand.

Again, our Lord is finished with the sermon on the mount, as far as laying down principles, now He is applying those principles to our lives. He is confronting His followers with the two possibilities; they must all go in at one or other of the two gates, either at the narrow gate or at the broad gate, and they will walk either the narrow way or the broad way.

His purpose has been to help them as they face this choice. To that end He has shown them how to recognize and avoid the subtle temptations and dangers which invariably confront those who are in that situation. In these verses our Lord continues with the same theme. Notice the connection. It is not something new; rather it is a continuation and final clinching of His earlier argument. It is the same warning about the danger of a lack of obedience, of being content with listening to the gospel and not putting it into practice.

In other words, it is once more the danger of self-deception. The Scriptures, as we have seen, are full of warnings against this; and we have it here pictured, in a most interesting fashion, in the greatness of the fall of the house that was built upon the sand. We have seen these people who were so sure that they were Christian, but who will be so sadly disillusioned in the day of judgment, when the Lord says to them, ‘I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity’. It is, then, the same theme, but with an added lesson. Our Lord never drew a new picture merely for the sake of doing so. There must be some new aspect of the matter, which He wants to present; and this picture shows clearly what that new emphasis is.

The best way to approach this particular picture is to look at it as the third in a series. The first, in verses 15–20, concerning the false prophet, was designed to warn us against the danger of being deceived by appearances. Pleasant men come to us in sheep’s clothing who inwardly are ravening wolves. How easily we can be deceived by such people because we are so superficial in our judgments. ‘By their fruits ye shall know them.’

The second picture is one of people who assume that everybody who says ‘Lord, Lord’ shall enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is a picture designed to warn us against the danger of deceiving ourselves in terms of what we believe, or in terms of our zeal and fervor, and our own activities. ‘Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?’ They were resting on these things; but they were quite wrong. He had never had anything to do with them; He had never known them. They were just deceiving and deluding themselves.

We are now going to look at the third and last picture. I suggest our Lord’s chief concern in this picture is to warn us against the danger of seeking and desiring only the benefits and the blessings of the Christian life, and resting upon our apparent possession of the benefits and not resting upon the Lord Himself. Clearly the words are addressed to those who are professing Christians. They are not addressed to people who have no interest whatsoever in the kingdom; they are addressed to people who have been listening, and who like listening, to teaching concerning it.

These words are obviously addressed to members of churches, to those who make the claim of being Christian, who profess discipleship, and who are seeking the benefits and blessings of the Christian life. Everything about the picture emphasizes that, and we see that it, again, is meant to show us the difference between the false and the true profession of Christianity; the difference between the Christian and the seeming Christian; between the man who really is born again and is a child of God, and the man who only thinks he is.

In order to bring out this distinction our Lord presents us with a comparison; indeed, there is a kind of double comparison in the picture. There are two men and two houses. Obviously, if we are to arrive at the spiritual truth which is taught here, we must examine the picture in detail. There are similarities and differences to be observed.

The similarities between the two men

To begin with, they had the same desire. They both desired to build a house, a house in which they could live with their families, dwell at ease and enjoy themselves. They wanted the same thing, they thought about the same thing, and they were interested in the same thing. There is no difference at all at that point. Not only that, but they desired a house in the same location; for our Lord points out clearly that the two houses were subjected to precisely the same tests and stresses. A strong impression is given that the two houses were quite near to one another, and were subject to precisely the same conditions. This is a most important point.

But we can go one step further and say that they obviously liked and designed the same kind of house. We deduce that from the fact that our Lord makes it clear that there was no difference between these two houses except in the foundation. Looked at externally and on the surface there was no difference. The doors, the windows and the chimneys were in the same position; they had the same design, the same pattern—the two houses were apparently identical apart from just this one difference beneath the surface. So we are entitled to deduce that these two men liked the same kind of house. Not only did each want a house; they wanted the same kind of house. Their ideas on the subject were absolutely identical. They had much in common.

In saying that, we have incidentally brought out the similarities in the two houses. We have seen that the two houses look absolutely identical if we merely examine them superficially. Everything seems to be in exactly the same position in the one as in the other. Yet we know that the whole point of the picture is to show the difference and the dissimilarity. Indeed, our Lord is concerned to show that the difference is a fundamental and vital one.

As we concentrate our attention upon the differences, we can divide up the matter once more into the difference between the men, and the difference between the houses. Before we come to the details, let us look at the difference in general. The first point is that it is not an obvious one. We need to be reminded of this constantly because there is no point at which the devil in his subtlety seems to trap us so frequently.

We cling to the notion that the difference between the true Christian and the false Christian is obvious. Our Lord’s whole point, however, is that this is a most subtle matter. It is not obvious either in the case of the men or the houses. If we do not stress that point we miss the whole purpose of His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord emphasizes this element of subtlety everywhere.

It was there in the first picture of the men in sheep’s clothing—the false prophets. The whole difficulty about the false prophet, as we saw, was that on the surface he was so extraordinarily like the true prophet. The false prophet is not a man who says there is no God and that the Bible is just the product of human thinking, and who denies the miracles and the supernatural. The false prophet can be detected only when you examine him very carefully with a sense of discernment given only by the Holy Spirit. His condition is such that he deceives himself as well as others.

It was precisely the same in that second picture, of those who cry Lord Lord did we not...: and it is so here also. The difference is not obvious; it is very subtle. Nevertheless to those who have eyes to see it is perfectly clear.

If you interpret this picture by saying that the difference between the two houses and the two men is discovered only when the trials come, when the floods descend and the winds blow, as some have, then not only is your exposition wrong, it is of no value. By then it is too late to do anything about it. So if our Lord were teaching that, He would in effect be mocking us. But that is not the case; His whole object is to enable us to detect the difference between the two, so that we may safeguard ourselves against the consequences of the false position while there is still time. If we have our eyes opened by the Holy Spirit, if we have ‘that anointing from the Holy One’, and the unction which enables us to discern, we shall be able to detect the difference between the men and the houses.

The difference between the two men

At this point the record as given at the end of Luke 6 is particularly helpful. There we are told that the wise man dug deep and laid a foundation for his house on the rock, whereas the foolish man did not dig at all, and did not trouble to lay a foundation. In other words, the way to discover the difference between these two men is to make a detailed analysis of the foolish man. The wise man is just the exact opposite. And, of course, the key to the understanding of that man is the word ‘foolish’. It describes a particular outlook, a characteristic type of person. So, what are...

The Characteristics of the foolish man

The first is that he is in a hurry. Foolish people are always in a hurry; they want to do everything at once; they have no time to wait. How often does Scripture warn us against this! It tells us that the godly, righteous man ‘shall not make haste’. He is never subject to flurry and excitement and hurry. He knows God and he knows that the decrees and purposes and plan of God are eternal and immutable. But the foolish man is impatient; he never takes time; he is always interested in short cuts and quick results. That is the chief characteristic of his mentality and his conduct. We are all familiar with this kind of person in ordinary life and quite apart from Christianity. He is the type of man who says, ‘I must have a house at once, there is no time for foundations.’ He is always in a hurry.

At the same time, because he has that mentality, he does not trouble to listen to instruction; he does not pay any attention to the rules that govern the construction of a house. The construction of a house is a serious matter, and a man who is anxious to build one should never think merely in terms of having some kind of roof over his head. He should realize that certain principles of construction should be observed if he is to have a solid house.

That is why people consult architects; and the architect draws up plans and specifications and makes his calculations. The wise man is anxious to know the right way to do things; and so he listens to instruction and is prepared to be taught. But the foolish man is not interested in such things; he wants a house; he cannot be bothered about rules and regulations. ‘Put it up,’ he says. He is impatient, ignoring instruction and teaching, and says ‘Just get it done.’ That is the typical mentality of the foolish person, both in ordinary life and in connection with things spiritual.

Not only is he in too much of a hurry to listen to instruction, but this foolish man also considers it unnecessary. In his opinion his ideas are always the best. He has nothing to learn from anybody. Everything he says is right. ‘There is no need to be so cautious and to bother so much about these details.’ ‘Let us get the house built’ is his slogan. He does not care what has been done in the past, but simply follows his own impulses and ideas. I am not simply caricaturing this type of person. Just think of people you have seen and known going into business, or getting married, or building houses, or anything similar, and you will agree that that is a true picture of this foolish mentality which thinks it knows all, is satisfied with its own opinion, and is always in a hurry to put it into effect.

Finally, it is a mentality that never thinks things through, it never stops to consider possibilities and eventualities. The foolish man who built his house without a foundation, and on the sand, did not stop to think or to ask himself, ‘Now what may happen? Is it possible that the river which is so pleasant to look at in the summer may, in the spring or fall, suddenly become very swollen as the result of heavy rain or snow and I may be flooded out?’

He did not stop to think of that; he just wanted a pleasant house in that particular position, and he put it up without considering any one of these things. And if someone had come along and said, ‘Look here, my friend, it is no use putting up a house like that on the sand. Don’t you realize what may happen in this spot? You don’t know what that river is capable of doing. I have seen it, I have known storms here that bring down the best-built houses.

My friend, I suggest that you dig deep. Get down to the rock’—the foolish man would have dismissed it all and persisted in doing what he considered best for him. In a spiritual sense, he is not interested in learning from Church history; he is not interested in what the Bible has to say; he wants to do something, and he believes it can be done in his way, and away he goes and does it. He does not consult the plans and specifications; he does not try to look to the future and doesn’t consider what may happen.

The Characteristics of the wise man

He presents a complete contrast. His desire is to build durably. So he starts by saying, ‘I do not know much about this; I am not an expert in these matters; wisdom dictates that I should consult people who do know. I want to have plans and specifications, I want some guidance and some instruction. I know men can build houses quickly, but I want a house that will last.’ That is the essence of wisdom. The wise man takes trouble to find out all he can; he holds himself in check, and does not allow his feelings and emotions or his enthusiasm to carry him away. He desires knowledge, truth and understanding; is ready to respond to the exhortation of the book of Proverbs which urges us to seek and to covet wisdom, for ‘the gain thereof (is better) than fine gold. She is more precious than rubies’. He is not prepared to take risks, and does not rush off in a hurry; he thinks before he acts.

The difference between the two houses

There are just two matters comment on this. The first is that the time for examination has already passed. When the house is built it is already too late. The time for examination is at the very beginning. These two men and their operations must be watched when they are planning and choosing the site and location. The time to watch your builder is at the beginning, to see what he does as regards laying a foundation. It is not enough just to look at the house when it is completed. Indeed, it may look better than the other.

That, in turn, leads to the second point which is that, though the difference between the two houses is not obvious, it is nevertheless vital, for ultimately the most important thing about a house is the foundation. This is a truth which is frequently emphasized in the Bible. The foundation, which seems so insignificant and unimportant because it is out of sight, is nevertheless the most vital and important thing of all.

If the foundation is wrong, everything else must be wrong. That was Paul’s great argument when he said, ‘Other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ’? The foundation, the first principles, are more important than anything else. Another reason for the vital significance of this one difference between the houses is brought out by the coming of the tests later. They are certain to come sooner or later. We shall not stay with the application of that to our lives now; but as certainly as we are in this life the tests are going to come for every one of us, and we shall have to face them. They are inevitable and unavoidable; and in view of that nothing matters more than the foundation.

Our Lord draws us this graphic and dramatic picture between two men and two houses to point to a vitally important analysis...

The difference/similarities between the Christian and the false Christian

How are we to discern if we, or someone else is a true Christian or a false Christian? Well, I think the first thing to note is the many similarities in them. The first is that you tend to find them in the same place. The two men in the picture put up their houses in the same location, they wanted to be near each other and near the river. It is exactly the same in the realm of religion. The true Christian and the false Christian are generally to be found in the same sphere.

You generally find them both in the Church, as members together. They sit and listen to precisely the same gospel; and both seem to like doing so. They are to all appearance in exactly the same position, having the same general outlook and interested in the same activities. The man who is deluded by the counterfeit is not outside the Church; he is inside it. He likes being connected with the Church and he may be an active member of it. These two men are, on the surface, are as like each other as were the two builders and their houses in the picture.

The two men appear to have the same general desires. And in the spiritual application the essence of the difficulty lies in the fact that the false Christian has the same general desires as the true Christian. What are these? He desires forgiveness and wants to believe that his sins are forgiven. He wants peace. In his life he’s been restless. He was unhappy and could not find satisfaction, so he began looking for it. It is a great mistake to think that the only person who desires peace within and the ‘quiet heart’ is the true Christian. The world today is hungering and thirsting for this peace, and is searching for it. Many people come into the sphere of Christianity because they desire it, the benefit, not necessarily because they desire Christ.

They desire comfort and consolation. Life is hard and difficult and we all tend to be weary and sad, so the world is longing for comfort. The result is that there are many people who come to the Church just, as it were, to be comforted and consoled. They sit in the service and do not even listen to what is said. They say that there is something about the atmosphere of the building which is soothing. They are longing for comfort and consolation. The true and the false Christian share that in common.

They desire to find a way out of troubles and difficulties. It is not only the true Christian that is interested in guidance. There are unbelievers who have made great mistakes and have difficulties in life, and who are unhappy as a result. They say, ‘I always seem to do the wrong thing; I try to work things out but my decisions are always wrong.’ Then suddenly they hear someone speaking about guidance, someone who claims an infallible guidance, who says that if you do what he tells you things can never go wrong, and they jump at the teaching with enthusiasm. We must not blame them; it is very understandable. We all know this longing for guidance, for infallible guidance, so that we may cease from making mistakes and always do the right thing and make the right decision. The ‘false Christian’ desires that just as much as the true Christian.

In exactly the same way he may have a desire to live a good life. You don’t have to be a true Christian in order to desire to live a better life. There are highly moral, ethical men outside the realm of Christianity who are very concerned to live a better life. That is why they read philosophy and study ethical systems. They want to live a good and moral life. We cannot discern between these two men by the test of morality alone.

I’d even say that the Christian and the false Christian may in fact both be interested in spiritual things. Read the account in Acts 8 of Simon the sorcerer in Samaria. That man saw Philip working miracles, and he was impressed. He had been doing that kind of thing too, but not with this ease and power; and he joined himself to the Christians. Then when he saw that Peter and John by laying their hands on people gave them the gift of the Holy Ghost, Simon became covetous, and offered them money for the possession of that power.

He coveted it, and his spiritual descendants in these days may likewise covet and desire spiritual power. He sees a man preaching with spiritual power, and says, ‘I would like to be like that.’ He pictures himself standing in a pulpit and apparently exercising great power, and it appeals to his carnal nature. There are many examples of men who were blind to spiritual truth but who nevertheless desired the possession of spiritual power. It is as subtle as that.

Finally, the ‘false Christian’ also desires to get to heaven. He is a man who believes in heaven and hell, and he does not want to go to hell. He very definitely desires to go to heaven. Have you not known such people? Many can be found outside the Church altogether. They most certainly want to go to heaven, and say that they have always believed in God. If that is true of the man obviously outside, how much more is it true of this false Christian who is inside the realm and sphere of Christian interest?

So we find these strange similarities between these two persons. They seem to believe the same things and desire the same things. They are similar also in that not only do they desire the same things, they even seem to have the same things. That is the most alarming thought of all, but the two previous pictures have emphasized that truth quite as much as this one does. The false prophet and those with a false peace.

Even though our Lord’s teaching is that there are these many similarities between these two men and the two houses in the parable, and in the realm of Christian profession, yet there is a vital difference. It is not obvious on the surface, but if you look for it, it is perfectly clear and unmistakable. It is a foundation that is laid upon Jesus Christ alone. If we take the trouble to apply our analysis, we cannot fail to see it.

We have already indicated the nature of the tests in our analysis of the foolish man. All we need to do is to apply them to ourselves—this hurry-up mentality that does not listen to warnings, that is not concerned about plans and specifications, that thinks it knows what it wants and what is best and goes all out for it. Let us examine ourselves in the light of these criteria, and then we shall see very clearly to which category we belong.

We can sum it up in the form of a question: What is your supreme desire? Are you only out for the benefits and blessings of the Christian life, or have you a deeper and more profound desire? Are you out for the fleshly carnal results, or do you long to know God and to become more and more like the Lord Jesus Christ? Are you truly hungering and thirsting after righteousness? Let every one examine themselves.

We will pick this topic up again next week.