The House Upon the Rock

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand:

And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

(Matthew 7:24-27)

Jesus concludes his famous Sermon on the Mount by affirming the importance of what he has just taught: one who gives careful heed to his words may be likened unto a man who builds his house on the rock, while he who slights his sayings is like unto one who builds his house on the sand. This is a parable about foundations.

Every person builds a house of faith. We do so either knowingly or unknowingly. And every builder soon learns that a good building with a bad foundation is worse than useless; it is dangerous. Thus one's house of faith can be no more secure than the foundation upon which it is built. Foolish persons build upon the shifting sands of popularity and social consensus, while wise persons build upon absolute truths and time-honored values, principles and practices that civilizations acknowledge as divinely given.

Foolish persons build upon the shifting sands of popularity and social consensus, while wise persons build upon absolute truths and time-honored values, principles and practices that civilizations acknowledge as divinely given. Some things have endured the tests of time, and after this many centuries of life on this planet, there are certain verities-causes of famine and plenty, war and peace, unhappiness and contentment for individuals and nations-that wise men and women simply ought to accept and acknowledge. Foolish persons build their houses upon counterfeits, vain and artificial substitutes for happiness. As an example, the lessons of the centuries prescribe that one cannot sow the winds of pride and selfishness without reaping the whirlwinds of sorrow and destruction. When the winds of adversity blow, when problems, crises and temptations in life arise, the foolish find there is little that is lasting and substantive to which they can anchor themselves. However, those who refuse to yield on what is right and what is wrong find safety, security and peace, no matter the volume of competing voices. Those who ignore the chants of ethical relativists and build their lives on decency and morality make a lasting contribution in a world that desperately needs them. Jesus is teaching that truth will prevail.

(Hebrews 11:3)