The Wise and Foolish Builders
Matthew 7:24-27 (parallel Luke 6:46-49)
Kim Hersey

SETTING

The parable of the wise and foolish builders is located at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) or the Sermon on the Plain (Luke). There is some disagreement over whether Jesus originally spoke either of these sermons in exactly this order, in one time and place in history. Some contend that both sermons are exactly the words of Jesus, thus spoken on two different occasions. While this is not impossible, it is more likely that, as William McCumber has said, "…the sermon seems intended as a sample and summary of His [Jesus’] teaching ministry" (50). So, the actual historical setting may be somewhat artificial, but the content of the parable fits into the larger picture of the life of Jesus. Craig Blomberg notes, "Very few objections have ever been raised to the authenticity of this parable or its interpretation" (260). It may not have been at the end of a long sermon, but it is a parable of Jesus that Matthew and Luke both considered important enough to preserve in writing.

The setting as the evangelists have it has powerful meaning. The parable’s location at the end of these summary-sermons "leaves its hearers with no good reason for refusing Christ’s appeal" (Blomberg 260). It is a conclusion that demands response. Eduard Schweizer calls the parable "a warning about the impending judgment that demonstrates the hopelessness of the man who hears Jesus’ words but does not do them" (191). Thus, it is a call for action now, in light of a coming eschatological crisis. It leaves its hearers or readers with no doubt about whether actions, and not just words, are required.

Within the parable, there is a literary setting of contrast. One builder is wise; the other is foolish. One builds on a rock; the other builds on sand. McCumber notes that this division of men into only two classes was consistent with Old Testament literature (e.g., Psalms and Proverbs) (51). By Jesus’ time, retribution for actions was delayed until the "end" of human history, and the joining of the wisdom motif to the idea of a "last judgment" was common (Harrington 109-110).

Additionally, the literary nature of this parable is common to other Jewish writings of this time. Blomberg notes three main similarities between this parable and a rabbinical parable with similar content. They both are aesthetically pleasing stories, they were structured for reliable oral transmission, and they were easy to memorize (Blomberg 61).

EXEGETICAL ANALYSIS

Even to the twentieth century mind, the picture of a house built on rock or on sand is a picture of contrast. However, there are some features of the passage worth noting to aid understanding. One is the phrasing of "these words of mine" (Matthew 7:24). McCumber is certain they indicate habitual teaching (50), so it is not as if the hearers only had one chance to hear Jesus’ message and respond to it. He was teaching about the Kingdom of God on a regular basis; they had numerous opportunities to take His words and put them into practice.

Eduard Schweizer points out the phrase, "will be like" (Matthew 7:24) as significant. He cites this phrase to support the eschatological meaning of the parable, explaining that the parable indicates "only the Last Judgment will reveal the difference between the two houses" (190-191). Robert Stein also supports this eschatological focus. He writes: "Something new has occurred. The kingdom of God has come. Therefore now as never before the call goes out to choose" (114).

It is pointed out frequently that the material of this parable is very true-to-life. Undoubtedly, Jesus drew from his own experience as a carpenter. People build houses. Some, in a hurry, build homes with no foundation. Others plan more carefully. The storms always come. As George A. Buttrick says so simply, "Every house is tested" (335).

The question is, "On what will the house be built?" Here the differences between Matthew and Luke are minor, but insightful. Matthew uses the contrast between rock and sand. Luke uses the contrast between a foundation and no foundation. "Foundation" is more likely referring to a Greco-Roman style of building, with a proper foundation, whereas Matthew’s "rock" is more likely used as a Palestinian foundation (Buttrick 335). This makes perfect sense if Matthew’s audience was Jewish and Luke’s Gentile, as many suppose. Not only does it make sense, but it also encourages application of the parable beyond its original audience. Only the base on which it rests determines the durability or collapse of the building (Schweizer 191).

A note about the geography of Palestine also helps the understanding of this parable. William Barclay writes that the foolish builder "might well have built his house in the dried-up bed of a river, and, when the winter came, his house would disintegrate" (296). These riverbeds were not the large, always flowing rivers common to the United States. Blomberg asserts that Jesus had in mind the sand, or sandy riverbeds, of Palestine. He explains that, in Palestine, a "wadi" is a "waterless ravine with steep sides which occasionally turned into a raging river after severe rains"(81). These wadis would be similar to arroyos in the southwestern United States. To build a house there would be to invite certain destruction. However, to find a good building site with a solid foundation takes some work, thought, and effort.

MESSAGE

This parable calls out for response. Jesus was communicating that it was wise to hear and obey His teaching. There is a difference between the wise and foolish builders. Perhaps the best way to state the message of this parable is in the words of William McCumber: "The dividing factor is clear. The issue is that of doing or not doing the words of Jesus"(51). The comparison parallels are neatly drawn. Wisdom is obedience to the words of Jesus, and foolishness is ignoring the words of Jesus.

What response was Jesus inviting? Surely it was more than just better construction. There were storms ahead. That much is plain: storms will come, both realistically and metaphorically. Blomberg notes that a "storm" is a common metaphor for judgment or crisis, and so assumes Jesus is thinking of the end of the age (259). He also discusses D.A. Carson’s idea that the foundation laid in the present age may be what will endure in the world to come. [1] Certainly, then, Jesus was communicating that only what has a solid foundation will last through the judgment. He was inviting his hearers to build their lives wisely on His words, that they might withstand the crises and judgment to come.

APPLICATION

What of today? If Jesus were speaking to westerners in the late twentieth century, He might just change the parable a bit. Knowing the culture and the world of first-century Palestine, Jesus knew what picture to paint so His hearers understood the parallel clearly. Their lives were tied to their homes; that was a key investment. It made sense to them to "build wisely."

In the twentieth-century, homes are only a part of one’s investments. Perhaps, the parable could be re-stated this way. "If anyone hears these words of mine and puts them into practice, he is like an investor who invests his money while planning wisely for the future. But if anyone hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice, he is like a spender who spends foolishly without thought for tomorrow." To a materialistic, money-driven society, the picture is perfectly clear. One must be discerning about investments. Likewise, one must make wise decisions about the investment of life. One must put the teachings of Jesus into practice.