Keegan Lenker
Dr. George Lyons
12-11-00
Matthew 7:24-27 || Luke 6:47-49
Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practices 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. 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 the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that hose, and it fell with a great crash (Matthew 7:24-27 NIV). |
Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundation on rock. When a flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete (Luke 6:47-49 NIV). |
A parable comes to a reader often very confusing and
not making much sense. A parable, or story meant to have a deeper meaning applicable
to life comes to us in a manner to teach us something about Christ and his
teachings. One such parable is the Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders.
It is story brought to us by Jesus and told to the people of his day (as well as to us) in
order to shape our lives in accordance to how he intended for us to live. In order
to grasp a deeper understanding and meaning, information not necessarily written down, but
provided by people who dedicate their lives to parables can help us to gain a fair grasp
on the overall understanding of the parable by informing the reader on some cultural,
contextual, and even personal interpretation of the parable.
This particular parable comes as a final statement by
Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew) / Plain (Luke). It is a discussion about
the end times that will come at some point in history; and it is told in relation to the
people present then and today.
Prior to the telling of this parable in his Sermon on
the Mount, Jesus has addressed his disciples on many different topics that pertain to
their lives. These topics include adultery, divorce, taking oaths, loving our
enemies, giving to those in need, prayer, fasting, treasures in heaven, worrying, and
judging others. All of these topics lead into Jesus’ discussion of being wise
and foolish, although only Matthew uses these precise terms.
This parable in the Gospel of Matthew is somewhat
similar to the parallel in the Gospel of Luke. “It is commonly thought that
both Matthew and Luke derived their respective versions of the parable from Q as a common
source, even though the versions of Q available to them might have been somewhat
different” (Hultgren 132). This parable could have been passed to the two
Evangelists by way of oral tradition and written down.
Jesus begins this parable in a unique manner, informing
his disciples, who have listening, that if they put into practice what he has said, they
are like a man who builds his house on the rock. Hultgren
states that foundations built on bedrock are
The parable tells the reader what happens to the house
built upon the rock when a storm rages through. Matthew’s account specifically
says that “the rains came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against
the house” (25a). “The climate of Palestine is like that of southern
California in many ways. The riverbeds are dry most of the year. But when the
winter and spring rains come, the floods follow” (Earle 90). Donald Hagner puts
it this way: “Matthew describes typical storms in the hot, dry climate of the Near
Eastern lands: blasting winds and torrential rains that produce sudden rivers where
formerly there were dry wadis” (191). Whatever the status of the storm, it is
evident through the climate that a storm that blew through the desert lands had the
potential of doing great damage; the disciples were aware of that too. The house
built upon the solid rock foundation successfully survives the storm because its builder
was wise.
Jesus warns his disciples as to what will happen if
they do not put his words into practice in their lives. Jesus begins to tell them about
the ramifications of building a house on sand when a storm rolls through. Again, the
disciples can relate to the possibility of this as Hultgren says, “Building a house
upon sand is possible in many places, particularly along the coastal plain of Palestine
where sand and sand dunes extend inland for several miles at places” (134).
Hultgren elaborates by saying, “When rain falls in significant amounts, it comes down
from the mountains and hills of upper regions (where portions of some 40 inches can fall
at various times during the rainy season)” (133-134). We are dealing with a
storm that is evident to the surrounding people and that they are aware of when it
hits. The result of such a storm on a house built upon sand is a catastrophe.
Jesus says the house falls with a great crash because a foolish man built it upon the sand.
This parable can be told in a more contemporary way so as to help someone
understand. It might be adapted as follows: A boxer is going to compete against the world champion. A solid training schedule,
strict discipline, and good eating habits will bring a boxer into the ring ready and
prepared for the championship bout. The punches and blows of the champ can be
avoided and not taken so hard because of the preparation of the underdog in the fight.
The opposite can also be true as well. The
fighter going up against the world champ with the attitude that he will just do what he
wants is in trouble. The continuing attitude of “I’ll just wing it when I get in
there” will not provide a lot of entertainment; the fight will not last long, but the
unprepared fighter will get mutilated. Which would you prefer to put your money on?
-- a wise fighter or a foolish one?
This specific parable call all people in the world to
take seriously their choices in this life. They can choose to be wise or foolish in
response to what Christ has taught to them. It serves as a reminder, or a warning,
depending on whether they accept or reject Christ’s teachings.
The wise man represents those in this world who really
“get it” as far as Christ is concerned. They accept and believe in their
hearts what Christ taught and place is teachings in application to their own lives so that
when judgment day arrives, they are not surprised and are gladly welcomed into the
kingdom.
The foolish man represents what I believe to be two
different of kinds of people. The first is the man who is aware of their situation
and still refuses to wise with what Jesus taught and on Judgment Day receives what was
expected all along; that they crash and their reward is Hell.
The second possibility of the foolish man is the one
has the “I’m a good person philosophy.” They do what is right, obey
what Christ taught, but never actually “get it,” and thus it yields a surprise
on Judgment Day when they crash to and see their result is nothing more than Hell
too.
Craig Blomberg
sums up this parable in an appropriate manner:
The fact that people literally do build houses without adequate foundations, however, remains a poignant testimony to the foolishness of human behavior in the material realm and makes the parable an apt illustration of a similar lack of preparation in the spiritual realm (259).
Blomberg, Craig. Interpreting the
Parables. Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1990.