Solid Rock or Sinking Sand? (Matt 7:21-27)

SOLID ROCK OR SINKING SAND? (MATTHEW 7:21-27)

One of the biggest tourist attractions in Shanghai in 2009 was a 13-floor, 629 units apartment building under construction that suddenly collapsed, killing one worker. A shocked witness said, “It was just like an earthquake.” The apartment building is at a premium location in Shanghai, about five metro stops from downtown areas, and is sold at a price of 18,000 yuan (US$2,700) per sq meter (3.28 feet)
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2009-06/27/content_8330067.htm

The building, one of 11 in a wider project, toppled over almost intact when pillars that were supposed to be buried deep under the earth were uprooted. Commentators in the Chinese press have noted the project's riverside location, the rise in water levels and potentially unstable piles of mud near to the collapsed building. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8123559.stm

The South China Morning Post noted that the pilings used in the Lotus Riverside development, made of prestressed, precast concrete piles, are outlawed in Hong Kong because they aren’t strong enough to support the kind of ultra-high buildings that are common in Hong Kong. http://blogs.wsj.com/chinarealtime/2009/06/29/shanghai-building-collapses-nearly-intact/

The parable of the two builders is a simple, straightforward and strategic parable. Matthew, along with Luke (Luke 6:46-49), inserts the parable as a conclusion to the series of short messages Jesus shared in chapters 5-7, otherwise known as the Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount is not a revision, a reversal or a rejection of the law, but a revival, a renewal and a reminder of the law as God intended it.

What kind of followers did Christ call us to be? How should we respond to the values of society? Why are disciples unafraid of the challenges today?

Return to the Basics
21 “Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' (Matt 7:21-23)

A missionary who was speaking to a group of Hindu women was surprised to see one of them get up and walk away. Soon she returned and listened more intently than before. “Why did you leave in the middle of my message?” asked the missionary. “I was so interested in the wonderful things you were saying that I went to ask your servant if you live like you teach. He said you do. So I came back to hear more about Jesus,” said the woman. (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 895)

An old country preacher used to say: “There are two parts to the Gospel. The first part is believing it, and the second part is behaving it.” (from Illustrations of Bible Truths # 225)

Verse 24 is rich in meaning. It must be understood in the context and backdrop of the Sermon on the Mount, beginning with the verb “hear.” After a series of vignettes using the verb “hear” five times (Matt. 5:21, 27, 33, 38, 43), Jesus concluded his sermons with parable of the two builders. Two”hear” refers to what they heard from “of old” (vv 21, 33) and three to “it was said” (vv 27, 38, 43).

“These words of mine” (v 24) means His word has ultimate and utmost authority and priority on theological, moral and ethical matters. For example, Jesus equates anger with murder (Matt. 5:21) and lust with adultery (Matt. 5:28), and He insisted on keeping one’s word (Matt. 5:36) instead of keeping religious oath.

The last two “hear” words in the Sermon on the Mount before this passage refer to resisting evil - “eye for eye, and tooth for tooth evil” (Matt 5:38) - and resisting enemies - “love your neighbor and hate your enemy” (Matt 5:43) - Jesus urged listeners to disavow revenge and discover reconciliation, get along instead of get even with enemies, and to love one’s enemies, not merely one’s neighbors.

The people who “hears and puts them into practice (do)” (v 24) is contrasted with those who “say” Lord, Lord (v 21) or “perform (do)” many miracles in verse 22, as supported by the subordinating conjunction “therefore” (v 24) linking the previous passage (vv 21-23) and by the parallel account in Luke 6:46 - “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

“Everyone who SAYS (lego)” (v 21) is also contrasted with “things which I SAY (lego)” (Luke 6:46). The point is to be confessors of the word and not professors of the word, to do the right thing instead of say the right thing, and to be righteous, not religious.

“Do” miracles (v 22) is contrasted with “doing” the will of my Father (v 21) and hears Jesus’ words and “puts them into practice (do)” (v 24). Miracles are flashy and fleshly service, not faithful and foremost service. Note that the word “do” occurs four times in the passage (vv 21, 22, 24, 26).

Refuse to Cut Corners
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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. (Matt 7:24-25)

Thomas Jefferson, the third President of the United States (1801–1809) and the principal author of the Declaration of Independence (1776), had a unique way to deal with the passages he did not agree with or understand in the Bible. He removed sections of the New Testament that contain miracles as well as teachings he believed had been added by the four gospel writers, cutting verse by verse out and leaving forty-six pages intact. The so-called Bible he never wanted published was later released by his grandson under the title The Jefferson Bible.

The Jefferson Bible begins with an account of Jesus’ birth without references to angels, genealogy, prophecy, miracles, references to the Trinity and the divinity of Jesus, and Jesus’ resurrection.

Today many believers unconsciously continue with this mix-and-match, cut-and-paste, pick and choose, chop and change method.

One of the first books published is the Bible. The New Testament alone is translated to 1,168 number of language communities and the Bible is the undisputed best-seller of all times, yet we have many Bible buyers and collectors but few are readers and students. Many are believers of the Bible, few are readers and less are practitioners.

The wise man in the Bible is not wise in pedigree but wise in practice, not wise in argument but wise in application, not wise in learning but wise in living. “Hear and practice” (v 24) is not two things but one thing. Those who refuse to hear are the unconverted, those who hear but fail to practice are the unwise, but those who hear and apply God’s word are the upright.

The one who practices God’s word is likened to a wise man who builds his house on the rock. The rock is the surest, sturdiest and soundest foundation in nature. The word “foundation” (v 25) is actually a verb (founded) and not a noun (foundation) in Greek. Elsewhere, the same word is translated as established (Eph 3:17, Col 1:23), the same word for God laying the foundations (Heb 1:10) of the earth, and steadfast (1 Peter 5:10). Interestingly, the biblical foundation in Luke 6:48 is singular, but it more than does its job, hold its own. The parallel account in Luke’s version says the man dug down “deep” (Luke 6:48), which occurs for the only time in the Bible. It is an extensive, expensive and exhausting job to dig so deep without modern tractor, tools and technique. It is a tiresome, thankless and treacherous job. One cannot imagine the workload, the workforce and the working hours needed.

The contrast with rock is sand. According to Wikipedia, sand particles range from 0.002 to 0.078 inch in diameter (0.0625 to 2 millimeters) Where does sand come from? From wind and water that transports the light weight material. Sand is lightweight, porous and soft. Sand easily sink, slide and shift. It has space and it does not stick, thereby never stable. Rock, on the other hand, does not easily budge or break.

Why do people still build on shifting sand that cannot withstand strong currents? Because people are shallow, shortsighted and stubborn. Many think they can surf a storm, ski a snowstorm or survive a brushfire.

Rise to the Challenge
26 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 sand. 27 The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matt 7:26-27)

A man hopped in a taxi, and took off for the airport. They were driving in the right lane when suddenly, a black car jumped out of a parking space right in front of the taxi. The taxi driver slammed on the brakes, the car skidded, tires squealed, and at the very last moment the car stopped just one inch from the other car’s back-end.…The driver of the other car…whipped his head around and he started yelling words…

The taxi driver just smiled and waved at the guy. And, he was friendly. So, the passenger asked, “Why did you just do that!? This guy could have killed us!” And this is when the taxi driver told me what I now call, “The Law of the Garbage Truck™.” He explained: “Many people are like garbage trucks. They run around full of garbage, full of frustration, full of anger, and full of disappointment. As their garbage piles up, they look for a place to dump it. And if you let them, they’ll dump it on you. So when someone wants to dump on you, don’t take it personally. Just smile, wave, wish them well, and move on.…” (David J. Pollay)

Note that the wise man has no lack of troubles, temptations or testing either, but he passes and surpasses the test rather than bypasses the test. The rain still came down – from the top down, the streams rose – from the ground up, and the winds blew and beat against the house – according to John 3:8, the wind blows wherever it pleases, but it does no damage to the house. The troubles come left and right, up and down, thick and heavy, but he is never down and out, in danger and dread.

The rain must be a downpour when streams rise. The word “streams” (v 25) was originally translated as “floods” because the word is plural, which is unusual. Merely six of its 17 occurrences in the Bible are in plural usage, twice in this passage (vv 25, 27). “Winds” (v 25) occurs five other times in the Bible (Luke 12:55, John 3:8, 6:18, Acts 27:40, Rev 7:1) but none is as strong, swift or sinister as the winds here as this is the only time in plural – twice (vv 25, 27).

The summer months are practically rainless in Palestine. The rainy season from October to May may be divided into three parts, the former, the winter, and the latter rains. The "former rains" are the showers of October and the first part of November. The frequent and heavy rain falls in the months of December, January and February – three months out of 12. After the downpour, the "latter rains" of April are the most highly appreciated, because they ripen the fruit and stay the drought of summer.

Not only did the wise man’s house not fall (v 25), it would not even shake (Luke 6:48). The foundation that we set does not remove the storms of life, but it ensures our survival and safety during the storms.

Conclusion: It’s been said, “Any structure, whether a house, a garage, or workshop, is only as secure as the foundation on which it rests!” In Christ, there is no room for neutrality, negativism or naiveté; only the newness of life. Christ did not call us to be his fans but to be his followers, not just to mouth something but mean something, not just to say it but to show it. Are you manifesting the Lord in your public and personal life? Are you fastened on the rock? Are your eyes fixed and focused on Jesus. Are you formed and fed by His word?

Discussion Questions
1. “Hear and practice” (v24) is not two things but one thing. Give and discuss some examples of God’s words that can be put into practice.
2. What are some of the difficulties with putting God’s words into practice? How can they be overcome?
3. What are some of the “rain, streams and winds” (v 27) that are happening in real life to you? What are some of God’s words that you can put into practice to protect you from crashing?

Reflection Question (Contributed by Daniel Hung)
1. Write down the spiritual exercises you are doing (e.g. devotion, praying, reading a spiritual book…) . Why are you doing them? Similarly, write down the things you are doing at church (e.g. serving in fellowship…). Again, why are you doing them? In both cases, are you putting God’s words into practice?