The Rock and the Sand

Jesus told a story in Matthew seven about a wise man who built his house upon a rock and a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. In this story, a rain storm came upon both homes - the house on the rock stood, while the house in the sand collapsed.

Over the years, I have heard many descriptions of being the "wise or foolish man" in which wise people build their lives around Jesus, go to church every sunday, and make sure to plan out their futures. But what did Jesus actually say?

In Matthew 7:24, Jesus prefaces this story by saying, "Everyone who hears these words that I am speaking and does them will be like this wise man..." What Jesus is telling this story for is to emphasize the entire teaching and instructions that he gives his followers in Matthew 5-7, commonly called "The Sermon on the Mount." But if we really examine what Jesus tells us to do in these chapters, are any of us living lives of wisdom that is "built upon the rock" that Jesus laid for us?

Let's examine some of these harder teachings, Jesus told his followers:

• Rejoice when you are persecuted and men say evil things about you.
• We are salt and light to this world, and we are of no good to it unless our good works cause others to glorify God in Heaven.
• Anyone who becomes and stays angry with another is in danger of judgement and punishment from the Kingdom.
• Do not offer an offering or gift to Jesus without being reconciled with others.
• Cut off things in life that cause you to stumble in your walk - especially those concerning fleshly lusts.
• Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
• Do not resist someone who is doing evil to you.
• Do good in secret; pray in secret; give in secret. 
• Do not lay up treasures in this world.
• Do not become obsessive about planning for the future and taking care of yourself.
• Do not judge others without first being set free.
• Ask God, and he will give.
• A person following Jesus will bear fruit according to that relationship with Jesus.

Honestly, these teachings are the rock Jesus advises men to build their lives around!  But let's be completely honest, our culture does not teach these kind of things. We find excuse after excuse to embrace things that are easy and reject things that Jesus taught that are hard.

• "Our society complains, files lawsuits, and becomes afraid when the Church begins to suffer "persecution."
• Rarely do our "good works" result in men praising God - so it could be assumed that our good works are coming from our flesh.
• "How often do we stay angry and harbor bitterness over the smallest, meaningless things! "They didn't cook my food right, he cut me off in traffic." Especially when we have expectations of receiving service, "That church didn't preach the way I liked, the waitress was rude, or I had this client that....". The list goes on and on.
• How often do we go before the Lord BECAUSE we are angry with someone - his directions are clear! Be reconciled and then come to him! He will forgive as we forgive!
• Many men in women would admit that they have struggled in their faith because of things on the internet, television, or various other forms of things in the entertainment world. But how often do we freely surrender these things for the sake of walking rightly with Jesus?
• How much time do we spend praying for those who dislike us?
• How often do we seek to retaliate, seek justice, or "protect ours?"
• When you do good things, do you seek recognition from God or men?
• Do not store up treasures on this earth! But how often do we upgrade to more and more things we don't need or don't use! Jesus DOES care about what you have! I would venture to say often he wants us to have less of stuff and more of him! 
• 401K's, retirements, school-planning, insurances for everyone and their cats - we obsess over the "could-be's" of tomorrow instead of walking in the confidence of God's provision and supernatural love.
• Can we even go a day without talking or thinking about someone and all the things that could be wrong with them? How often is our prayer, "Search ME, oh Lord!"
• How often do we seek to provide for ourselves? Our wants? Our desires? Even our needs? Jesus promises to provide for us - do we often seek him when we want or need something? Maybe Jesus will actually tell us that we should not be seeking those things? Maybe he will give out of his love and abundance anyway! But maybe we should at least ask more because Jesus told us to!
• Honestly, if we are doing these things according to what the Lord says - we will bear fruit of them. In our lives, our joy, in making more disciples of Jesus... we should seek all these things and pray that the result of following would be tangible fruit! God's Word  bring increase!

I say all these things so that we may more rightly seek to build our homes and lives upon the rock that is the teachings and truth of Jesus. No amount of man's wisdom, planning, or will can negate the truth of the words Jesus actually said! So let us lay aside our agendas, our pride, and our comfort and embrace the Jesus that we claim to follow! Let us construct our homes in a manner worthy of hearing, "Well done my good and faithful servant!"