Wise and Foolish Builders

“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. 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 sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Matthew 7:24-27

There are three different types of people in the world: those who have never heard God’s word, those who have heard his word but have not put it into practice, and those who hear God’s word, believe what it says, and continuously put it into practice. Jesus does not address the first group directly, but Scripture is clear that there are those who have never heard God’s word in their native language. This is the great evangelistic emphasis in the New Testament and the reason why we continue to send out missionaries around the world to proclaim the good news of Jesus.
 
There is a second group of people who have heard the word but have not put it into practice. James, the half-brother of Jesus, addresses both groups of people as well stating, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:22-25). It is possible to hear God’s word, even be momentarily enamored by it, then walk away and forget everything you heard. James says that the person who does this is self-deceived. He may think himself wise and even feel spiritual, but he is a fool.
 
Jesus gives the illustration of a builder having the option of putting a house in one of two locations. The foolish builder erects his house on the sand. It might be a beautiful edifice from the outside, even stately and majestic. Others may walk by and stand in awe at the grandeur of its design. However well it may look on the outside there is a fundamental flaw, it is built on sand. Inevitably the storms will come, and the waters will rise, and the unstable foundation will be revealed. No matter the size and appearance of the structure, if it is built on an unstable foundation, inevitably it will fall. The wise builder hears his word and puts it into practice.
 
James highlights something that is implicit in Jesus’ analogy. He says, “the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being…a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.” (James 1:25). It is more than just a momentary application of God’s word that is important. When one builds his life upon the word of God, there is no telling when the storms will come. They may come quickly, or it may be several years of relative calm, but eventually the storms and winds of life will come. James highlights what is implicit in Jesus’ illustration, that the individual who hears God’s word and obeys will persevere in that obedience. We do not know when we will face the trials of life so we need to daily be applying God’s word in our lives so we are prepared and stable when the trials of life do come.