The ever increasing global population has created a great need for housing all over the world. House prices in many countries have soared beyond what is affordable for a lot of people. Especially young adults find it increasingly difficult to secure a home of their own. 

Extreme weather, brought about by climate change ,cause millions of dollars of damage to properties each year and increasingly pressure is put upon the construction industry to build houses that can withstand extreme weather as well as natural disasters. 

It makes me think of what Jesus said as he concluded the sermon on the mount, about the wise man who built his house on the rock. Jesus taught the crowd on various topics that day and after teaching them he told the parable of the two builders..  

Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall. — Matthew 7:24–27.

I believe Jesus wanted to draw the crowds attention to the fact that what he taught was meant to be processed and applied to their daily lives. 

In this parable, He tells of someone who built the foundation of their house on rock and that such a person can be regarded as wise. 

We don’t need to be builders to understand the stability that a good, solid foundation can lend to the longevity of a building. The more sturdy the foundation, the more likely the building will withstand the onslaught of extreme weather and even natural disasters.   

Interestingly, even before a foundation is laid, builders dig up the surface material to locate the bedrock to build on.  This bedrock is the hard, dense, solid rock that was formed under pressure when the magma deep in the earth hardened or when other rocks changed their form. 

In the parable, Jesus suggested that the principles and values of His teachings were solid ‘bedrock’ that his audience could build their lives upon. That it was founded in God’s word, and if they applied it and lived by it, their lives would take on the nature of the will of God. 

The person whose life is founded in God, will be secure even when the rain, floods and winds come. These are metaphors for the trials and challenges that we all experience in life. 

Conversely, if a life is built on the surface, a loose layer of sand or topsoil, that is a metaphor for the unprincipled nature of the world, the pleasures of the moment and the focus on what is possessed, the likelihood of it crumbling when tested is high. 

This building on a softer, looser and more-likely-to-shift surface, indicates a lack of digging deeper for the stability of the bedrock. 

Of course it is easier to just go ahead and build on the surface, it would certainly save time, money and energy, but this is foolish even by today’s standards. No one wants to see the house they spent time, money and energy on to build, fall in the first storm. 

Jesus knew there were foolish ‘builders’ present in the crowd on the mountain. Those who would hear the word and yet, as soon as they leave the mountain, would carry on with their lives unmoved and unchanged. 

He knew who the foolish ones were. They were the ones that listened to Him teach, feed on the fish and bread that He multiplied, yet when the time came, would be the ones who would shout “Crucify Him!”  

Unchanged, unmoved and unsaved. 

It is wise to note that Jesus did not say the rain, floods and winds will not visit those whose houses were built on the rock. Instead, He suggested that going deeper would certainly be an investment in the long term. 

For the day will certainly come when the house will be tested, but that their solid foundation, which is God’s word, will cause them to prevail. 

On the other hand, the foolish man’s house, under the same circumstances, would fall. The Bible says: “– and great was its fall.”

In this parable, Jesus basically talked are two types of people represented in the crowd before Him. Those who will go away with their lives forever changed by His words and those who will go away to resume their lives as it was before.

We live in trying times and all of us face many challenges every day, whether at work, at home, in our families and our relationships. In this parable Jesus reassures us that if we put our faith and hope on the solid rock of His word, we will be able to withstand and prevail over every challenge we face. 

He calls us to trust in the steadfastness of His word, His teachings. To hold tightly to what he has taught us and allow it to guide us through the rain, the floods and the winds. 

He assures us that His word is above all challenges we will ever face. That we will be unmoved if our foundation is planted in Him. 

This reminds me of the famous hymn written by Edward Mote (c.1834) 

My hope is built on nothing less

Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.

I dare not trust the sweetest frame,

But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,

All other ground is sinking sand;

All other ground is sinking sand

May God help us to remain planted on the solid rock that is Jesus Christ, our Lord. 

Amen.