The Parable of the Wise and Foolish Builders

Matthew 7:24-27, Luke 6:46-49

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus says we are judged by the words that he speaks (John 12:48). If he told us to only believe his gospel, then the gospel was what he spoke. Wouldn’t you agree? I mean, if he taught us to believe in creation, then he wouldn’t go out and preach evolution, now would he?

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Jesus was single-minded and pure in heart. His parables were all about trying to reveal his gospel to us, and he said proclaiming this truth was the reason he was born, and why he came here (John 18:37).

Paul speaks of us being judged for the secrets of our hearts, which means our beliefs (Rom 2:16). It is implied that our secret beliefs should all embrace the gospel truth and reality of Jesus.

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This parable talks about two types of people:

(1) the wise person   

 

 

and (2) the foolish person. 

 

Jesus asks us, “Why do you call me ‘Lord’ and not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We are the Wise and the Foolish Builders: we are wise if we do as Jesus says to do, and we are foolish if we do not.

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We’re ‘WISE’ if we believe, obey and live his gospel like our Lord tells us to. Jesus says we must repent of all other beliefs and to believe his gospel (Mark 1:15). This is not labeled a ‘command,’ but it takes the form of a command, and these were the very first words out of our Lord’s mouth, and thus the most important thing on his mind and heart.

If the gospel was the most important thing on his mind and heart, then it should be the most important thing to us too.

But I call this ‘The LOST command of Jesus.’ This is because so few Christians understand, believe, receive, and live by gospel truth (fewer than 10% according to one poll). Jesus refers to the gospel as ‘living in the light,’ so we are considered ‘lost’ if we don’t do so.

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This parable says we are ‘FOOLS’ if we do not. This is what Paul call us if we deviate from the gospel (Gal 3:1). James puts this in the terms of ‘hearing’ and then ‘doing.’ Jesus calls us his friends (John 15:15). We are his friends IF we do what he says.

And then John tells us that what Jesus tells us to do is not ‘grievous’ like the Old Testament law was (I John 5:3).

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Jesus even says his way is EASY if we are yoked to him in his gospel truth (Matt 11:28-30). Paul says we are meant to live in the ‘simplicity of Christ’ (II Cor 11:3).

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So we truly are fools if we don’t do things God’s way and live by his gospel. If we live his gospel, we build on the ROCK of God’s truth! If we don’t live it, we build on the SAND of human thought and reason, which is what this parable infers! The Rock is of course Jesus himself, but the Rock is on something, which is its foundation. Jesus stands on, and lives by his gospel truth. The gospel allows us to think the thoughts of God and to know heaven’s will and ways (Isa 55:8-9).

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There has always been a statement that has been very powerful to me: “Every truth we neglect believing, and each duty we omit doing, obscures some truth we might have otherwise known.”

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Our lives are built on the SAND when we don’t live in God’s gospel truth of his Kingdom reality. When we don’t live the gospel, we just live by human theology and wisdom and reasoning that Paul describes as ‘tickling our ears.’

Go to Parable Video 7: The Good Samaritan

For a Wikipedia viewpoint:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_Wise_and_the_Foolish_Builders