What does it mean that the wise man built his house upon a rock?

The rock upon which a wise man builds his life's 'house' is Christ. He is the 'rock' which accompanied the people of Israel during their wilderness journey (1 Cor. 10:4), the 'rock' upon which his church is built (Mt. 16:18) and the living stone to whom we come when we believe on him (1 Pet. 2:4). And here at the end of the Sermon on the Mount He is also the unshakeable foundation of the practical life of faith. In building his life's house upon the rock Jesus Christ the wise man finds it does not fall but it stands eternally. It means he directs his life according to the Lord Jesus and his word, which is the only way we can prove our love for Him. 'He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me... If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him' (John 14:21&23).

The Lord sums up all of this instruction now with the simile of two houses, one built on the rock, the other on sand. These sayings of His are of more emphatic importance than those of law; therefore disobedience to them brings a more severe judgment then did disobedience to the law (Cf.Heb.2:2-3). As the wise men's house, built on a rock, withstands the floods and storms, so the believer, obedient to the words of the Lord Jesus, who is Himself "the rock of ages," will be preserved from destruction by means of the rain from above, the floods from beneath and the winds from around. For every professor of the name of Christ will be put to the proof by all these things. The genuine believer, resting on Christ Himself, will withstand every such adversity.

On the other hand, one building on sand is one who, after hearing the words of the Lord Jesus, fails to take them to heart in such a way as to obey them. He is still considered to be building, but merely on sand, the shifting uncertainty of men's thoughts, with no solid basis of fact. This will be swept away in judgment, the fall of the house being great in proportion to the greatness of the pride and effort put into its building. How well it is for men to wisely consider the basis on which they are building now, for this will have eternal results of most vital character.

(2) The second illustration exhibits the true dependence of the soul on Him where He is known; in contrast with the false dependences which betray men to their ruin. In both cases we have pictured the builder of a house ― the place of his affections and his rest, but above all, as it is viewed here, his shelter and refuge from the storm. Now for the stability of a house the foundation is the matter of first moment. If the foundation is not firm, no matter how solidly the house is built: it will go with the foundation. Christ and His words are here the rock that abides; all else, whatever be its nature, is but sand. He who puts His sayings livingly into practice shall build a house that will endure the storm. None else and nothing else will: while the fair weather lasts it is quite possible that this last may look better than the rock-set one, and the man who trusts it enjoy a passing triumph. Too soon! and when the storm shall come, too late to remedy it.

'Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock' (Mt. 7:24). As we have learnt in the previous passage a mere profession of the lips that we belong to the Lord Jesus is not sufficient to be accepted by Him. Now He explains what really matters in the lives of those who call themselves His disciples: not only to hear but also to do His words. We are often reminded of what the Lord Jesus says here when we read the words of James, 'But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves' (Jas. 1:22-27).

And therefore the Lord closed His words with the parable of the two houses. Both builders, the wise and the foolish, were hearers of the words of Jesus but only one was a doer of them — and that one was the wise man. The parable does not teach salvation by works, but salvation by that living faith which leads to the works. If we cast our minds back over the Sermon on the Mount we shall realize at once that nothing but genuine faith in Him could induce anyone to do the things which He taught. We shall also realize how fully His teachings verified His own word in Matt. 5:17. He has given us the fulness of the law and the prophets, while adding fresh light as to the Father in heaven; thus preparing the way for the fuller light of grace that was to dawn as the fruit of His death and resurrection. The authority with which He announced these things was what struck the people. The scribes relied upon the earlier Rabbinic teachings, while He spoke the things that He knew from and with God.

That this has no reference to the Church is evident. The Church meets the Lord in the air, and every believer has in Christ's day to appear before the judgment seat of Christ. But at that judgment seat no mere professors of Christ's name will appear, and no "Depart from Me," will be heard from the lips of the Lord, the Head of the Body. Nor does this word here in Matthew refer us to the great white throne. When our Lord says "in that day," He means the day when the kingdom of the heavens is come by His return to the earth. Then many will be found but empty professors, who in spite of their works and using His name were none of His. From this dispensational aspect, we may well look to our times. The name of Christ is upon many lips, and there are many who speak in His name, and do works of power in His name, yet they are not saved and know Him not. Christian Science, falsely so-called, may be mentioned here as well as others. Not outward profession brings into the kingdom and makes one an heir of it, but doing the will of the Father. This is continued in the last paragraph. "Therefore, whosoever heareth these words of mine and doeth them, is likened unto a prudent man, who built his house upon the rock, and the rain and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell not, for it was founded upon the rock. And every one that heareth these words of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. And the rain and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (verses 24-27).

How sublime and yet simple is this illustration of our Lord! Hearing first and doing is the way. The rock upon which he who heareth (believeth), builds, is Christ. Other foundation can no man lay. Being in Him we are safe and secure in time and in eternity. The storm will come, and is even now advancing, yet we have a refuge and a shelter in Him, and as He abides, the Rock, so shall we abide. How true, oh! how true it is:

Verse 47. In the hearing of all the multitude the Lord speaks now about the house built upon the rock, etc. This is not a question about building upon Christ, the Rock, for the salvation of the sinner. It is the path of the saint. But where Christ's word does connect with Himself, see the result. The very thing people are called upon to do is to follow Him; and when I follow, it proves that the Master's words have taken such hold upon my soul that they have power to carry me over the difficulties. "My soul followeth hard after thee." A man's affections, heart, will, are taken and connected with Christ, instead of with himself. Is Christ sufficiently precious to make me leave all beside and follow Him, to do those things that please Him?" If a man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, but shall have the light of life." "As when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light." Keeping close to Christ, the light shines upon us. If we have to get into the light, we may be dazzled by it. Thus He has gathered round Himself in light and love, set out in those words, those whom He will have to enjoy Himself, and be as their Master, at length to be conformed to His image in glory.

But Luke presents the matter far more as a moral principle. It is true of every man, that out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks: and this is an important test for the state of our souls. Our lips betray the condition of our heart — of our affections. Then there is another thing. If we own Christ to be Lord in word, how come we not to do what He says? The very saying that He is Lord implies the obligation of subjection to Him. "Why call ye me, Lord, Lord; and do not the things that I say? Every one that comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on a rock." (Cf. Matt. 7:24-27.) Nothing could shake that house. "But a great rain coming, the stream broke upon that house." But in vain: when the flood arose, it could not be shaken; "for it had been founded on the rock." The heeding the words of Christ is that which survives every shock of the adversary. He who proves his faith thus in his obedience shall never be moved nor ashamed. "And he that has heard and not done," which is precisely what has characterised Christendom and Judaism then and since — "is like a man who has built a house on the ground, without a foundation, on which the stream broke, and immediately it fell; and the breach of that house was great." So it shall be. The heaviest blow of the Lord returning in glory will fall, not upon pagans who have never heard, but upon the baptized who have heard and not obeyed the Gospel. "For it had been founded on the rock" so ACDXΓΔΛΠ, etc., most cursives, Syrrpesch hcl Old Lat. Goth. Arm. Edd. adopt "on account of its having been well built," after ℵBLΞ, 33, Memph. (from Matt.).

'And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.' (vv. 26-27)

The foolish man's thoughts do not go very deep. He builds a house as it pleases him without considering the foundation. There is a great temptation in 'building our lives' to put importance on those things that we can see outwardly and neglect the deeper matter of the foundation that is essential to a life for God. Everyone who hears and knows the words of scripture, the commandments of the Lord, and yet does not follow them is acting like the foolish man.

The rain pours down, the floods come and the winds blow against the walls of the house. The house is unable to stand up to it, '...and great was the fall of it'. Clearly this goes beyond the failures of daily life. The rock upon which the wise man builds his house is not temporary but the eternal Son of God and His everlasting word (Matt. 16:16-18). This is why the house stands the attack of the elements whereas the efforts in the life of the foolish man end in a great fall. Both have heard the word of the Lord but only one of them has lived accordingly.

'And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock' (v. 25). It is often only a crisis that reveals if the house has been built upon a solid foundation or not. From a superficial point of view it may appear that a house is built on firm ground but a storm can prove otherwise.

Southern countries like Israel, for example, can suffer very heavy rainfall which transforms the wadis (rivers dried out during summertime) into rapid torrents within a very short time. The rain pouring down, the floods pressing on the foundations and the storm blowing against the walls will prove the worth of the foundations of houses. If they are laid on an elevated rock the storm may well damage the house but it will not be able to destroy it.

'For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again' (Proverbs 24:16). A disciple wanting to be faithful to the Lord and obey his word - that is the wise man in our parable - can fail also. Nor will he be spared trials. There are happenings and events that will shake the life of even the strongest believer to it's very foundation, but he knows that his house is built upon a solid rock and won't fall. And he has the full and unshakeable security of salvation in respect of eternity as well.