Whoever!
- Aug 23, 2024
- 6 min read
In 1174, the Italian architect Pisano began work on what would become his most famous project. The tower was to be eight-stories high (56 metres). There was just one "little" problem. Builders discovered the whole structure had begun to tilt... and it continued to tilt, nothing could be done to make the Leaning Tower of Pisa straight again.
It took 176 years to build, during that time many things were done to try and compensate for the "lean." The foundation was shored up; the upper levels were even built at an angle to try to make the top of the tower look straight. Nothing worked. The tower has stood for over 800 years, but it leans 5.1 metres away from where it should be (10 degrees from vertical).
What was the problem? Bad design? Poor workmanship? An inferior grade of marble? No! The problem was the foundation. The sandy soil on which the city was built wasn’t stable enough to support the tower.
Jesus is not giving us lessons in building houses. But in building our lives. The house is a metaphor for your life. Your life might look outwardly much the same as anyone else's. Jesus is talking about the unseen bit, the foundation. One day, we're told, the foundation of our life will be tested. And whatever the outward appearance, what our lives look like, it is only the quality of that foundation that matters.
Verse 24:"Therefore". This could refer back to verses 21-23, but I think it covers the whole of the sermon. The 'WHOEVERS' are expected to take all they have just heard from Jesus and use that information for life, to weigh the difference between what is wise and unwise.
J Hampton Keathley: “The only foundation for eternal life and a life that results in true spiritual transformation is the person and work of Christ and the spiritual wealth of our position in Christ, our co-identification or union with Christ in His person and work.”
I find foundations interesting. You may be aware I was a Project Manager for John Laing Construction. On some of my projects we spent nearly 30% of the time on stuff no-one sees. The lesson is clear, the depth and quality of the foundations, the work done out of sight, will determine whether we’ll stand the test to build and to withstand the storm!
So, how can we make sure our foundation is right? "Whoever hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like the wise man who built his house on the rock."
Our life needs to be founded on Christ and on obedience to His word.
There are two words that Jesus uses in verse 24: two action words, that simply check the building process. "Hears ...and Practice." It’s not hears and acknowledges, or hears and appreciates, it’s "Whoever HEARS… …and puts them into PRACTICE."
The question that you and I need to ask is,“are we living like Jesus, is our life becoming more and more like Him as we follow him?”
Here, at the conclusion of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus makes a clear statement about Christian discipleship.
This story is not a comparison between two men who deliberately set out to build on different foundations. Rather, it is a comparison of one man who gives careful consideration to the foundation, to the words of Jesus, and he seeks to not only hear but put what he has heard into practice, to build on Him. The other man gives no thought at all to any foundation, he may hear all the words but he doesn’t pay any attention and builds his house his way!
You see, there are two kinds of people. They may both claim to be Jesus' followers. Actually, from the outside looking in, it may be difficult to tell the two apart. Both know about Jesus' words, both have heard the Sermon on the Mount, both can talk intelligently about Him. Both build a pretty sturdy house for themselves. So, on the surface, both the wise and the foolish look and sound pretty much the same. Maybe they even share the same pew on a Sunday. But one is wise and the other is foolish. The difference is obedience or disobedience. Christ is the only true foundation (1 Corinth 3:11): “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.“
It’s not so much the foolish man actually believes that sand is a better to build on. He simply gives no thought to the importance of the word of Christ. In his view, it’s the house which is important and not the foundation.
You and I are builders, what we build now for this life has an impact for all eternity.
Despite the builders similarities, there’s one difference that made one a wise man and the other a fool: the wise man decided to apply Jesus' words to life’s realities and live accordingly, while the fool didn’t. The final storm proved it!
Stop and consider!
John Stott says, “The real question is not whether they hear Christ’s teaching (nor even whether they respect or believe it), but whether they do what they hear. Only a storm will reveal the truth. Sometimes a storm of crisis or calamity betrays what manner of person we are, for ‘true piety is not fully distinguished from its counterfeit till it comes to the trial’. If not, the storm of the day of judgment will certainly do so.”
I believe the greatest need for us as Christians is not to continue to know more, to increase our knowledge of spiritual things, but to simply obey what we already know! To put them into practice, remember - "Whoever hears… and puts them into practice"!
Here, Jesus is simply saying, “there's a way through life, to weather the storms of life”, it’s faith on the rock, Faith in Christ, which can only come through obedience to His truth.
1 Corinthians 3:10-13: "But each one should be careful how he builds. For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ. If any man builds on this foundation using gold, silver, costly stones, wood, hay or straw, his work will be shown for what it is, because the Day will bring it to light."
The Sermon that began so wonderfully with the Beatitudes now concludes with a warning. And the reason is obvious: what Jesus has just laid out in the Sermon on the Mount is a blueprint for discipleship.
You may be building a good house on your religious sand, but without faith in Christ, your house will come crashing down one day. The greatest decision we will need to make in this life does not concern this life at all, it concerns the life to come.
The foolish builder seems to be building to get ready for a storm, but not wise enough to withstand it. Actually there are no storm-free zones! Jesus didn’t promise a storm-free life but a life that can be storm-proofed for life.
In life storms come.There will be difficult periods when everything in life will seem hard and frustrating including our faith life. Maybe an illness, loss of loved ones, financial setbacks. However, in the midst of all this, there is hope. How can we get through this? Look to God.
Notice the storms come to everyone, the wise and the foolish. The storms just reveal the 'WHOEVERS!' Sadly, the greatest storm will come and many will find they have built in vain. Note the description of the fall: "it fell with a great crash." It's great because it will be the last fall and there's no remedy, no rebuild for the fall, after the fall!
Billy Graham said, "Satan does not care how much you theorise about Christianity or how much you profess to know Christ. What he opposes vigorously is the way you live Christ - the way you become an instrument of mercy, compassion, and love through which He manifests Himself to the world... If he can succeed in getting us to talk a good case of religion but to live a poor one, he has shorn us of our power."
So, Jesus places before the crowds a choice. Build on the rock, or build on the sand. Both houses will face storms. The only difference is that one stands and the other falls. Building on the sand assures destruction, but building on the rock assures salvation.
So, what’s it to be, a religious life of performance, or a personal faith on the Rock of Christ?
I have a lovely Christian friend that tells me I am too hard on myself quite frequently when I tell her about what I don’t feel is going well, for example my awful prayer life at the moment and not knowing what to bring to God, particularly praise and worship. Her wise words then bring me back to reflect on what I am trying to do myself, not in surrender and let God do His work. The words that have stood out to me today are HEAR and PRACTICE. And now the beginning of self examination as I was reading this, how much do I actually hear, I think a lot, but what I think and what Jesus knows …