Sermon on the Mount/Matthew Chapter 7:24-28/Commentary

The Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 7:24-28/Lesson 13 Matthew 7:24 "Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine, and acts upon them, may be compared to a wise man, who built his house upon the rock” “Therefore”: Jesus continues His warning about a lack of obedience to the will of the Father, here we see once again the danger of being content with listening to the gospel but not putting it into practice, or in other words, the danger of self-deception. “Everyone”: This teaching applies to all. In addition, Jesus is issuing a warning to people who will listen to His teaching, and think that respectfully listening to His teaching or mentally agreeing with it, is enough. “Hears”: Whereas the contrast in the previous paragraph (7:21-23) was between saying and doing, the contrast now is between hearing and doing. Jesus assumes that many people will hear His words.

“Acts upon them”: First of all, Jesus knows that people can understand His teaching and that people can put it into practice. By this statement Jesus is making it clear that He is not teaching something impossible, nor is He teaching a moral standard that is beyond human capability. He created man (John 1:3; Colossians 1:16), therefore He knows better than anyone else what man can and cannot do. “Puts them into practice” (Phi); “and acts accordingly” (Rieu). Jesus here warns us that to have heard His words, even those which some heard from Jesus Himself, will have been useless unless we put them into practice” (P.P. Comm. p. 286). This will not be the last time that Jesus will stress the need to obey what He taught (Luke 8:21; John 8:51; 14:15). In fact, many other biblical writers stress the same truth (James 1:21-27; 1 John 1:6; 2:4).

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"The truth on which Jesus is insisting in these final two paragraphs of the Sermon is that neither an intellectual knowledge of Him nor a verbal profession, though both are essential in themselves, never can be a substitute for obedience. The question is not whether we say nice, polite, orthodox, enthusiastic things to or about Jesus; nor whether we hear His words, listening, studying, pondering, and memorizing until our minds are stuffed with His teaching; but whether we do what we say and do what we know" (Christian Counter-Culture. R.W. Stott p. 209).

“These words of mine”: “This is merely His emphatic way of separating His own teaching from all human authority and of calling attention to Himself as the revealer of the final Word from God by which any man would be saved or lost. When compared with Jesus’ wilderness struggle with Satan in that crisis of character (4:1-11), this passage takes on more brilliance. In effect, He is saying: “Even as I depended upon every word of God upon which to build my character, and by which I overcame the tempter, even so you must depend upon My word as you prepare for your great crises of soul” (Fowler p. 437). The inference is that obeying the words of anyone else does not count as far as eternal life is concerned. Jesus is very specific, “These words of Mine”.

“May be compared”: Notice the word “may. Let us respect the comparisons that God makes. “To a wise man”: The book of Proverbs had basically taught the same truth, when Solomon said that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and true knowledge (1:7). It is easy to forget who is the truly wise man in our secular culture. Jesus tells us, “Never forget, true wisdom is demonstrated by submitting to My words”.

The wise man is prudent, sensible, thoughtful, “He is like the man who had the sense to build his house on rock” (NEB). “This man considers well what he is about, and carefully adopts measures suited to his purpose. The undertaking on hand is building a house, a serious business, a house not being meant for show, or for the moment, but for a lasting home" (Gr. Ex. N.T. p. 135). “Obedience is Jesus’ final test of our real loyalty” (Fowler p.

437).

“Who built his house upon the rock”: Luke says that such a builder, “dug deep and laid a foundation upon the rock” (Luke 6:48). “In this parable both builders understandably wish to locate their house near a source of water, since water in Palestine is very precious, and both houses were constructed in exposed positions. Palestine is a country of rugged torrent beds especially from the central watershed east to the Jordan Valley. In the summer, during the building season, these are dry, but in the winter rainy season they become ugly, raging torrents of racing water” (Bible Study Textbook Series. Matthew I. Fowler p. 437). “The mason's work 2

started at the foundations, where a trench was filled with rock and lime and allowed to settle (Luke 6:48). The walls were then erected on the foundations” (Manners/Customs. Gower p. 167). “In building the better class of houses it is usual to dig down until the solid rock is reached, in order to have a sure foundation for the edifice” (Manners/Customs.

Freeman p. 413).

So one man took the time and effort to establish a solid foundation for his home. He dug, chipped, and toiled until he had a nice level, rock-solid spot to begin building his home. The other man found a nice already level spot on sand, from whence he quickly erected a home. Barclay notes, “It is a story of the kind of thing which could well happen. In Palestine the builder must think ahead. There is many a gulley which in summer is a pleasant sandy hollow, but which in winter is a raging torrent of rushing water. Even on an ordinary site it was tempting to begin building on the smoothed over sand, and not to bother digging down to the shelf of rock below” (pp. 295-296). When we simply obey what Jesus says, we are taking life seriously and we are investing in our lives and in our future. Obedience is taking the time the do it right the first time.

Matthew 7:25-27"And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded upon the rock. And everyone who hears these words of Mine, and does not act upon them, will be like a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand. "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and burst against that house; and it fell, and great was its fall” Lessons from this Section 

Both men heard the same message:

Both individuals in the parable "heard" the words of Christ (7:24,26). Stott suggests that both may be professing Christians, and therefore both could be reading the Bible, going to church, listening to sermons, and buying religious literature. The house built on the sand would not only include the non-Christian who is studying off and on with another Christian, and never gets around to obeying the gospel, but also the professed Christian who has a very shallow conviction or a religion of convenience. On the surface both houses probably looked alike, since the foundation is often something hidden from view. Stott notes, “A casual observer would not have noticed any difference between them, for the difference was in the foundations. In the same way professing Christians (both the genuine and 3

the spurious) often look alike. Both appear to be building Christian lives” (pp. 208,209). Too many people take comfort in the fact that they read their Bible or attend some religious service now and then. Others take comfort in the fact that they are willing to discuss religion. But Jesus says if that is as far as one’s religion goes, then it is the religion of a foolish person.

Be impressed that the words of Jesus are not some kind of magical formula that transform the individual against their will. This parable also contradicts Calvinistic notions of irresistible grace and predestination, for in the doctrine of predestination, God builds the house for the wise man, and the wise man does not really have to do anything. 

Everyone has a foundation:

Every human being "builds" a foundation, and we all base our life and future upon something. Everyone operates from a basic point of view or "faith". Obeying the words of Jesus, acting upon them as the final authority concerning this life and there next, is the only safe foundation on which to build (Luke 8:21; John 8:51; 1 John 3:22-24). Whether one is a "wise" man or a "fool" depends upon one simple truth. Fowler notes, “Regardless of how sensible a man may be in all other affairs of his life, if he builds his whole life with all its eternally supreme value on something else than Jesus' word, that man is a fool. If the ‘rock’ refers to Jesus' teaching (and our obedience to it) the ‘sand’ is simply anything else which is used as the basis for one's life. Man could choose from any human philosophy he wishes, but Jesus says that as far as the outcome is concerned they are all sand” (p. 438). 

Everyone is tested:

Having the right foundation does not make one immune from suffering or tragedy. The storm not only hit the house of the foolish man, but equally the obedient believer in Jesus Christ (Luke 6:48). Some erroneously think that God awards the people who serve Him by protecting them from the uncertainties of life, yet this is not true (2 Timothy 3:12). Everyone will eventually encounter something that will test their foundation. Whether that be some crisis in this life (disease, temptation, death, or accidents) or a crisis in the life to come (that is, meeting God in judgment). “The crisis may come unexpectedly, but when it does come the whole story of our life is told in a few seconds. Here there is no opportunity to pretend: either we stand or else we are morally destroyed immediately” (Fowler p.

438). Young people need to realize that some temptations are completely unexpected (like what happened to Joseph, Genesis 39:12). One writer has termed this, “Where all is lost or won in a moment”. One needs to be laying the right foundation now and that foundation is built by consistently 4

obeying the words of Jesus and making His will one’s own will, because when some temptations hit, one does not have time to think. Someone has noted that the temptations that will trip up the person in their youth are not the things upon which they have made up their mind, but rather those moral questions and issues that they have not as yet formed a definite conclusion.

“There is no place where we may develop our character, protected from temptation and the crises which threaten to destroy us entirely. The point is not the wisdom or folly of choosing a site more or less exposed to floods, but of preparing for every eventuality by building upon the rock” (Fowler p. 437). This means that an obedient and trusting relationship with Jesus Christ will enable us to handle any adversity or temptation that could come our way (1 Corinthians 10:13; Romans 5:3-5; James 1:2-4; 1 Peter 1:6). 

Both houses looked the same for a while:

Anyone can look together when life is good. “All is well as long as the sun shines, but this gives a false sense of security, since before the storm both builders found their houses useful” (Fowler pp. 438-439). One house looked just as secure as the other as long as the weather was good. In like manner, even the non-Christian can look happy, relaxed, satisfied, content, and successful when they are healthy, young, in the prime of life, and living in a country where the economy is booming. We often make the mistake of envying sinners (Psalm 73), resenting the fact that individuals who spurn God seem to not only get away with it but also they prosper. Someone has said do not make the mistake of judging how happy or fulfilled someone is when they are young, healthy, and successful, rather wait until they start to run down. The real test of one's foundation in life is how it handles the times of crisis, old age, death, temptation, setbacks, and standing before God in judgment. 

The foolish man lost everything:

Everything that the man owned, including himself may have been in that house. There is no consolation prize for being religious without being obedient. If we miss heaven, then we miss everything. “Jesus leaves His audience breathlessly listening to the reverberating crash of the wrecked house sounding in their ears, and watching the swirling torrent gouge away the sand and wash away the wreck of the structure. "This is the

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tragedy of a disobedient life: decide where you stand in relation to my words!"' (Fowler p. 439). 

There is no substitute for obedience:

Obedience is the final test of loyalty, faith, and love (John 14:15; 1 John 2:3-6; James 1:21-27; 2:14-26). Jesus certainly understood grace, but He also stressed obedience to the will of God (John 14:15), and obedience to specific teaching (Luke 6:46). For Bible study to be beneficial, it must result in application. “Knowledge must become action; theory must become practice; theology must become life. There is little point in going to a doctor, unless we are prepared to do the things we hear him say to us.

There is little point in going to an expert, unless we are prepared to act upon his advice” (Barclay p. 296). Many people will end up lost, not because they were atheists, or even evolutionists or humanists. Many religious people will end up lost, people who "heard" the message in the Bible and yet who did not apply it (Matthew 7:21-23). It is very popular to say that “Jesus is Lord'”, yet if one really believes that statement, then one will not argue with or balk at something that He said, including the command to be baptized (Mark 16:16; Luke 6:46). Neither will one substitute their will for God’s will (1 Corinthians 14:37). Obedience is not that difficult to understand. Barclay notes, “Is there any word in which hearing and doing are summed up? There is such a word, and that word is obedience. To learn to obey is the most important thing in life” (p. 297). 

Stressing obedience too much?:

This complaint is sometimes leveled against God’s people, but in light of this sermon, maybe we do not stress it enough.

"Many people--including adherents of other religions, and of none, tell us that they are prepared to accept the Sermon on the Mount as containing self-evident truth. They know that it includes such sayings as, 'Blessed are the merciful..', 'Love your enemies', 'No one can serve two masters', 'Judge not, that you be not judged', and 'Whatever you wish that men would do to you, do so to them'. Beautiful! Here they say, is Jesus of Nazareth the moral teacher at his simplest and best. Here is the core of his message before it became encrusted with the worthless additions of his interpreters.

Here is the 'original Jesus', with plain ethics and no dogmas, an unsophisticated prophet of righteousness, claiming to be no more than a human teacher, and telling us to do good and to love one another.

'Jesus of dogma I do not understand', a Hindu professor once said to Stanley Jones, 'but the Jesus of the Sermon on the Mount and the cross I love and am drawn to” (Stott pp. 212-213).

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The Sermon on the Mount is one whole sermon that emphasizes that followers of Christ must be different, different from the secular world, and different from the religious world (7:21), in the end there are only two ways, and two foundations. ”It would be impossible to exaggerate the importance of the choice between them, since one way leads to life while the other ends in destruction, and one building is secure while the other is overwhelmed with disaster, far more momentous than the choice even of a life-work or of a life-partner is the choice about life itself. Which road are we going to travel? On which foundation are we going to build? Here then is the alternative, either follow the crowd (to destruction) or follow Christ to heaven, either be a reed swayed by the winds of public opinion, or be ruled by the word of God” (Stott p. 211).

Matthew 7:28-29 “The result was that when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were amazed at His teaching; 29for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes” He did not hum and haw, or hesitate, He was neither tentative nor apologetic. There had been hundreds and thousands of teachers in Judaism and elsewhere, so what made this teacher so special? Let's take a good hard look at this “original Jesus”!  

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He spoke with absolute certainty: Matthew 5:18 “Truly I say to you”.

He spoke in His own name: In the Old Testament, the prophets of God had often used the common expression, “Thus saith the Lord”, when revealing truth. This is one expression that Jesus never used.

Instead, he would begin, “But I say unto you” (5:22,28). Thus daring to speak in His own name with His own authority, which He knew to be identical with the Father's (John 14:8-11). A mere human teacher is not speaking here, rather God is.

He declared that all those who reject his message are fools (7:2427). He claimed that human wisdom and human folly are determined by man's reaction to his message.

Jesus declared absolute confidence concerning eternal destinies, and He declared who would inherit the kingdom of heaven, who would obtain mercy, who would see God and who would end up lost.

His message was universal and applied far beyond Palestine (5:3,10,13,19,22,28,32; 6:24; 7:8,13,21,24).

He claimed that the entire Old Testament found it’s fulfillment and end in Him (5:17), and He knew for certain that He was the Messiah predicted by the prophets.

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Jesus viewed Himself as more than a teacher, more than a teacher who simply gives advice which people might or might not heed at their discretion; He proclaimed himself to be the Lord, the Master, who issues commands and expects obedience. It is plain in the Sermon that Jesus knew the only way of salvation and taught it. He was able to declare who was blessed and who was not. He would point to the narrow gate which led to life, and He was quite clear which kind of house would survive the storms of judgment, and which would fall.

“And not as their scribes”: The scribes habitually cited, as authorities, various human traditions or words from former scribes, while Jesus demonstrated that He possessed the supreme and perfect authority in Himself.

What Is Our Reaction?

“One of the best tests is this. Do you resent this Sermon on the Mount? Do you dislike it? Do you object to hearing preaching on it? If you do, you are a foolish person. The foolish person always dislikes the Sermon on the Mount when it is presented as it is, in all its parts. Do you feel it is making things impossible for you? Do you become annoyed at its standard? Do you say it is quite impossible?” (Jones p. 311). The good news that is we are not predestined to build our lives on the sand. Anyone can listen to the teachings of Jesus and anyone can do them.

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