The Parable of the Two Builders

(Mt. 7:24-27, Lk. 6:47-49)

Mike Johnson

From time to time, a great deal of damage occurs throughout our country and the world due to extensive rainfall. Floodwaters, as well as mudslides, can cause death and destruction.  Likewise, a house can topple down a hillside.  Such events, although tragic, brings to mind one of the parables of Jesus in which he discussed the toppling of a man’s house.  “The Parable of the Two Builders” is recorded in Matthew 7:24-27 (our primary text) and Luke 6:47-49.  Many have heard this parable from their youth.  It has some fundamental principles, and we can profit by studying it.

The Two Builders

Jesus reveals that two men constructed houses. He referred to one of the men as foolish, and the other he called wise.  Jesus classified them in this way due to how they built their houses.  One unwisely built his house upon the sand, not using much foresight.  Therefore, Jesus categorized him as foolish.  The other man, using forethought, judiciously built his house upon a rock.  (Luke’s account says that he dug deep and laid the foundation upon rock.) Jesus refers to this man as a wise man.  Thus, two men: one was wise and one foolish; one built his house upon a rock, and the other built his house upon the sand.

The Rain Came

Next, Jesus points out that the storm came, and He speaks of the situation with the wise man’s house.  He said, “. . . the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.  “

The foolish man experienced the same kind of storm.  Verse 27 says, “and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell.  And great was its fall.” A disaster happened as the foolish man had built his house on sand.

It might be interesting to note some comments by Albert Barnes concerning the susceptibility of the Palestine area to floods.

Palestine was, to a considerable extent, a land of hills and mountains.  Like other countries of that description, it was subject to sudden and violent rains.  The Jordan, the principal stream, was annually swollen to a great extent, and became rapid and furious in its course.  The streams which ran among the hills, whose channels might have been dry during some months of the year, became suddenly swollen with the rain, and would pour down impetuously into the plains below.  Everything in the way of these torrents would be swept off.  Even houses, erected within the reach of these sudden inundations, and especially if founded on sand or on any unsolid basis, would not stand before them.  The rising, bursting stream would shake it to its foundation; the rapid torrent would gradually wash away its base; it would totter and fall.  (from Barnes’ Notes, Electronic Database. Copyright (c) 1997 by Biblesoft)

Application

Jesus, in His application of this parable (26), said that the wise man who built his house upon rock represents those who hear and obey, while the man who built his house upon the sand (the foolish man) represents those who hear His word but refuse to obey.  So this parable emphasizes the importance of being a doer and not just a hearer of God’s Word.  In Matthew 7:21, just before the parable, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.”

Many other passages emphasize the importance of obedience.  For example, James 1:22 says, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” The next chapter in James stresses that our faith must be obedient to please God.  James 2:24 says, “You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only.” Also, Hebrews 11 discusses individuals who were people of faith and were thus pleasing to God.  It is clear from the text that their faith was also obedient.  1 John 5:3 says, “For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments.  And His commandments are not burdensome.” Many say they love God.  It is evident that a good number do not, though, as they are just hearers only.  In John 14:24, Jesus said, “He who does not love Me does not keep My words . . .” (Note also Hebrews 5:8-9 and Jn. 14:24.)

It would be ridiculous to build a house on a weak foundation.  Doing so would show a lack of foresight and a lack of wisdom.  This is true for people who hear God’s Word but refuse to obey it.  Their failure to obey is also unwise.  Therefore, we need to heed Jesus’ lesson from the wise and foolish builder and do what God says in the Scriptures.