“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”  

Jesus now turned to the last contrast, a contrast of foundations of what we believe. Jesus concluded the Sermon on the Mount with the parable of two foundations.

7:24

“Therefore

The “therefore” connects this parable to His preceding thought. Not everyone who says, “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom.

whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them,

There are two elements in this statement: (1) positive volition about hearing Jesus’ teaching and (2) application of what is heard. Faith is the root and application is the fruit of faith.

When Jesus referred to “the “sayings of Mine,” He was drawing emphatic attention to the teaching on the Mount.

I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock:

The words “I will liken him” set up an illustration of a contrast between a haphazard foundation and a firm foundation. The “house” here is the solidity of belief in Christ’s teaching and willingness to apply that belief to experience.

7:25

and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

A solid foundation stands in the face of adversity.

7:26

“But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:

“Sand” is a shifty, unstable foundation. This foundation cannot stand against adversity because it is vacuous of rock-solid material on which to rest.

7:27

and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

The Sermon on the Mount concludes with a warning about building on the strong foundation of Jesus’ teachings. Those with weak conviction about Christ’s teaching will have a terrible fall.

PRINCIPLE:

Test of faith will reveal the reality of our faith.

APPLICATION:

Jesus closed the Sermon on the Mount with the idea of principle and application. If we do not form solid biblical principles, we cannot apply them to experience. If we form solid principles but do not apply them, then we are left with a weak faith.

There are only two courses that we can take in living for Christ—either know and apply what He teaches, or treat His teaching lightly, with disregard.

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does. Jas 1:22-25

When the test comes, those with a solid foundation move forward. There is no doubt that the test will come.