The parable involved in this reading reaches right into the center of our lived reality as Christian believers. It is a direct and challenging commentary on the meaning and the importance of faith. It is a constant reminder to us that there is a necessary connection between what we say we believe and how we actually live our lives, and about the unavoidable consequences of our decisions. It begins with a profoundly clear comment, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven” (Mt. 7:21).
Then Jesus launches into the parable that addresses the meaning of what he has proclaimed above. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock” (v. 24-25). The first sentence reiterates Jesus’ earlier comment, that is, that there is a direct connection between what we say we believe and what we do. In the example of this first sentence, the ‘wise’ man builds his house on ‘rock.’ What is that rock? It is the rock of a faith rooted deeply in an abiding trust in God, a trust that is the product of both grace and the persistent, humble, and patient work of the believer.
As we see in the second sentence of the parable, it is a faith that has been tested by the torrents of rain, that is, the endless distractions that pummel us, and the winds of temptation that swirl around us on our pilgrimage through this life, a faith that has stood firm in the storm. It is the wise man and woman who recognizes that these threats, the ‘rains and winds’ that threaten our well-being, are always present in every life, and we must prepare our minds, hearts, and souls to stand up against these floods and winds. The wise person realizes that building a life on the rock of a deep and abiding faith in Jesus enables us to stand firm in the face of all such threats, and when the rain comes, as it surely will, and when the winds come, as they surely will, we will, then, have the strength and the wherewithal to withstand them with courage and God’s grace.
On the other hand, we see this: “And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (vs. 26-27). Notice the details that tie these two examples together; the same rain falls on both, and both are buffeted by the same winds. Those who are wise and those who are foolish live in the midst of the same reality of worldly distractions, temptations, and trials. The same rains and winds affect both. The difference lies in the foundation of faith that each builds their life upon.
Those who have seen the reality of sin and death, who have come to understand that the rains of distraction and the winds of temptation are present in every human life, wisely give their attention and efforts to building their houses on the solid rock of faith in Jesus Christ in all aspects of their daily lives. Their faith gives them the insight and the courage and the strength to properly discern what is good, true, and beautiful, and to choose accordingly. Those who listen to the word of God, but have not done the hard work of building their faith through study, prayer, and practice, and do not put the words of their faith into practice, for whatever reason, are foolish, for they have built the house of their faith on a foundation of shifting sands and it is easily ruined in the face of the ‘rain’ and the ‘winds’ of the temptations and the trials of this life.
Let us pray, then: Lord, for those who have built or are building their houses on shifting sands of ideology: lead them to the wisdom of building them on the solid rock of faith in you. And for those who wander, going wherever the winds blow in this uncertain world, bring them to experience the certainty of your love for them. And for those who are building their houses on the shifting sands of the world’s false promises, we ask that you shower them with the light and the power of your grace. We pray in your name, Jesus. Amen.
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