As the spring and summertime warmth is finally here, the projects are underway. People are building up their yards, their gardens, their homes, their cabins. It’s great time to be building but everyone knows no matter what the project, you need to build upon a solid foundation. The parable of the wise and foolish builder is one of the more familiar of Jesus’ parables. Most know the wise man built his house upon the rock and the foolish man built his house upon the sand. But who is the parable about?

This parable is the conclusion to Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount. In His sermon, Jesus teaches His hearers lessons from God with the use of earthly pictures or parables. The sermon is filled with parables of God’s will for the world and His people. But the parable of the wise and foolish builder is about the hearers of God’s Word. Jesus tells us that we are like a wise man who builds upon a solid foundation when we hear God’s words and then put them into practice. Jesus also tells us that we are like a foolish man when we hear God’s words and don’t put them into practice.

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.   The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.   But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.   The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” Matthew 7:24-27

May the Lord bless all our building projects this summer. For some summer reading, check out Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in Matthew chapters 5-7. May the Holy Spirit move us by the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ to be like the wise builder, putting God’s words into practice as we build on the sure foundation, the Rock - Jesus Christ.

Keep Christ First! 

Pastor Chris Christenson