Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish builder who builds his house on sand
Matthew 7:26 (NIV)
The parable of the foolish and wise builder in Matthew 7:24-27 is well known among the parables Jesus taught. It is an analogy Jesus uses at the end of his sermon on the mount to the crowd. The foolish builder who hears Jesus’ words and does not respond to the teaching and instead chooses to construct their own foundations for their house, another word for their lives, self-esteem, value and time upon what Jesus describes as sand. Given Jesus indicates that without him as the ever-flowing Vine we can do nothing in our own strength (John 15:5), the foolish builder is also not only choosing not to act on what Jesus shares but what they do they do out of their own strength and resources. However splendid their house looks, it fails to hold the house secure during the gale force winds, floods and storms that batter the house. The wise builder by contrast chooses to found his or her life, not just on Jesus’ words but on the rock of Jesus himself as their loving lord, Saviour, friend and teacher. These foundations are rock solid and are dug, deepened and strengthened in partnership with Jesus. Through the same storms and rains that deluge the house, they endure, are strengthened and are not moved.
I don’t’ know about you but I can sometimes identify with the actions of the foolish builder even as a follower of Jesus whom I love. What I mean by this is when I ignore or do not listen to the value that God places upon me as his beloved child in Christ and follow his Word I wander to find ground that is sandy and unstable where I place my sense of value, worth and expend time overwhelmingly on the sandy soil of other’s opinions, or the measure of my status in my career or in the Church. We are looking into a different mirror that the world holds up that leads us to compete and compare with the question how we measure up and it doesn’t satisfy nor does it fulfill. We end up ‘chasing after the wind’ (Ecclesiastes 1:14).
There is wonderful hope for when we find ourselves building upon such sands in our lives as it is not the end of the story. What do you think happened to the foolish builder after he or she witnesses things collapsing in their lives? I liked to think that in the ruins of things built on unstable foundations, perhaps with tools still in hand, the foolish builder would be met with compassion and tender loving mercy by Jesus. Zachaeus is just such an example who had come to the end of himself after a life of stealing and swindling from fellow Jews to get rich and work for Judea’s sworn enemy the Romans. What changed him was that Jesus met with him. Jesus explicitly wanted to stay with him (Luke 19:5). In the face of such grace where not one condemning was uttered by Jesus, Zachaeus wanted to come home. Jesus revealed to him that he would be met by a loving embrace and forgiveness rather than condemnation. We all have an element of the foolish builder in us, but when we build our lives, our worth and identity on other things as distractions from or that even replace Jesus, that never stops him from willingly meeting with us as we witness the collapse of things that we thought held much promise but did not meet our need. His response is not to condemn but as with the prodigal son or the lost sheep who wandered away from God’s flock or walked away from his Father’s house, he seeks to rescue and restore taking us as he took the sheep or the son in his arms and brings us as he brought them back home to the Father’s house? That is the grace and love of our saviour and in meeting this vast ocean of his grace and unfailing love, the foundations of our hearts are being built once again on the solid rock foundations of our saviour Jesus Christ.
Today, if you have been basing your identity on things that do not satisfy and leave you discouraged, unfulfilled and broken, see Jesus’ restorative arms embracing you and allow him to construct new foundations of your worth and value and identity built upon him. There is no condemnation, come as you are, and he will meet you where you are. This is our saviour, and he is truly amazing. Let his love and extended arms wrap around you, let him carry you back home and let him bring rest to your weary soul. Amen
© 2024, Benjamin Trowbridge
Abba's Dearly Beloved 