The Parables of the Lord Jesus Christ
13
This time we come to the last in our "Discovery" series looking at the parables of the Lord Jesus Christ. We are going to look at the story of "The Wise and Foolish Builders." This is found in the Gospel of Luke chapter 6 verses 46 to 49. Jesus had been teaching the people and He challenged them with a question as He began his parable:
"Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say? I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He is like a man building a house, who dug down deep and laid the foundations on rock. When the flood came, the torrent struck that house but could not shake it, because it was well built. But the one who hears my words and does not put them into practice is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation. The moment the torrent struck that house, it collapsed and its destruction was complete."
This parable comes at the end of Jesus' teaching of his disciples and the great number of people who had come to hear Him from all over Judea and further afield. He had been speaking about four blessings: for those who are poor, those who hunger, those who weep and those who are persecuted for Son of Man's sake. He followed this with four woes or warnings for those whose circumstances are just the opposite: those who are rich, who are well fed, who are full of laughter and are well thought of by all. The blessings are for those who belong to the kingdom of God. The warnings are for those who are outside God's kingdom and care little about it. For those of the kingdom there will come a day of rejoicing and reward. For those who have lived for themselves there will come a day of accounting.
Jesus continued his teaching on the life-style of the children of the kingdom by telling them that they should love their enemies and do good to them. He told them not to be judgmental of others and to be generous towards all. This was in great contrast to the life-style of the world around them. He concluded his teaching by telling them that God's people are to be like a tree that produces good fruit. There are many who claim to be Christians, but it is not evident in their lives. In other words they do not put Jesus' teaching into practice. Jesus said, in verse 45, it is really all a matter of the heart. Humanity has heart trouble, because the heart of man is sinful and desperately wicked. If the heart is not right then the life will not be right either. Jesus said, "The good man - that is the one whose sins have been forgiven - brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man - the one who has never turned to God in repentance - brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart." Each tree is recognised by its own fruit.
So Jesus comes to this parable of the wise and foolish builders. He begins with a question to challenge his hearers as it challenges us today: "Why do you call me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?" There are many religious people who call Christ 'Lord' and would say they owe allegiance to Him. But although they honour Him with their lips, they deny Him as Lord by the way they live. They are disobedient and do not take his word to their hearts and live according to his teaching. So Jesus asks this question because among those listening there were those who were deceiving themselves. Their following after Christ was just an outward show with no inward reality. Jesus was not their Lord at all. Like many today, their religion did not touch their behaviour. Jesus knew who were his true disciples and He certainly knew those who were not, as this question clearly shows.
Now Jesus goes on to show what the true, obedient Christian believer is like, what he resembles. The Lord wants his hearers to listen very carefully, and his parable will make the meaning of all this very clear. He says to them, in verse 47: "I will show you what he is like who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice."
This is not just a simple story for children, its message is actually very important. It goes to the very heart of the Gospel. Jesus describes the actions of a builder and we can all imagine the scene. It is a beautiful day and there is a blue, cloudless sky, warm sunshine - perfect weather. The builder has been planning and preparing to build himself a fine house. He has bought the land, it is in a good position. He has been careful and cautious in his choice. He knows that the warm, summer weather will not last for ever. This is his day of opportunity and if he wants a house that will be ready for the rainy season he must start building now. How does he build? He works away digging the foundations deep down into the solid rock. It is back-breaking, hard work in the hot sun, but he keeps at it day after day. He makes no attempt to start building until he has finished laying the foundations.
Now imagine this man's neighbour. He too is out enjoying the sunshine and is watching with some amusement as the other man labours away making sure that the foundations for his new house go deep and onto the rock. The second man sees no need for such exertion or careful preparation. He too is going to build a new house, but he's not going to waste the summer doing it, and he is certainly not going to all the trouble that his neighbour has. He thinks he knows better, but he is wrong. In due course this second man, this building expert, or so he thinks, finds a perfect place with a beautiful view and just builds his house there. In no time at all he is admiring his new home and living in it.
The wise builder was so particular. He was very concerned to get everything right and worked hard at it. The foolish builder ignored the need for a good foundation. He knew better and he didn't want all the work involved in that, so he did it his way. Both men saw the need to build and both knew how to construct a house and to all outward appearances both buildings were sound and good. But outward appearances were not good enough. Now remember that this parable of Jesus is really about the way people respond to his teaching. There are people who outwardly appear to be fine and wanting to build a good, decent, even religious life. But inwardly they want to do things their way and they take no heed to the teaching of the Lord. We are reminded in the Bible that God does not look at the outward appearance, but on the heart. He sees the hidden, secret motives.
The summer was soon past and winter came along with the winds and heavy rains. One day there is a violent storm and it rains and it rains. Rivulets descend from the hills, they merge and form a torrent and both houses face the full fury of the flood. After this onslaught only one of the houses remains standing. The house without foundations has been easily swept away and nothing was left. It was completely gone. The flood could not shake the wise builder's house because it was well built on the solid foundation. This wise builder, Jesus says, is a picture of the person who comes to me and hears my words and puts them into practice. He represents the person who builds on a true foundation. He is the one who rests on the "Rock of Ages", Jesus Christ. He is the one in whose heart there has been a real repentance for sin. He is the one who has digged deep, as it were. He has thought deeply, is concerned for his soul and has sought the Lord earnestly. He has realised that his eternal salvation depends on his hearing and obeying the word of Christ. To dig deep we have to bow low in humility, not trusting in ourselves, but in the Saviour.
The Bible tells us that there is a great crisis coming eventually to everyone - the Day of Judgement. There are of course many crises and trials throughout life. There are temptations and sorrows, disappointments and heartaches, but the great crisis comes to all. The Bible says that it is appointed to all to die and after that the judgement. Oh, what a storm that will be! The fact is that the storm of God's anger against our sin fell upon the Lord Jesus at Calvary's cross. There He bore the punishment for the sins of the world, especially for all those who would come to put their trust in Him. The wise builder is safe from the wrath and judgement of God. That day will be for him a day of triumph and safety.
There is a sense in which we are all building. We are all building a life. How are you building your life? Can you say with the hymn writer: "On Christ, the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand"? Are you building your life according to the Word of God? There are only two kinds of builder in the world, the wise and the foolish. The wise hear the words of Jesus and obey them. The foolish hear his words and ignore them.
At the heart of this parable is the matter of obedience. Jesus says, "But why do you call me 'Lord, Lord' and do not do what I say?" He wants us to do the things that He says. He wants us to live in obedience to Him. May He help you to build your life wisely and carefully on the solid foundation of faith in Him and obedience to his word.