Every Christian reading this would agree that the teachings of Jesus are difficult to understand. His wisdom, being the God of Creation, is far beyond our own understanding (Isaiah 55:8-9). In this blog series, we will unpack some of the most difficult teachings from Jesus, which come from Matthew 5-7 in the illustrious Sermon on the Mount. Each blog will touch on a different teaching from Jesus within His most famous sermon in an effort to help you apply His teachings to your life as a Christian working in the sport industry.
In our final blog of the Sermon on the Mount series, we’ll help you better understand and apply Jesus’ teachings on the wise and foolish builders in Matthew 7:24-29.
The House on the Rock
In Matthew 7:24-25 Jesus says, “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.”
Solomon writes in Proverbs 2:6, “For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding.” A core doctrine of the Christian faith is the Incarnation, which is the belief that God took human form in the body of Christ. Jesus was both fully divine while He was on earth and fully human.
So, knowing that Jesus is the second person on the triune God and knowing what Solomon wrote about wisdom, we can conclude that the teachings given to us by Jesus are truly wise and are filled with knowledge and understanding.
Jesus’ wisdom surpasses the wisdom of any regular pastor, ministry leader, etc. His wisdom is divine, eternal, and the exact imprint of the character, nature, and will of God the Father (Hebrews 1:3). Therefore, Jesus is teaching in this final portion of His sermon on the mount that His teaching is exclusively wise, and no other teaching will last.
As followers of Jesus, we have committed ourselves to building our proverbial house on the rock. But how can we practically live this out? Jesus tells us in John 14:15, “If you love me, keep my commands.” The most practical way that we can build our proverbial house on the rock is by loving Jesus, and this is done simply by growing in our relationship with Him.
As we grow in our personal relationship with Christ and the more we love Him, the more that we desire to put into practice the teachings of Jesus and build our house on the rock.
The House on the Sand
In Matthew 7:26-27 Jesus says, “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.”
Luke 9:28-36 records the account of the transfiguration of Jesus. In this account, Jesus went up to a mountain with Peter, John, and James to pray. While He was in prayer, Jesus was transfigured into His divine Glory (Luke 9:29).
While Jesus was transfigured, He was talking with Moses and Elijah about His coming death on the cross and resurrection (Luke 9:30-31). Towards the end of this account, a cloud appeared and covered the group on the mountain and God the Father spoke from the cloud saying, “This is my Son, whom I have chosen; listen to him.”
The transfiguration is a powerful reminder of the authority that the teaching of Jesus carries. He is not simply a prophet, as Moses and Elijah both were, but He is the divine Son of God. Furthermore, God the Father instructed the disciples to listen to Jesus, because He was His Son, the one whom He had chosen.
This authority that Jesus carries is what leads Him to teach in Matthew 7:26-27 that anyone who does not obey His teaching will have a house that is built on the sand, which will be destroyed.
Jesus’ teaching is not simply wise moral instruction, or practical steps to living a better life. The teaching of Jesus is instruction directly from the mouth of God. Jesus says in John 12:49, “For I did not speak on my own, but the Father who sent me commanded me to say all that I have spoken.”
The words of Jesus are the words of God, and because that is true, anyone who opposes His teaching will not withstand the storms of life because their own lives are not built on the solid foundation, which is only found in Christ.
Conclusion
Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught a number of encouraging, challenging, and radical things to His audience. It is clear to us and was clear to those listening that His teaching was different from the typical human teacher and more authoritative.
The Sermon on the Mount closes in Matthew 7:28-29 saying, “When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”
Jesus is the Son of God, the exact image of the invisible God (Colossians 1:15). Therefore, His teaching is authoritative above all else and as His followers, we must build every category of our lives upon it. For those that choose to do so, they will be unshakeable when the storms of life inevitably hit.
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