Building on the Rock
““Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”” (Matthew 7:24–27 ESV)
Jesus' parable of the two houses is easy to understand. One man builds a house on solid rock, the other on the soft, shifting sand. When a storm comes only the house with a firm foundation is left standing. The lesson is simple, be like the man who built on the rock by ordering your life according to Jesus' commandments and promises. One of the parables that is so accessible we teach it to children with confidence that they can understand it. But simple and easy to understand does not translate to easy to do. The clarity of the message doesn't lessen the temptation to build on sand.
The longer I live the more I understand the image of sand. Things that were considered appropriate twenty years ago face public disapproval and cancellation today. Terms considered politically correct while I was in college would be taken as hate speech today. Politicians who were liberal just a few election cycles back would now be labeled as "right-wing" and policies of those considered ultra-conservative are now advocated for by Anti-fascists and progressives. Public opinion and views of right and wrong formed apart from God's word are continually changing. It is all shifting sand.
The malleability of sand is fun. It's why children love building sand castles, formed by their imagination. We don't build rock boxes for them to play in. Being able to shape it to our desires is also easier than conforming ourselves to something solid and unmoving. I don't know about house construction in First Century Palestine, but I know that driving a tent stake into sandy soil is a whole lot easier than in rock. I imagine that ease translates in some ways to construction.
The temptation to build our life on "sand" is the temptation to do what is easy, what is popular, and what adapts to our will. The challenge of following Christ is that we must do the hard work of conforming to Him in a way that the world doesn't always approve of. There is effort in forgiving, in resisting sin, in loving and serving others. It is difficult to admit where we are wrong and learn to form new habits, to submit our wills to His.
And it is especially tempting to build our life on "sand" because most of the time it looks like the better option. When things are going well, doing what we want and seeking our own pleasure appear to pay off. When there's no challenge, self-denial, restraint, and discipline look foolish. The effort appears wasted when the sun is shining. In much of life, those who shift with the wind and take the broad, easy path seem to flourish. But the storm eventually comes.
It comes to us as a knock at the door in the middle of the night, a test result from the doctor's office, or a meeting at work that changes everything within a matter of minutes. It is in these challenges that we need something solid to hold on to - or rather to hold on to us. It is in our testing that our character and conviction are exposed.
One of the great blessings of pastoral ministry is to see strong foundations. I've walked with people through struggles and tragedies and been amazed to watch their faith and God's grace at work. The foundation of rock is seen when someone suffers dark sin and responds with patience and forgiveness. It is shown when in I watch someone in shock and grief singing in worship, their praise mingled with tears. And it is seen as I see those who continue to graciously serve the needs of others even as they are facing their own challenges.
The storm eventually comes. It always comes. What are you building your life on? Can it withstand the inevitable storm? What have you done today to build on the rock?