The wise and foolish builders
Live it, don’t just like it
The storm comes for everyone. The foundation is laid before it.
Key points
- What it means: Jesus ends the sermon with a story about two builders.
- Try this: Choose one teaching from this section and do it once this week.
- The good news: Jesus is the rock. You don’t have to build your life from nothing; you build on him.
What he said
“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.”
Matthew 7:24
Find it: Matthew 7:24–29
Read Matthew 7:24–29
24 “Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock. 25 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock. 26 Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” 28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them with authority, and not like the scribes.
World English Bible, public domain. The whole chapter on Free Scripture → · Read in the NRSVue, the ELCA’s standard translation →
What it means
Jesus ends the sermon with a story about two builders. Both houses face the same rain, floods and wind. One stands, because it was built on rock.
The difference isn’t who heard the teaching. Both did. It’s who did something with it.
The crowd was amazed, the Gospel says, because he taught “with authority,” not like other teachers.
At work
- Character is built on quiet days and shows up in a crisis.
- Habits beat intentions. Practice before the pressure comes.
With people
- Relationships hold under strain when they’ve been tended on ordinary days.
The hard part
Nobody does this perfectly, including the best people you know. That is why it begins with grace, not effort.
Try this
Choose one teaching from this section and do it once this week.
Go deeper
What do these words mean?
| The word | It means |
|---|---|
| Gospel | One of the four books about Jesus’ life: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. It also means “good news.” |
| Grace | God’s love that you don’t have to earn. |
Tap a word for more. All 228 church words: the glossary, A to Z
The good news
Jesus is the rock. You don’t have to build your life from nothing; you build on him.
Nobody lives this perfectly. How to read it