Jesus, The Rock of Ages

Matthew 7:24-27

²⁴ “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. ²⁵ 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. ²⁶ 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. ²⁷ The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”

Two builders are the main characters in this story Jesus told. In the way the Lord tells it, it is a story of comparison, and each of us has the choice of which builder we wish to use as our example.  Most will read the story and come away thinking the only decision they must make will concern the foundation upon which they will build. Closer observation reveals the foundation analogy is simply getting us to realize a deeper choice we must make, putting Jesus' words into practice, or not. 

Each builder heard the words, making them alike. One builder built his house on the rock, while the other built his house on the sand, making them different. One builder built a house that did not fall, while the other built a house that experienced a great crash.  The simple story from Jesus isn't hard to understand. The success or failure of a building depends primarily on the foundation upon which it is built, and there is a huge difference in the outcome in making the choice of building on the rock, or on the sand. 

The story of Jesus is intended to make us examine the foundation of our lives to see if we have chosen to build life on something solid like the rock, or on something continually changing like the sand.  The choice you make should be obvious, however in today's world there are many who seek security and success in "sand-things" which bring destruction and failure. (*Hint" Jesus is the Rock!)

In a little wood-framed church building on Loraine Street, in Midland, Texas, I heard and joined in singing as a child, about the "Sure Foundation." Here are some of the words:

There stands a Rock on shores of time
That rears to Heaven its head sublime.
That Rock is cleft, and they are blest
Who find within this cleft a rest.

Refrain:

Some build their hopes on the ever drifting sand,
Some on their fame, or their treasure, or their land;
Mine’s on a Rock that forever will stand,
Jesus, the “Rock of Ages.”

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