HOW THEN SHALL WE LIVE?
Opening Prayer
Lord, grant me the wisdom to build my eternal house correctly.
Read MATTHEW 7:24–29
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.”
28 When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29 because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Reflect
“By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established” (Prov. 24:3).
Jesus wraps up the Sermon on the Mount by illustrating how a house is built. A foolish builder is shortsighted, ignoring the forces of nature that would hit the house, resulting in complete destruction. On the other hand, the wise builder is prudent; one who carefully considers all possible weather conditions and the potentially destructive forces of nature in building his house. As a result, what he builds withstands the test of nature and time.
The sayings of Jesus here bear some echoes from Proverbs, where we read, “The house of the righteous stands firm” (Prov. 12:7) while “The house of the wicked will be destroyed” (Prov. 14:11). Allusions to these passages reinforce the message in the Sermon. The wise builder is like the righteous man who puts the teaching of Jesus into practice. The foolish builder is like the wicked man who disobeys the teaching of Jesus by ignoring it.
The foundation of a building is often not visible to the naked eye, but it is the most important component of any building. We can produce strong and lasting buildings only if their foundations are solid and strong. Therefore, we must build a solid foundation that combines authentic commitment to Christ and his teaching, demonstrating it with obedience in our lives. Otherwise, we build our house on shaky ground, and all that we build will be destroyed eventually and come to nothing. Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount is not just a collection of sayings to be admired; Jesus’ sayings are to be obeyed. They call us to action. They call us to live according to the values of his kingdom.
Apply
What is the foundation of our lives? Are we built on the teaching, values and ethos of the kingdom of heaven? Do we build to last, or to be destroyed?
Closing prayer
Lord, show me how to construct a solid foundation in light of Your teachings as I continue to build every day of my life.
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