What Will Stand? (Matthew 7:24-27)

As we come to the end of our short series through the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus leaves us with a question: What are you building your life on? Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has challenged us to live differently from the world. He’s talked about anger, anxiety, loving our enemies, generosity, prayer, and the condition of our hearts. Now he asks what we’re going to do with what he’s taught us. Jesus tells the story of two men who build houses. We might imagine that the houses look much alike from the outside. But one is built on rock, and the other is built on sand. When the storm comes, one house stands and the other falls. Both men hear Jesus. The difference is what they do with what they hear. Hearing Jesus isn’t the same thing as following Jesus. It’s possible to come to church, know the right words, understand the teachings of Jesus, and even agree with them without living them out. Jesus is asking whether we’ll obey him. That’s why the foundation matters. It’s hidden beneath the surface, where people don’t normally look. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus addresses the hidden parts of our lives as well as our actions: our desires, our motives, and who we are when nobody’s watching. Jesus doesn’t let us stop at outward compliance. He calls us to deal with the anger and contempt behind murder and the lust behind adultery. He tells us to love our enemies, pray for those who mistreat us, give without needing recognition, pursue reconciliation, and seek God’s kingdom rather than our own. None of this is easy. But Jesus isn’t giving us these commands so that we can acknowledge how hard they are and leave it at that. He’s calling us to become people who live this way. That doesn’t mean we’ll do it perfectly. We come to Jesus with empty hands, recognizing that we can’t earn God’s favor and that we desperately need him. From that posture of humility, we allow him to transform us. We don’t obey to earn his love. We obey because he’s Lord and because we want our lives to look like his. One response says, “Jesus, you’re my Lord. When my life disagrees with you, my life has to change.” Another says, “Jesus, I’m happy to listen to you as long as I get to keep the final say.” That second response lets us obey when his teaching is comfortable and ignore him when obedience becomes difficult. Eventually, every foundation will be exposed. Jesus doesn’t promise that obedience will keep storms from coming. The storm comes to both houses. Christians experience sickness, job loss, broken relationships, grief, addiction, and financial struggles. Following Jesus doesn’t spare us the difficulties of life. What happens when the storm comes? When everything’s going well, we may not realize how much we depend on our money, our work, or our relationships. When those things are shaken, we begin to see what we’ve been building on. The warning also reaches beyond the difficulties of this life. In the context of Matthew 7, the storm points us toward the final day when we’ll stand before God in judgment. Jesus has just spoken of the narrow way that leads to life and warned that not everyone who calls him “Lord, Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven. Saying the right words isn’t the same as doing the Father’s will. So we have to examine our lives honestly. What are we building on? Maybe it’s success, money, or looking good to other people. Maybe it’s our family, our career, or a relationship. Many of these are good things. But none can bear the weight of being our ultimate foundation. Only Jesus is strong enough. Building on him means hearing his words and putting them into practice. If you’re not a follower of Jesus, take an honest look at what you’ve been building on and come to the one who’s worthy of your complete allegiance. Don’t treat Jesus merely as your advisor. Submit to him as Lord. And if you already follow Jesus, maybe today’s a reminder to come home. Maybe you’ve become distracted or allowed something else to take his place. Take an honest look at your heart. Jesus calls us to hear his words and build our lives on them. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit hoovercoc.substack.com