26 “Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.” 28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
These verses are the complementary opposite of the previous two verses. Jesus’ teachings are not just one system of philosophy to choose from among many, and in the world there are certainly many competing world-views, religious perspectives and ethical schemes. His teachings are of the nature that to ignore, neglect or minimize them is tantamount to building a house on a sand foundation. Apart from Christ we will not stand up to the rigors of life.
Now it can be thought that many people make it through life without Christ, who have never heard of His teachings–what’s the big deal? But Jesus is not talking about just making it to retirement and weathering the storms of financial struggles, health issues and earthly things like that. The focus of His coming to earth was to restore people who are lost and put them on a firm foundation for living out God’s purposes for creating them.
All of what Jesus taught up to this point in the Sermon on the Mount recasts life in a truer light. We are not to focus on things like what we eat or drink or wear. Many people do that and get those things in abundance. Rather, we are to seek the Kingdom of God above all else. He will take care of the little things, but the goal of Kingdom living can only be built on the foundation of Jesus’ teaching. This raises life to a much higher plane than just mundane living with a modicum of enjoyment and comfort. We were created and are now called back to live life to the max! This kind of life will bring an inner equilibrium that nothing else can supply.
Jesus concluded His sermon and the people were dumb-founded. His whole message was unique and riveting—and carried an inherent authority. And so it should, for the One who spoke these words about Kingdom living was none other than the King Himself! Ought we not commit to daily meditating on God’s word, studying it, memorizing it, internalizing it and living it—so that we stand fast and build our lives well on the solid Rock?
Lord, in my quest for learning and understanding, help me filter everything through the knowledge of Your word, so that I might not be led astray by any false perspective on life.
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