Is Your House Built On A Solid Foundation?

IS YOUR HOUSE BUILT ON A SOLID FOUNDATION?

MATTHEW 7:24-27

INTRODUCTION… 3 Little Pigs (http://mediainformatics.biz/kidsbook/pigs.html)

Once there was a mother pig who had three little pigs. She did not have enough to keep them, so she sent them out to seek their fortunes. The first little pig had not gone far when he met a man with a bundle of straw. The little pig said to him, "Please, man, give me that straw to build me a house." This the man did, and soon the little pig had built a house with it. Just after the house was built, along came a wolf. He knocked at the door of the little pig's house and called, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!" But the little pig answered, "No, no! Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" Then the wolf said, "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So he huffed and he puffed until he blew the house in, and ate up that little pig.

The second little pig had not gone far when he met a man carrying a bundle of sticks on his shoulders.

The little pig said to him, "Please, man, give me those sticks to build me a house." This the man did, and soon the little pig had built a house with them. Just after the house was built, along came the wolf. He knocked at the door of the little pig's house and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!" But the little pig answered, "No, no! Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" Then the wolf said, "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So he huffed and he puffed and he blew the house in, and ate up that little pig.

The third little pig met a man with a load of bricks. The little pig said to him, "Please, man, give me those bricks to build me a house." This the man did, and soon the little pig had built a house with them.

Just after the house was built, along came the wolf. He knocked at the door of the little pig's house and said, "Little pig, little pig, let me come in!" But the little pig answered, "No, no! Not by the hair of my chinny chin chin!" Then the wolf said, "I'll huff and I'll puff, and I'll blow your house in!" So the wolf huffed and he puffed and he puffed and he huffed, and he huffed and he puffed, but he couldn't blow this third little pig's house down.

When the little pig heard the wolf on the roof of his house and saw what he was about, he made a blazing fire in his fireplace, filled a big pot with water, and hung it over the fire. Just as the wolf was coming down the chimney, the little pig lifted the lid off the big pot of boiling water, and in fell the wolf. And then the little pig quickly popped on the cover again, and had the wolf for supper. And that is how it came about that this little pig lived happily in his snug little brick house ever after.

We all know this nursery rhyme. It is rather famous. But as I reflected on the story, I realized that Jesus told a parable just like this one long before the story of the three little pigs came along. Let’s read.

READ MATTHEW 7:24-27

"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."

Jesus tells a short and important parable in which the characters are two builders who construct similar buildings with different results. In the passage we just read, Jesus is quite clear about the foundation of each of the buildings and makes the foundations of each of the buildings important… they are the point of the parable. In the Parable of the Sower it is the soil that is the point. In the Pearl of Great price it is the cost of the pearl. In this particular parable, the foundation is the point. Remember, Jesus was a carpenter by trade. He knew about construction, wood, brick, mortar, tools, and everything needed to build a house. We need to realize that it is Jesus the Son of God that is giving us this passage, but also Jesus Who is an experienced carpenter giving us this passage. Foundations are important.