The Wise And The Foolish

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

The Wise and Foolish Builders

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.

Many people want to consider themselves the Master of their lives –

But a man called Bernard once said...

He who makes himself his own master subjects himself to a fool for a master.

We come this morning to a parable that Jesus once taught that suggests that our lives should be something other than our own particular thoughts and plans.

Jesus suggests that we need to hear his words and put them into practice – rather than follow our own or any other eras conventional wisdom.

This parable was not intended to be only a childrens story but rather a clever simple parable that conveys a biblical truth for all age groups and applicable to all ages.

This morning I want to ask the question – What does God want us to know and what does he want us to do about the teachings of the parable of the wise man and the foolish man?

The truth is both men had a bad day – Their homes were attacked by storms – but one man survived the battering the other didn’t – this parable is not saying that Christians have immunity from trouble – We all have bad days:-

You know its going to be a bad day ahead when...

- You wake up face down on the pavement.

- You call suicide prevention and they put you on hold.

- Your birthday cake collapses from the weight of the candles.

- You turn on the news and they are showing escape routes out of the city.

- Your horn goes off accidentally and remains stuck as you follow a group of Hell’s Angels on the freeway.

- Your income tax check bounces.

- You put both contacts in one eye.

The first word we read is therefore and it is easy to skip over that word and to get to the meat the core of the Parable. But whenever we read the word therefore in the bible we can be sure that it is there for a reason.

The therefore in this case relates to a very important Christian teaching that I feel is being largely ignored or marginalised it is not a theology of works but a theology of lives reflecting an inward reality. What is it that Jesus says:-

True and False Disciples

21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ 23 Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’

What he is saying is that it is not enough to believe in your mind or even with your mouth but your living needs to be in complete harmony with what you believe.

Many popularist preachers these days are promoting an armchair ride in the Christian faith sort of do what you like but because you believe, all will be well.

The Christian life is not like the mad hatters race in Alice in Wonderland where – Everyone runs any which way they want and everyone wins a prize.

These passages are part of the final section of the sermon on the mount and really have to be taken in context with the beatitudes and the blessings that follow them as well.