"Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock. "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall." Matthew 7:24-27
Three observations:
First, note that the two parties in the parable represent the wise and the foolish. In the Bible foolishness is not a mental problem, it is a spiritual problem.
Psalms 14:1 The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God."
Second, note that the wise and the foolish are characterized by where they built their houses. The wise built his house on a solid rock foundation, and the fool on a foundation of shifting sand. As the foundation goes, so goes the building! In the parable, building one’s house represents living one’s life.
How did Jesus identify the two foundations? A less than careful reading leads many to think the rock foundation is that of one who hears God’s Word, and the sandy foundation is that of one who does not hear the Word of God. But that is not what Jesus said. Jesus said both heard the Word of God. The difference is that the wise, rock foundation heard and obeyed God’s Word, whereas the foolish, sandy foundation heard God’s Word but did not obey it.
Let us not miss this. We dare not comfort ourselves because we attend a church where the Word of God is preached, if we do not obey what we hear—even though our obedience is imperfect. Neither let us comfort ourselves because we read the Bible—even regularly—if we are not seeking diligently to obey God’s Word.
Third, note that both houses experienced storms and even floods. Being saved and walking in obedience does not exempt anyone from difficulties in life. The difference between those walking in obedience and those who are not walking in obedience is not the presence or absence of life’s storms. The difference is in being able to endure the inevitable storms of life.
Remember that the context is the Sermon on the Mount, and that these last verses are the conclusion of the Sermon. In this Sermon, Jesus has been describing the lifestyle of citizens of the Kingdom of God. He has been describing Christian discipleship. Jesus’ conclusion is a sober reminder that it isn’t enough to hear (read) the Sermon. It isn’t even enough to understand and believe the sermon. The wise desire and make every effort to obey the teachings of the Sermons—and indeed the entire Word of God.