Oh, No Don't Let the Rain Come Down

Meditation June 20,2020

Matthew &

24Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.

A note in passing: A few commentators maintain it is impossible that the sermon on the mount is recorded exactly as it was delivered. They suppose it to be an impossible feat of memory. Maybe; maybe not. More to the point, I think, is that this is God’s word, holy men wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. Whatever may have been the memory of the penmen, I am convinced the Holy Spirit has a remarkable memory. It seems a little strange God could guide prophets to give detailed information, prophesies, about the future but could not do the same for the past. As if the one who could tell the prophets what would happen in the future could not tell the disciples what happened in the past. It seems to me that either someone was not thinking or they did not believe in plenary inspiration. It is possible every syllable Jesus spoke on the mount is not recorded. He did, and we can assume said, many things that are not recorded. (John 21:24,25) We can rest assured, however, that all that is needed for our salvation and growth in righteousness, sanctification, has been recorded and preserved for us.

“Therefore”…because there is a right way and a wrong way, a wide gate and a narrow gate leading to a broad way or  a narrow way and false as well as true followers and teachers “whoever hears these sayings of mine” all that Jesus teaches in the sermon and elsewhere, is “liken unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock.” This doesn’t require a lot of explanation. Most of us are aware that houses are built on a solid foundation. If there is no rock to build on, we provide the rock by pouring a concrete foundation. Those who fail to do so have sown the wind.(Hosea 8:7) and when the trials, the vicissitudes  of life and the false teachers come,  when the rain comes from above, the floods from below and the winds from every side, the house will fall. It is a foolish man who builds his house on the sand, i. e., without a solid foundation.

One commentator, Ellicot, says the “sand” answers to the shifting, uncertain feelings which are with some men (the “foolish” ones of the parable) the only ground on which they act—love of praise, respect for custom, and the like. The “wind,” the “rain,” the “floods” hardly admit, unless by an unreal minuteness, of individual interpretation, but represent collectively the violence of persecution, of suffering, of temptations from without, beneath which all but the life which rests on the true foundation necessarily gives way.” He makes a good point but I think he completely misses the cause of the house fallen into shambles when he attaches it to the “feelings” of the “’foolish one of the parable….” It is not about their feelings but about their having bought false doctrine, false teaching.  And because the foundation of our spiritual houses, the foundation of our faith depends upon the doctrines, “all truth” into which the Holy Spirit leads us, we are advised of the care we must take to search the scriptures to determine if that which we are being taught, that which we have come to believe, is consistent with the teaching which we find in the word of God.

But take heed. It is not those who have just heard and believed true doctrine whose house stands but it is those who hear and do, put into practice true teachings. One may admire, even purchase for himself ground, a foundation ever so solid but if he does not build on it…. Such are those who say Lord, Lord but do not the will of the Father. Again, Jesus tells us it is not just what we build, what we do, but why, on what foundation. “No one can lay any foundation other than that already laid, which is Christ Jesus.” (! Cor. 3:11) But suppose we have said yes to that foundation when we build nothing on it is to deceive ourselves. Even the demons, James tells us has even the demons have that ‘faith’. As there is no salvation by works, neither is there any salvation without works.

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9But whoever does not have them is nearsighted and blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their past sins.

10Therefore, my brothers and sisters, ^a make every effort to confirm your calling and election. For if you do these things, you will never stumble, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Thus Jesus closes His sermon by sermon gathering into a parable  We are made new creatures, given the character described in the beatitudes that we may both hear and do His good will. It was not just to hear sound teaching, it must also be obeyed, put into practice. Those who love Him, keep his commandments, they build their house upon a rock. (James 1:22ff