“Be Wise And Build Your House On ‘The’ Rock!”

“Be Wise And Build Your House On ‘The’ Rock!”(Mt.7:24-27).
Matthew 5-7, commonly called, “The Sermon on the Mount” probably because according to Matthew Jesus sat down on a mountainside “and his disciples came to him and he began to teach them…”
Jesus concluded his teaching stating that everyone who hears his words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on ‘the rock.’ Though heavy rains caused the waters to rise and the winds blew and beat against the house it did not fall because it had its foundation on ‘the rock.’ On the contrary everyone who hears his words and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. When the rains poured and the streams rose, the winds blew and beat against the house, and “it fell with a crash.”
The depth of the foolishness of the foolish man cannot be gainsaid. He wasted resources, time and energy, and his choice of the construction site was the height of his foolishness.
“To teach applies to any manner of imparting information or skill so that others may learn…”, but what has been learned is of no value if not put into practice.
It is true that sometimes it is not our faults for not being able to put into practice what we have learned. When there is no enabling environment, degrees may be of no value. Imagine those with differnt levels of degrees in specialised fields not being employed in those domains. Sometimes it is due to outright envy, wickedness and poor human resource management whereby competent and qualified personnel are underused as tools of vendetta!
But that’s not the issue here concerning Jesus’ teachings. Jesus’ teachings here is about kingdom matters; it is about believers’ spirituality, morals and ethical values!
We may all have heard or read the Scriptures; the difference is in practice. We are all hearers, but we make the difference and become the light of the world it we put what we have heard into practice. We become like a wise man building his house on “the rock” which the storms of the evil cannot prevail against!
I take particular interest in the article preceding the noun ‘rock.’ Two times that rock is mentioned in the text, it is the definite article, ‘the’ that is used; suggesting a particular rock. The song writers captures that rock in, “Rock of ages, cleft for me…”. “…on Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand…”
We have heard and read and know enough from Jesus Christ. Let us each be a wise man as we put into practice what our Lord expects of us.
Prayer: Lord Jesus Christ enable me each day to build my house on you the Rock through practicing what you have taught me. Amen!
Have a blessed day! Peace be with you!
Rev Babila Fochang.