The Words of Jesus
Are there any parts of Scripture that you remember but couldn't find on your own? Sometimes there are illustrations or stories that we remember, but we don't know who said them. You may remember the warning to build your house on the rock instead of the sand. Do you know who said that and why?
It's the ending to one of Jesus' most famous sermons. Here's what He said in Matthew 7:24-27:
“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.”
Think for a second about what Jesus is saying. Jesus says specifically, those who hear "these words of mine." What we’re reading here are actually the words of Jesus! These are the words that God in the flesh has given us! We're reading true words from God to His people.
When we speak words into the world, there is an instant separation between our words and our person. After our words go out from us, we may change our minds later. Our words can be true one minute and false the next. Sometimes there is a separation between who I am and what I say. That’s true for you too. But here’s the thing about the words of Jesus: there is no separation between who He is and what He says. Think about that. When we read the Bible, we’re literally getting to read Jesus himself. We’re seeing straight to the heart of God and learning from Him.*
Jesus is completely trustworthy. Jesus never says, “Do as I say and not as I do.” Ever heard that? We say that when we want someone to do something that we don't want to do ourselves. Jesus never says that; He lives what He says. He is the perfect expression of what He commands us to do.
Jesus says the easiest way to evaluate someone’s wisdom is what they do with His words. What you do with the words of Scripture is the quickest indicator of whether or not you are wise. If you follow them, wisdom is yours.
Jesus gives an example in two different scenarios. Those who listen to the words of Jesus and live them out are like a man who built his house on a rock– on a firm foundation. The rain falls, floods come, but the house doesn't fall. Because the house was built on a firm foundation, it stands through the storm!
The foolish man is the one who does not follow the words of Jesus– he goes and builds his house on the sands. The rain falls, the floods come, and the house cannot withstand the storm - it falls! Without the words of Christ, we’re not based on anything that will last.
Do you notice anything repetitive? What is the same in each scenario? The storm. No matter what kind of house you build, how you’ve prepared for life, or what you’ve based your life on, storms will come. The rains fall on everyone. The winds will blow.
You may have already experienced this. You’ve lived through family problems, someone dying too soon, or things not going your way. If you haven’t, you will. What matters in these moments is who we’re following. It’s the words of Jesus that will remind us of what is really true. These rains and winds are the circumstances of life that convince us that God isn’t who He says He is. The storms always shout that God can’t be trusted. But it’s the words of Jesus that remind us of the truth.
It’s the words of Christ that remind us of the Gospel - the good news that Jesus loves us enough to die for our forgiveness. God sent Jesus, not because we deserved it, but because He loves us. This truth gets lost when it starts raining and the winds start blowing. We often lose the truth that Jesus actually love us when we're rejected, our family stops getting along, or we find out our friends aren’t who we thought they were. We have the tendency to get so focused on these problems and their implications that we lose the truth, and our house starts sinking. Only the firm foundation of God’s Word will keep us standing through the storm.
*For more on this concept, see Daniel Doriani's The Sermon on the Mount: The Character of a Disciple.