The Sermon on the Mount Part 4
In the first part of The Sermon on the Mount we looked at what Yeshua had to say about abolishing God’s law. Next we continued his sermon on being The Least and Greater One in the Kingdom of Heaven. Then we looked at one of the worst sayings in the scriptures, “Depart from me. I never knew you.”
Today, we discuss how he ends his speech on the mountain with an analogy about a wise man who builds his house on the rock verses the foolish man who builds his house on the sand. One will withstand the storms. The other will not.
The Wise Man
Yeshua finishes his sermon on the mount with a parable about a wise man and a foolish man. The men represented the people who were there listening to him. He gave them a chance to see the two options available to them.
The first option was to become a wise man. The wise man is the one who hears the words of Yeshua and DOES them.
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 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.” (Matthew 7:24-25)
Yeshua was an example for how to follow God’s ways and rules. He did and said everything he saw and heard his Heavenly Father do and speak. There was no making up his own rules. Sometimes, he did expound on what the Father put in order. This allowed people to have a better understanding of what our Heavenly Father wanted verses what man had been teaching them.
This is why the wise man follows the way of Yeshua. All Yeshua ever did was point us back to the Father and His ways. He didn’t act like he had destroyed God’s Torah. Instead, he made it clear wise men follow the Torah. They didn’t turn their backs on it, just like Yeshua didn’t.
When the wise man follows God’s way of doing things, he receives all the blessings that keep him safe. No rain, storm, flood, or wind can overtake him.
It doesn’t matter if people lie on the wise man or try to bring destruction upon him. God the Father will protect, shield, and nourish him in the process.
Being a wise man means you establish your foundation on God’s Word. You live a life full of integrity, honesty, fairness, and love. You live a life that brings glory to God and honor to you and your family.
Being a wise man means that when people look at you they see God and Yeshua operating in your life. They see the existence of God in the earth.
The Foolish Man
The foolish man is the opposite of the wise man. The foolish man is the one who DOES NOT DO what he hears from the Messiah. He is not a smart man.
26 “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. 27 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.” (Matthew 7:26-27)
The foolish man builds his house on sand. He could build a beautiful six-bedroom home where he entertains his family and friends regularly. Everyone loves his home and look forward to always going over there.
The foolish man’s guests enjoy the beach and bonfires at night. They enjoy the fabulous seafood they capture during the day. Life seems good for the foolish man.
What the foolish man doesn’t realize is that his foundation is built on the sand, a non-solid ground. Every day, the water flows onto the sand, dragging more and more sand back into the water.
The foolish man does whatever it takes to live his fabulous life. He continues to live his life in a dishonest way. He continues to cheat his way up the corporate ladder. He constantly focuses on what he wants and how much better he is than those around him.
He never pays attention to the fact that water easily washes away sand. So, when his wicked deeds finally catch up to his life, he quickly suffers his foolish ways.
The storm surrounds him tearing down all he built. The flood washes away his foundation. The wind blows apart his relationships.
His foolish ways produce a great fall in every area of his life. He sits among his shattered ruins wondering what how this could happen to him. He is a foolish man who doesn’t even recognize he was the problem.
Who are You?
Yeshua started his sermon on the mount in Matthew 5 and ends it in Matthew 7. He spoke on the scriptures with an unmatched authority. No one compared to him – not the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, or the priesthood.
The people were astonished by Yeshua’s teachings, especially since he came from a carpenter’s home.
Yeshua proved himself to be a wise man who built his house on the rock. His whole goal was to find the children of Israel and bring them back to the Father. Through his offering he repaired their damaged relationship with the God of all gods and allowed everyone else the opportunity to join his family.
Yeshua ends his sermon on the mount with the unspoken question to the people – Will you be a wise man or a foolish man? You choose. Then live with your choice.
Since Yeshua still lives, he still has the same question for us. Will we follow God the Father and His ways, or will we choose to do our own things, follow man’s traditions and become a foolish man?
What do you say? Will you? Why or why not? Share with us in the comments below.
