Matthew 7:24-27

Matthew 7:24-27

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

What does Matthew 7:24-27 Mean?

Contextual Meaning

Matthew 7:21-23 contrast those who say one thing but do another. Matthew 7:24-27 contrast hearing and doing (cf James 1:22-25; James 2:14-20). [1] The will of Jesus" Father ( Matthew 7:21) now becomes "these words of mine" ( Matthew 7:24). As throughout this section ( Matthew 7:13-27), Jesus was looking at a life in its entirety.
"The two ways illustrate the start of the life of faith; the two trees illustrate the growth and results of the life of faith here and now; and the two houses illustrate the end of this life of faith, when God shall call everything to judgment." [2]
Each house in Jesus" illustration looks secure. However severe testing reveals the true quality of the builders" work (cf. Matthew 13:21; Proverbs 10:25; Proverbs 12:7; Proverbs 14:11; Isaiah 28:16-17). Torrential downpours were and are common in Israel. Wise men build to withstand anything. The wise person is a theme in Matthew (cf. Matthew 10:16; Matthew 24:45; Matthew 25:2; Matthew 25:4; Matthew 25:8-9). The wise person is one who puts Jesus" words into practice. Thus the final reckoning will expose the true convictions of the pseudo-disciple.
Jesus later compared Himself to foundation rock ( Matthew 16:18; cf. Isaiah 28:16; 1 Corinthians 3:11; 1 Peter 2:6-8). That idea was probably implicit here.
Matthew 7:16-20 have led some people to judge the reality of a person"s salvation from his or her works. All that Jesus said before ( Matthew 7:1-5) and following those verses should discourage us from doing this. False prophets eventually give evidence that they are not faithful prophets. However, it is impossible for onlookers to determine the salvation of professing believers ( Matthew 7:21-23) and those who simply receive the gospel without making any public response to it ( Matthew 7:24-27). Their real condition will only become clear when Jesus judges them. He is their Judges , and we must leave their judgment in His hands ( Matthew 7:1).
Jesus" point in this section ( Matthew 7:13-27) was that entrance into the kingdom and discipleship as a follower of the King are unpopular, and they involve persecution. Many more people will profess to be disciples than really are. The acid test is obedience to the revealed will of God.
"So the sermon ends with a challenge not to ignore responding to Jesus and his teaching. Jesus is a figure who is not placing his teaching forward because it is a recommended way of life. He represents far more than that. His teaching is a call to an allegiance that means the difference between life and death, between blessing and woe. Jesus is more than a prophet." [3]