Digging Deep

There are three words in this passage that characterize a wise individual in the eyes of Jesus (v.47): (1). One who comes to Him. (2). One who hears His words. (3). One who acts upon those words.

A. To come to Jesus as Savior, to hear Him as teacher, and to obey Him as master is an evidence that we have been and are being taught of God.

B. The two builders in our text are representatives of two great classes or conditions of men --- those who live by faith of the Son of God, and those who walk in the light of the sparks of their own kindling.

The wisdom of the Obedient "That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock" (48).

The wise person is like such a man because:

He believed in the Rock- The wise builder had no faith in the sandy earth as a foundation, and because he believed in the rock he would do nothing in the way of building until he found it.

Jesus Christ is the rock ( I Cor. 10:4). He says that "apart from Him, we can do nothing" (John 15:4) Do we believe in the rock?

He spared no trouble to get at the rock: "He dug deeply" (v.48).

These are very suggestive words. A life that is to be pleasing to God by resisting temptation and finally triumphing over all the assaults of the world, the flesh and the devil must not began in a superficial fashion. Its foundation must be deeply laid. Much shifting sand may lie between the seeker and the Savior (pride, prejudice, and false teaching). It isn’t a loss of time for a man to examine himself and his beliefs and to dig deep down through everything until the strong and mighty Christ stands revealed before him.

Every wise builder knows that even dust may hinder the stones from being cemented together; therefore, let nothing come between you and the True foundation.

He built his house upon the foundation after he found it: The wise man was not merely satisfied with finding a good foundation, he sought the rock for the purpose of building upon it. There are far too many in the church who seem perfectly satisfied in that they have found Christ as the Rock of Salvation, but are utterly indifferent as to what they build thereon. They rest on the foundation but they do not build on it.

Peter tells us that we must build upon our foundation of faith: 2 Pet. 1: 5 -7.

He was not disappointed with the results: "A flood arose, the river burst against that se it had been well built" (v 48).

Christianity is no failure. The life that is built on Jesus Christ will be found as stable as the Eternal Throne. 2 Tim. 1: 12.

The foolishness of the disobedient: "But the one who hears and does not act is like a man who built a house on the ground without a foundation" (49).

The foolishness of this man is seen in that:

He disregarded the rock: He no doubt had some faith in the rock, but he imaged that he could get on equally well without it.

This foolish builder is a type of those who have been spoiled through false philosophy and vain deceit. In Jesus' day the scribes and the Pharisees went on with their building, although they had rejected Christ. "the Chief Comer Stone" (1 Peter 2:6). Col. 2:6-8

He commenced building too soon: He began to plant the stones of hope before he had found the Rock of safety.

What a picture of many modern religious builders! They set to the rearing of a strong and beautiful life before they have ever come into contact with the saving strength of Christ the Rock. So anxious are they to please men, that they begin building when they should be digging.

He built without a foundation, "He built a house on the ground without a foundation" (49)

The loose sandy earth beside the rolling river was treacherous ground. This foolish builder felt the need of a house of refuge for his soul, but he did not realize the absolute need of an infallible rock for his house We need salvation, but we need an Almighty Christ to save.

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one that has been laid that foundation is Jesus Christ" ICor. 3:11

His hopes were suddenly cut off. "The river burst against it, immediately it fell, and great was the ruin of that house" (49).

Jesus wants us to understand that earnestness in religious life avails us nothing where the proper foundation is not laid. This man's home did not perish because he was lazy or indifferent to his need of a shelter. He build his house to the best of his ability, but it was his best without the "one thing needful" --- Your good works may be many and beautiful, but if Jesus Christ is not at the foundation of all, "one thing you still lack," and the lack of this "one thing" renders useless and fruitless every other thing. Remember, it's too late to build another house when the flood has come.

"My Hope is Built On Nothing Less"

By Joe Stewart