Charles Ellicott Commentary Matthew 7:24

"Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock:" — Matthew 7:24 (ASV)

Whosoever—The Greek is more emphatically universal, every one whosoever.

These sayings of mine—The reference to the preceding text suggests that we have a continuous discourse in these chapters, not a compilation of fragments. Assuming the Sermon on the Plain was different from the Sermon on the Mount, the recurrence of the same image there makes it probable that this or a similar parable was a common conclusion to our Lord’s discourses.

I will liken him to a wise man—The surrounding scenery may have suggested the illustration in this case, as in others. In all hilly countries, the streams of Galilee rush down the torrent beds during the winter and early spring, sweeping all before them, overflowing their banks, and leaving beds of alluvial deposit on either side. When summer comes, their waters fail (Job 6:15), and what had seemed a fine river becomes a tract covered with the debris of stones and sand.

A stranger coming to build might be attracted by the ready-made, level surface of the sand. It would be easier to build there instead of working on the hard and rugged rock. But the local people would know and mock the folly of such a builder, and he would become a cautionary tale (our Lord’s words may possibly refer to something that had actually occurred). On such a house, the winter torrent would sweep down in its fury, the storms would rage, and then the beautiful structure, on which time and money had been spent, would collapse into a heap of ruins.

Interpreting the parable in the context our Lord has placed it, it is clear that the house represents the general structure of an outwardly religious life. The “rock” can be nothing other than the firm foundation of repentance and obedience—the assent of the will and affections, not just the lips. The “sand” corresponds to the shifting, uncertain feelings that for some people (the “foolish” ones of the parable) are the only basis on which they act, such as the love of praise or respect for custom.

The “wind,” the “rain,” and the “floods” do not easily permit individual interpretation without forced specificity. Instead, they collectively represent the violence of persecution, suffering, and temptations from without, under which any life not resting on the true foundation will inevitably collapse.

This is obviously the primary meaning of the parable here. However, like most parables, it has other meanings that, while secondary, are still suggestive, instructive, and supported by the analogy of our Lord’s teaching.

1. Already He had given to one of His disciples the name of Cephas, Peter, the Rock, and in doing so had at least indicated the type of character represented by the “rock” on which the wise man built. When He later said, Upon this rock I will build my Church, He was speaking as a wise master builder who saw that the foundation for the Christian society, which He designated as His kingdom, was to rest on fervent faith and unhesitating obedience.
2. Personal experience and the teaching of the Spirit led people to realize that there must be an even deeper foundation—a rock beneath the rock of obedience and holiness. They found that Rock and that Foundation in Christ Himself (1 Corinthians 3:10–11). Only in personal union with Him could they find the stability of will, without which even their firmest purposes would be like shifting sand.