Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 7:24-25

"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: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock." — Matthew 7:24-25 (ASV)

Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 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.

He was a good man, and a practical man; yet he was also a tried man. His house was built on the rock, but that did not prevent the rain descending, and the floods coming, and the winds blowing. The highest type of godliness will not save you from troubles and trials; it will, in some measure, even necessitate them. But, blessed be God, here lies the gem of the parable or narrative: It fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. It could stand the strain and endure the test, for it had a good foundation.

We are to hear our Lord, and by this, it is, of course, intended that we accept what He says as authoritative. This is more than some do today, for they sit in judgment upon the teachings of the Lord. But hearing is not enough; we must act on these sayings. There must be practical godliness, or nothing is right within us.

The hearer who acts has built a house with a stable foundation—the wisest and safest, but the most expensive and laborious thing to do. Trials come to him. His sincerity and truthfulness do not prevent his being tested. From above, and from beneath, and from all sides, the trials come: rain, floods, and wind. No barrier shields it. All these “beat upon the house.” It is a substantial structure, but the tests become so severe that nothing can save the building unless it is the strength of its foundation.

Because the chief support is so immovable, the entire structure survives. “It fell not.” It may have suffered damage here and there, and it may have looked very weather-beaten, but “it fell not.” Let the Rock of Ages be praised if, after terrible tribulation, it can be said of our faith, “It fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.”