The Parable of the two builders highlights the absolute necessity of being doers of the Word and not hearers only, by building our lives and ecclesias upon the one solid foundation of the Truth. Within this parable believers are called to examine and strengthen their foundations so that they will be able to withstand the storms of life and ultimately the judgment to come.
The background
We can picture the large crowds following Christ, listening to his teachings, seeing the miracles he performed, asking questions of him, and intently listening to the answers he provided. In those crowds were two types of people, and in Luke 6:46, Christ seizes the opportunity to ask a question to make them ponder their true motives for following him — a question which provides the background to the parable of the two builders. “Why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?” (Luke 6:46). The problem was simple: many of those following Christ addressed him as ‘Lord,’ but they weren’t acting upon the things he was teaching them. They addressed him as their Lord, but did they truly believe it?
Christ now proceeds to relate to them the parable of two builders in which he divides his followers into one of two categories — those who hear his words and act upon them, seen in the man who builds his house on a rock; and those who hear his words but don’t act upon them, seen in the man who builds his house on the sand (or earth). While we may think these two types of followers would be complete opposites, the parable — as presented in Luke’s gospel — instructs us otherwise.
Luke’s account
Comparing Luke’s account of this parable to Matthew’s, a number of differences become apparent — each holding significance for us to consider.
First, Luke’s account places particular emphasis upon the foundation, and draws our attention to how that foundation is obtained:
“He is like a man which built an house, and digged deep, and laid the foundation on a rock…it was founded upon a rock. But he that heareth, and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built an house upon the earth…” Luke 6:48-49
Secondly, Luke does not say that the foolish man built his house on the sand, but rather on the earth — a small change in word, but one with great significance, as we’ll examine in the next article.
Finally, Luke does not say that one of these men was wise and the other foolish — he simply refers to them as two men. This may seem unusual, for the titles “wise” and “foolish” bring to mind a number of Old Testament echoes particularly relevant to these two individuals, thus making their omission even more significant. For what other reason would they be omitted, if not to draw our attention to the similarity between these two men? In fact, only one difference between the men is noted in Luke’s account: one man digs to get to the foundation, while the other man just starts building on the earth beneath his feet, without making any effort to remove the earth to build on a solid foundation (note that in Luke’s account, even the location where the two are building is identical). We thus learn that in order to be a doer of the word, effort is involved, and a solid foundation is required.
Removing the earth
What then is the “earth” which must be removed away? In 1Cor 15:47, Paul describes man’s fleshly, sinful state as, “the first man is of the earth, earthy”. In Col 3:2,5, Paul uses the word again in relating the “earth” to worldly/fleshly things: “set your affection on things above, not on the things on the earth…mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth.” The writer to the Hebrews tells us that the patriarchs of Israel were “strangers and pilgrims on the earth”; and here the word “earth” stands for the physical earth, but again holds the idea of not being people of the earth. The “earth” therefore stands for the things of this world, and a way of thinking and reasoning that is natural to our flesh nature. It’s this mindset which must be removed out of the way: “reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin” (Rom.6:11); “Mortify therefore your members…” (Col. 3:5); “They that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts” (Gal. 5:24).
On a practical level, this means going above and beyond the natural levels of human kindness, as is pointed out in Christ’s discourse leading up to the parable:
“If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? For sinners also do even the same…But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again” (Luke 6:31, 35).
But is simply being a “good Christian” or an exceptionally “good person” all that is required to be a doer of the Word? The parable indicates otherwise. There is still the aspect of finding the rock and building upon it.
Building on the rock
The symbol of the rock and a foundation comes up elsewhere in the New Testament: In Romans 9:33, 1 Corinthians 10:4, and 1 Peter 2:8, the rock is used to symbolize Christ. In 1 Corinthians 3:11 Christ is described as the foundation. In Ephesians 2:20 the foundation of the ecclesia is said to be the apostles and prophets, and Jesus Christ the chief corner stone. In Hebrews 6:1 the “principles of the doctrine of Christ” are described as the foundation. The rock foundation which we must build our lives upon is therefore the first principles of the Truth as taught and practiced by our Lord Jesus Christ.
In other words, a person can be described as a “good Christian”, or as an exceptionally “good person”, but if they do not have a proper understanding of who Christ is and what he taught, their “good works” will get them nowhere. They have not built their house upon the foundation. Part of that teaching involves an acceptance that in our flesh dwells no good thing, that it’s only by God’s grace and mercy we are saved, and that we must be baptized into Christ to be found acceptable before God. Without this understanding, no matter how “good” or “charitable” a person we may be, we cannot have hope of being in God’s Kingdom.
The first principles of our faith are the foundation upon which we build our lives, and the importance of correct doctrine cannot be diminished. When the first century ecclesia was established we are told that they “continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine” (Acts 2:42). In Hebrews we learn, “without faith it is impossible to please Him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe…” (Heb. 11:6). In order to believe in something, of necessity we must understand it. How do we get this understanding? “Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God” (Rom. 10:17). It is ironic that so many “Christians” today claim to believe and have faith in God, and yet never open their Bibles and study their Scriptures! Just as the man had to dig to find the foundation, so must we put in the effort to know our Scriptures and have confidence in what we believe: “It is the glory of God to conceal a thing, but the honour of kings is to search out a matter” (Prov. 25:2).
It is that understanding that must form the basis of our actions. Notice in the parable that both men were building — both had actions; but only the man who’s actions were based on the rock — on a correct understanding — were able to have any lasting benefit. The man who built on the earth built merely for the present, while the man who digged could see by the eye of faith that the storm that was approaching, and built his house accordingly. His actions were in accordance with his convictions, just as Noah’s were in the days when he built the ark.
Through our understanding of the Scriptures, and by the eye of faith, we believe that the Lord Jesus is coming and that “the Kingdoms of this world shall become the Kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever” (Rev. 11:15). Do our actions show to those around us our absolute conviction in this fact? The way we live our lives must of necessity be in accordance with what we believe and understand. “Faith without works is dead” said James (James 2:26); and Christ instructs us to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt.5:16).
The lesson of this parable is that not only must we listen to Christ’s words, but we must put them into practice, that our lives may be an example and testament to all around of what we believe and in what we have our faith.
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One