Matthew 7:25 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock.

NIV: The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.

NASB: And the rain fell and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.

CSB: The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn’t collapse, because its foundation was on the rock.

NLT: Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won’t collapse because it is built on bedrock.

KJV: 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.

NKJV: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock.

Certain false teachers try to convince Christians that faith in Jesus always results in prosperity, ease, and freedom from disease or harm. This is not only false, it's a blatant lie. Jesus Himself warned His followers of exactly the opposite: that the path to life was a difficult one entered through a narrow gate (Matthew 7:14; John 6:33). Now He describes difficulty facing every human life, using the picture of a great storm. The rain will fall. The floods will rise. The wind will strike.

Christ does not promise that there will be no storms. What He does promise is that those who trust in Him will survive that storm. He is using the word picture of building a house. This "house" is a person's spiritual strength, their beliefs, and the life they construct as a result. Those who live by His teaching will be like a man who has built a house on a foundation of rock. The rain fell, the floods came, the wind beat on the house. The house stood through it all because the foundation was sound.

The same storm will come against those who do not trust in Christ and follow His teaching. The following verses show the result for their "houses."

Matthew 7:24–27 contains Jesus' famous illustration contrasting two foundations for life. One is lived according to His teaching, the other is not. Foundations matter, both in construction and in the way a person views the world. Those who follow Jesus' teaching are like a wise man who built a house on a rock. Those who ignore Him are like a foolish man who built a house on sand. One will survive the violent storm. The other will fall hard. The same is true of those who face the storms of life.

Matthew 7 is the last of three chapters that record what is now known as the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus commands His hearers not to pronounce shallow or hypocritical judgment. He describes God as a generous Father eager to give good things to His children when they ask. He commands His followers to enter the narrow gate and walk the hard road to life. False prophets can be recognized by their fruit, meaning their actions and choices. At the same time, good deeds are not absolute proof that someone has true faith. To live by Jesus' teaching is like building the house of your life on a solid foundation instead of shifting sand.

Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount in chapter 5, discussing the Beatitudes and the idea that inner thoughts are very much part of sin and righteousness. Chapter 6 denounced hypocrisy, modeled prayer, and opposed anxiety. Chapter 7 discusses the proper manner of judgment, including how to gauge the teachings of others. Jesus also warns against spiritual self-deception. He concludes with an analogy about foundations and storms. The crowd's amazement at Christ's teachings leads into the miracles and encounters of chapters 8 and 9.

The Gospel of Matthew clearly shows the influence of its writer's background, and his effort to reach a specific audience. Matthew was one of Jesus' twelve disciples, a Jewish man, and a former tax collector. This profession would have required literacy, and Matthew may have transcribed some of Jesus' words as they were spoken. This book is filled with references to the Old Testament, demonstrating to Israel that Jesus is the Promised One. Matthew also includes many references to coins, likely due to his former profession. Matthew records extensive accounts of Jesus' teaching, more than the other three Gospels.