House Built On Rock

At the end of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that whoever hears these words of his and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on rock, and whoever hears but does not do act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

The standard interpretation of this is that Jesus' teachings should be the basis for our life, and if Jesus' teachings aren't the basis of our lives, during times of trial we will find ourselves in dire trouble.

But it seems to me that it is more than that. Obedience to Jesus' words shouldn't just be the foundation upon which we build our lives, they must be the foundation upon which we build our faith. Too often we try to separate faith from discipleship, as if we may believe unto salvation, and then separately decide to obey him. But this kind of faith is precisely what is washed away by life's trials.

Polycarp is a classic example of the house built on rock. Facing martyrdom he says, "Six and eighty years have I served him, and he has done me nothing but good; and how could I curse him, my Lord and Saviour!" Not "six and eighty years have I believed in him" but "six and eighty years have I served him." And through this service, Polycarp knew the Lord.

Does it sound like I'm talking about justification by works? Lutherans might fear so. But it seems to me, that Jesus is not talking about works when he speaks of the one who "hears my words and acts on them", this is the very essence of faith. Faith so-called grounded anywhere else is a house built upon sand.