“But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.”
~ Matthew 7:26
Hi James and Ellen,
Are you building your houses on sand or on a rock? Matthew 7 explains what happens when a guy, gal or kid builds his or her house on sand and when a guy, gal or kid builds his or her house on a rock. This allegory that Jesus gave of building a house on sand or on a rock culminated three chapters of a question and answer time that He had with his disciples in front of or with a large crowd of guys, gals and kids. Jesus was really telling the guys who were asking Him the questions and the guys, gals and kids who were listening to His responses that their lives were like houses. Jesus gave each guy, gal and kid who was listening to Him a choice of where to build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life. If a guy, gal or kid who had been listening to Jesus’ responses decided that he or she did not agree with Jesus, that guy, gal or kid would be building his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on sand. If a guy, gal or kid – who had been listening to Jesus’ responses, decided that he or she agreed with Jesus, that guy, gal or kid would be building his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on a rock.
A couple of years after your grandmaa and grandpaa arrived in Bolivia with your dad and Aunt Lynn, your grandpaa, Raúl Pedraza and Raúl’s nephew Felix Pedraza decided to go fishing in the Yapacaní River. Your grandpaa and your dad had twice fished in the Yapacaní River. Your grandpaa and your dad caught several small catfish and had a couple monster catfish break their lines when they fished in the Yapacaní River. Your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix decided to spend all night fishing in the Yapacaní River. It took your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix about three hours riding in a chicken bus to get from Santa Cruz to the town of Yapacaní. When your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix arrived in the town of Yapacaní, they found a guy who took your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix in his long, narrow, tin roofed boat to a place where three rivers met – with one of the rivers being the Yapacaní River. The place was a spit of sand that was located about a kilometer and a half – over a mile, from the town of Yapacaní. Before the guy left your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix on this spit of sand, the guy explained to Raul and Felix how we could get back to the town of Yapacaní if we decided during the night that we wanted to head back to the town. The plan was for the guy to pick up in his boat your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix early the next morning. After your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix had no luck catching fish, your grandpaa decided to sprawl out on the sand to try to sleep. Sometime around three in the morning, distant thunder woke up your grandpaa. When it became obvious to your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix that the noisy thunderstorm was getting closer and closer to them and because they were between three rivers and that if a lot of rain fell that the rivers could possibly flood and . . . your grandpaa, Raúl and Felix decided to hike back to the town of Yapacaní. Getting across the first river was easy – as the river was only about twenty meters – or about sixty-five feet, wide and shallow. Getting across the second river was a lot harder to do – as it was a whole lot wider – maybe a hundred meters – or over three hundred feet, wide. The water was flowing so fast down this river that small waves were being formed. When Raúl and Felix found the spot where it looked like guys would start to wade through the river, Felix waded out into the river carrying a three meter – or about a ten foot, limb. When Felix got about six meters – or about twenty feet, out into the river, Felix told Raúl that it was okay to go ahead and to follow him. Raúl also carried a long limb as he began to wade through the fast moving water. After Raúl had gotten about six meters out into the river, your grandpaa started out wading through the fast moving water – holding his fishing rods against one shoulder and the bag which your grandpaa had taken food in for himself, Raúl and Felix to eat, slung over his other shoulder. After your grandpaa walked about three meters – or about ten feet, your grandpaa stopped walking. When your grandpaa stopped walking, the force of the fast moving water began pulling the sand out from under your grandpaa’s feet – causing your grandpaa to suddenly go from being about knee deep in the river to being almost waist deep in the river. Your grandpaa understands what verse 26 says, “But anyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.” Because your grandpaa cannot swim, your grandpaa knew that he was in big trouble so . . . Felix came back with his limb and . . .
Your grandpaa can really relate to the illustrations of sand and of a rock that Jesus used to end His question and answer time with the guys, gals and kids who were listening to Him – which left each guy, gal and kid with needing to make a life decision on whether or not he or she will build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on sand or whether or not he or she will build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on a rock. Any guy, gal or kid who decided to build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on sand, has decided to build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on his or her own abilities – which in the end per Jesus is nothing more than like building a house on sand – as sand does not have the stability to keep a house that has been built on it from being swept away by life’s difficulties. Any guy, gal or kid who decided to build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on a rock has decided to build his or her house – his or her house being his or her life, on Jesus – Who used a rock to demonstrate what it is like for a guy, gal or kid to build his or her life on Him. Something that your grandpaa has done is to create a figurative house that has a faith/grace door, a foundation that Jesus helped your grandpaa dig and a ready-made frame that Jesus helped your grandpaa put up.
Matthew 7 (586)