Foundations

“Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: 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.
  
 “But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand:  and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it fell. And great was its fall.”

And so it was, when Jesus had ended these sayings, that the people were astonished at His teaching,  for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes. (Matthew 7:24-29)

Obvious fact about building houses: you can't build the foundation last. Now, I'm neither an architect nor a contractor, but it does seem obvious to me that, before one sets about building a structure, the first thing he wants to do is make sure the land upon which he is building won't be washed out from beneath it. 

Matthew 7 presents the conclusion of Jesus' sermon on the mount. He begins the message in Chapter 5, with the beatitudes, discusses the condition of the heart, and tells us how to relate to God. He explains God's love for us, and reminds us to share that love with one another. He shows us that there will be those who claim to know Him, but reminds us that those who truly know Him will be those who reflect the reality presented during the sermon itself. It is then, after all that, He says, "Therefore, whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, is like a wise man who built his house upon rock." 

Often, we have this idea that what Jesus preaches in Matthew 5-7 is somehow the end game; that these things are the ideal for which we strive. But in fact, these things are foundational to a right relationship with God. Nobody builds a house first and then sees to the ground on which it is built. Well, nobody wise, anyway. 

In the same way, our relationship with God and others isn't merely an outcome of Christianity. It is the foundation on which it is built.

Have you read the Sermon on the Mount lately? Have you compared your foundation to the one prescribed there? If not, let me encourage you: it's not too late to rebuild.