A Wise Man DOES What Jesus Says
(Jesus’ words from Matthew 7:24-27 KJV) J HEPP
A Wise Man A Foolish Man
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, 26 And every one that heareth these sayings of mine,
and doeth them, and doeth them not,
I will liken him unto a wise man, shall be likened unto a foolish man,
which built his house upon a rock: which built his house upon the sand:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, 27 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew,
and beat upon that house; and beat upon that house;
and it fell not: and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
for it was founded upon a rock.

Thus Jesus ends His “Sermon on the Mount” by describing two kinds (wise and foolish) who hear Him. Each builds his house, which the storm attacks; but only the wise man’s house sur-vives. What distinguishes him as wise? Jesus does not point to the man’s faith but to his works. He does what he hears; the foolish man does not. (“Doeth them” cannot mean just faith, as some suppose from John 6:27-29.) The following is from my “Keys” to this sermon:
The conclusion to the sermon makes use of three principal contrasts: two gates (opening to two roads), two trees (bearing two kinds of fruit), and two houses (built on two founda-tions). These illustrate the Lord’s exhortations, especially for the crowds, to find the nar-row way to life (that is, to the kingdom), not to follow false teachers (nor depend on false profession), but to build strong lives by obeying His teachings. Hearing His teachings is not enough; only by obeying can one withstand the storms of life (7:24–25).

This does not mean that our works save us. “God credits righteousness apart from works” (Rom. 4:6). We must come to Jesus not good but repentant: “poor in spirit,” those who “mourn” (Matt. 5:3-4). Yet, saving faith seeks more than pardon; we “hunger and thirst for righteousness” and “will be filled” with it (5:6). God certainly sanctifies every believer: “without holiness no one will see the Lord” (Heb. 12:14). Every real disciple is learning “to obey everything I have com-manded you” (Matt. 28:18-20). In every case good works result and “every person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone” (James 2:24). So don’t miss the Lord’s emphasis:
• Matthew 5:19-20: “Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments…will be called least in the kingdom…but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great.…For…unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees…you will certainly not enter the kingdom.…”
• Matthew 7:17-19: “every good tree bears good fruit”
• Matthew 7:21-23: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom …but only he who does the will of my Father.…on that day…I will tell them…Away from me, you evildoers!”