Wise and Foolish Builders- Sermon on the Mount summary

I just reread Matthew 5-7, and the parable at the end struck me differently this time. 

Matthew 7:24-27

“'Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 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. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.'"

I wrote not that long ago of a structure of belief, and how this acts like the soul's house. I wrote of how there is a blessing to tests because there is the certainty of a storm. Avoiding tests- not presenting your beliefs for scrutiny against your source book or against others with different beliefs either in the same "religion" as you or not (each scenario with its own benefits)- is not an approach that will build a strong house. There are relatively low stakes when debating one's faith, when compared to the storm. Certainly one's faith might be shaken, but if one's faith becomes damaged by new evidence, one knows where to repair it, and how to reinforce the walls, after consideration and prayer. Not examining one's faith, this structure, does not make it fundamentally any more secure, although on the surface it may seem like it does. The weaknesses would still remain despite being unwilling to see them, and the storm will still come. I feel like if we knew with certainty that this storm was coming, a storm that surpasses any other trials we might face in this life, we would all be diligent in testing our beliefs in advance of it, and reinforcing the structure as best we could, in full honesty with ourselves. As is, it feels like not everyone is honest with themselves regarding their beliefs, and I have noticed that this false confidence, disallowing any consideration, is mistaken for structural integrity. 

Jesus focuses on the foundation in this parable, which is more critical than the structure of the walls. At least if the walls are blown away in the storm, you will still be standing on solid stone, buffeted by the wind and rain to be sure, but not swept away by the waters with the stand. But even in Jesus' message, it is possible for the wise to remain comfortably indoors through the storm. This means that while the storm I am referencing is the ultimate test, it can be withstood in full. It is not required that, if you are to live through the storm, that you will be standing homeless on a stone the next morning; if the structure of your beliefs is strong enough you will come through the storm unscathed. 

Sometimes it feels like Christians mistake salvation for spiritual immunity, which is to say that if one believes in Jesus then nothing else they believe matters. I have seen such a mindset used as justification for all manner of hate. While I believe Jesus will save those that put their faith in him, it seems that, along the lines of this parable, they may find that they are alive, but their home has been destroyed. While the aftermath will likely be blessed anyway in the rebuilding process, and one will be saved nonetheless because you set your foundation firmly, for the duration of the storm the consequences will likely be devastating and terrifying, because the walls of your home were not carefully crafted or diligently reinforced.

The nature of this storm is not entirely clear to me. Also, it feels like the specifics of it (magnitude, duration, specific experience) will likely differ from person to person. What is clear though is that Jesus says the wise builder can come through it with their home intact. This is really heartening, because at one time I was concerned there would come a time when everything was necessarily stripped away, a storm that could not be withstood with anything besides oneself intact, if one is to make it into heaven (referencing here what I inferred from the camel and eye of the needle- a process of stripping one of their possessions in order to prevent smuggling at night). It could be this is also the case at some point, but that the timing of said point and the storm itself differs for each as well; some may experience the storm after this stripping, as we will ultimately find that we are already in the midst of the kingdom of God, just unaware on when precisely this arrival occurred. Perhaps this is a continuation of the process of testings one's beliefs in advance, stripping away one's own possessions in advance of when the storm otherwise would have, perhaps that is a function of what is meant by the "wise builder" here. My particular road has been hard but, in honest reflection, I am unsure if my road could have been easier and still led to a similar place, as I gained a lot of humility, empathy, and faith on the path I took that may have been impossible to gain otherwise. Regarding the parable, I am certainly adding a distinction to what was specifically said by Jesus about the foundation regarding the building materials, but given that this is the parable of a house in a storm, that distinction feels not only valid but an intended leap the reader is meant to take when they ponder such questions as "would a house of straw built on stone still survive the storm?" Personally my takeaway here is "take heart, the storm can be survived in peace and comfort" and to continue the process of constantly testing aspects of my faith now, not ignoring any apparent inconsistencies, before the storm arrives.

As a side note in this section, I am really curious to know what Matthew 7:6 means

“Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces."

This does not feel related to not judging others, in fact it feels completely out of place and it is a difficult analogy to precisely link to anything (although I have heard many popular opinions on how it might be interpreted). Perhaps it is put in just before "Ask and it will be given to you" precisely so that one will ask about it? I dunno, this is me asking about it, anyway.