Counting the cost
The Wise and Foolish Builders
Also called The House on the Rock, The Two Foundations
Two houses, one on rock and one on sand. The same storm hits both.
What it turns on
The storm is not the variable. Both houses get the same weather.
24“Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock.
25The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it didn’t fall, for it was founded on the rock.
26Everyone who hears these words of mine, and doesn’t do them will be like a foolish man, who built his house on the sand.
27The rain came down, the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat on that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
World English Bible, public domain. Read the whole chapter →
Told again in another gospel
The same parable, recorded differently. The differences are worth reading, not smoothing over.
Luke 6:47-49Read it
47Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like.
48He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock.
49But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
More on counting the cost
Counting the CostA man builds a tower without pricing it out. A king marches to war outnumbered.The Barren Fig TreeAn owner wants to cut down a tree that has not fruited in three years. The gardener asks for one more year.New Wine in Old WineskinsYou do not patch old cloth with new, or pour new wine into brittle old skins.The Unworthy ServantsA servant who has done his work does not expect to be thanked for doing his work.