My interpretation of Matthew 7:24-27

““In Calvin's theological system the Bible was the primary and indisputable source and authority.”1 Like Calvin I rely on what the scriptures say first and foremost. I certainly believe that there is something to be said for outside sources. I also lean heavily on the many bright scholars before me. If it is not in the bible though, or at least alluded to in the bible, I find a hard time believing it. There are many good arguments on this parable for believing that it say numerous things. The last thing I want to do is limit Jesus and what he was saying. So rather me say what the whole point of the parable is, I am simply going to state what I think Jesus main point was.
In Isaiah chapter twenty eight, we see scripture alluding to a house falling because it was not built right. This house falls because he had not listened to what God had told them. In Isaiah it is without fail that many theologians wee say that Isaiah is not talking about a literal house, or a particular person, but rather he is talking about the house of Israel. The point to the Sermon on the Mount is not about morality. Though it does contain that, it is more about being counter cultural. The message was about Jesus ushering in his kingdom. The kingdom of God that was promised in the Old Testament. Israel had been told before that it's house was going to fall, and here they are being told again. I think the whole sermon on the mount is presented with eschatological thoughts in mind. Since this is the case I have no doubt that ends the sermon with that in mind. This parable is all about Jesus and the counter cultural movement that he needs Israel to set it mind too. He has already called them to repent and believe earlier in his ministry. Also John the Baptist had been preaching 'Repent and believe for the kingdom of God is near. In the Greek language the word for repent is metanoeo which means to ,change your mind. Jesus and John were calling on Israel to change its mind, to turn and head on a new coarse, and to forget what they had been doing but look towards the kingdom to come.
This parable is not the first or the last time Jesus or the New testament writers wrote about keeping Jesus' commandments. (1 Corinthians 7:19, Hebrews 5:9, John 15: 13-14, 1 John 2:3-4) It is this parable though that he likens something serious to not following his commandments. Most scholars will agree that this parable is about obeying Jesus commandments or not obeying them. The disagreement usually comes on who this is too. I am going to set up my camp, in that this is directed to the true Israel. I believe that Jesus is writing here telling his listeners that houses that are built on something other then what is now being preached through him are destined to fall. These houses I liken to every aspect of true Israel's life. That means their individual lives, their nation, and even their temple. I believe that the first century Jew would of heard this parable and many of them would of began talking about the temple. I think this might be one of the first things that Jesus wanted them to think about. He very much likened the New temple to being built on solid rock when he was discussing this subject later on with his disciples.
First off on dealing with their lives. I believe that throughout the Sermon on the Mount we see clear instruction for the individual believer. It is now put upon the believer to believe and to repent. A believer that chooses to build his house upon the rock will survive the coming eschatological judgment. The question then becomes; what was Jesus saying? While we do not have the space to go into specifics here, we can take the jest. Jesus was out lining what the kingdom was going to look like. This is different then what they had heard before. It is not only the strong and rich that will survive, but the poor and weak are going to thrive in the Kingdom of God. They had been giving rules before, but in the new kingdom they were to be asked to take those rules even further. It was no longer murder if you killed someone, but also if you hated them. The kingdom was by no means easier, but it was expanded upon what the listener had previously known. The kingdom begin to put people above laws, and first and for most put the love of God above everything. As we saw constantly in Jesus ministry, people and love, came above any written law. When Jesus ask the believer to build on what he has said, I believe he also means what he will say. When we look at Jesus life, he lives out the sermon. He becomes a chining example of what it means to live in the Kingdom of God. “The message of Jesus thus becomes the occasion for making a choice between two kinds of life and between two kinds of houses that we can build and occupy. The two houses under discussion in these verses point to two ways of living, for in both the Scriptures and in psychoanalytical theory, the houses we dream about and construct are to be identified with ourselves.”2 The listener has a choice to make. There are only two options given and is these two options there is a right and a wrong. Unfortunately it does not appear that the one who builds his house on the sand gets a second chance after the storm comes. You also see that Jesus doesn't force the listener to choose one way or another, but just gives the reasons for. It is up to the listener to choose which foundation.
Not only does the parable include the individual, but it also includes the nation of Israel and the temple. I include them both here because I think they are very much intertwined. Before Jesus the nation of Israel consisted of the Jews. The temple was where God came down and interacted with the Jewish nation. Jesus came back and redefined what the nation of Israel was, and where the temple was located. The two most likely meanings of the word Israel is God struggles or God rules. Israel has been and still is attributed to the nation of Israel. When Jesus cam back though he redefined who the true Israel was. It was anybody who built their house on the rock. It was no longer just the Jewish race but all of God's believers. The true Israel has been commanded to live as members as the Kingdom of God. To do otherwise was to succumb the the future eschatological judgment. Jesus also moved the temple from a physical structure into the lives of the believers. The new church is not the true Israel. You find the temple now located among believers. He now comes in and dwells within the believer. God's house and temple now belongs in the heart of the believer. This, like mentioned, goes back to the individual. Make no mistake about it though, the church is more then an individual, it is made up of the community of believers.