24-25. Therefore whosoever heareth these
sayings of Mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, who built
his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the
winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon
a rock. No virtue can be accomplished without God, which is why Jesus said,
"I will liken him unto a wise man." The rock is Christ and the house
is the soul. Therefore nothing will shake the man who builds his soul upon the
doing of Christ's commandments. Neither the rain, which is the devil who fell
from heaven, nor the rivers, which are mean and harmful men filled to
overflowing by such a rain, nor the winds, which are evil spirits, nor, in
short, can any temptations cast down such a man.
26-27. And every one that heareth these sayings
of Mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his
house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds
blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.
Speaking of the man who believes but does not act, Jesus did not say, "I
will liken him to a foolish man." Instead Jesus says, "He shall he
likened" on his own account to a foolish man. Such a man builds the house
of his soul upon sand, that is, with no deeds to provide a stable foundation.
This is why it collapses under the blows of temptations. For when temptation
beats upon it, it falls with a crash. Unbelievers do not fall, for they are
always lying on the ground. It is the believer who falls. Therefore "great
was the fall," because it was a Christian who fell.
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