The Lord Jesus taught the people numbers of lessons about Himself, or His Heavenly Father, or about the Kingdom of Heaven, by drawing word-pictures: and we can learn the deepest truths that concern ourselves by reading them and thinking about them.
One of these that I am very fond of is a picture of two builders, and what became of the results of their building.
The first man was a wise man. He looked about him to find a sure and suitable foundation, and he built his house on a firm rock.
By and by bad weather came, and the rain poured down and the floods came and beat upon the house, but it stood firm, for it was founded upon a rock.
Our Lord Himself not only gives us the picture, but He gives us the explanation of this story first of all.
He says: "Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
"And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it."
Here were two men: they had heard that it was a wise thing to have a house to live in, and they both decided that they would begin at once to build.
The wise man thought it all over, and considered what ground would be suitable, what foundation would outlive the storms, and he decided it must be upon a rock, which stood high above the rivers, and was strong and enduring.
But the other man was careless. There was, perhaps, a pleasant spot nearer to him. The materials with which to build were easily carried to that spot, the sunshine flooded the landscape, and all looked fair and beautiful. So he hastened to build upon the sandy foundation, and soon his house was finished and he took possession.