The Two Builders

Did you Know? 

• Jesus told this story to all His friends and followers.
• This story was part of a long talk Jesus gave on a mountain.
• Jesus’ pictures about the rain and winds are about the Day of Judgment.
• On Judgment Day, God will separate those who have done good from those who have done bad.

The Meaning of the Story

Jesus told a story about two houses. On the outside, they look the same. They may both be made of bricks. They may both have three rooms. The difference is the foundation. One house stands on a rock, and the other house stands on sand.

One day a terrible storm comes. After the storm is over, only one house is still standing.

Jesus told this story to help us know who is in God’s kingdom. The house that is standing is ‘anyone who hears and obeys these teachings of mine.’ These are people like Levi, who was humble and confessed their sins. These are people who love God and love other people.

The other house is a picture of people who heard Jesus’ teaching but did not obey Him. These are people like the Pharisees who look down on others and do not love them.

In this story, Jesus is challenging us. Have we heard and obeyed the words of Jesus?

Who is Jesus?

Life on earth is short. But there is life after death. Jesus taught us that we could live forever with God in heaven. There we will always be very happy. Or, we can spend those years away from God. There we will always be very sad. It all depends on one thing. Did we hear and obey the words of Jesus? There is nothing more important than knowing and obeying Jesus’ words.

Thinking about the Story 

1. What makes a person wise?
2. What makes a person foolish?
3. What is the storm in the story?
4. Why is Jesus’ teaching so important?
5. Which house are you?