Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name? Did we not drive out demons in your name? Did we not do mighty deeds in your name?’ 23 Then I will declare to them solemnly, ‘I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers.’
24 “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock. 25 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. But it did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock. 26 And everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them will be like a fool who built his house on sand. 27 The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house. And it collapsed and was completely ruined.”
Jesus is bringing the Sermon on the Mount to a close. He has been teaching what life looks like under God’s reign: trust in the Father, mercy, purity of heart, forgiveness, and love that goes beyond external rules. Now he says clearly that entering the kingdom of heaven is not about words or appearances, but about listening to him and doing the will of his Father.
Jesus first warns that “not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven” (v. 21). The kingdom of heaven is the new life that begins when we accept God’s reign over us through Jesus—so that we can be forgiven, healed, and drawn into a real relationship with him, both now and in its fullness at the end of time. To call Jesus “Lord” is to acknowledge his authority. But Jesus teaches that this is not enough by itself. Entry into the kingdom belongs “only [to] the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.” This matches the Old Testament call for us to love God with our whole heart and to let his commandments shape what we say and do in everyday life, not just what we say with our lips (cf. Dt. 6:4-6).
Jesus then looks ahead to “that day” (v. 22), a phrase pointing to the final judgment. Many will appeal to impressive religious works done “in your name”: prophesying, casting out demons, and performing mighty deeds. These are real signs of divine power, and Matthew’s Gospel shows that the name of Jesus carries authority over evil spirits and sickness. Yet here the emphasis falls on something deeper. Even powerful works “in your name” do not guarantee a right relationship with Jesus if the person’s life does not truly follow the will of the Father.
In response, Jesus says he will declare, “I never knew you. Depart from me, you evildoers” (v. 23). In Scripture, “knowing” often means more than having information about someone; it refers to a real relationship—a shared life of covenant and fidelity. When Jesus says, “I never knew you,” he reveals that behind the outward religious activity there was no genuine communion with him. The expression “you evildoers” points to those who practice lawlessness, who ignore God’s way even while appearing religious. The early Church understood this as a serious warning: baptism, preaching, or spiritual gifts must be joined to obedience and love if they are to lead into the kingdom (cf. 1 Cor. 13:1-3).
To make his point clearer, Jesus gives a parable. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them” is like a wise man who built his house on rock (v. 24). In the Old Testament, God is often called a rock, a secure refuge for his people (cf. Ps. 18:2). Here, the solid foundation is the life of a disciple who not only listens but puts Jesus’ teaching into practice. The “house” represents the whole of a person’s life. Building on rock means letting Jesus’ words shape decisions, desires, and habits: trusting the Father, forgiving enemies, seeking purity of heart, and placing God’s will above self-interest.
Jesus does not pretend that life will be free of trouble. “The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house” (v. 25). Storms here point to the trials and pressures of this life and, in a deeper sense, to the testing of each life before God. Yet the house “did not collapse; it had been set solidly on rock.” The strength does not come from the house itself, but from what it rests on. A life that listens to Jesus and acts on his words shares in the stability of God’s own faithfulness. The storms reveal, rather than destroy, the foundation.
Jesus then describes the opposite case. “Everyone who listens to these words of mine but does not act on them” is like a fool who built his house on sand (v. 26). This person also hears Jesus; the problem is not lack of exposure to his teaching. The problem is hearing Jesus’ words but then refusing to let them shape real decisions—choosing not to forgive a hurt, being dishonest in business, holding on to resentment, or ignoring his call to turn away from sin. Sand is unstable. It may seem easy to build on, but it shifts as soon as pressure comes. A life that admires Jesus’ words without following them rests on whatever seems convenient or attractive for us in the moment, not on the steady will of the Father.
When the same storm comes—“the rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and buffeted the house”—the result is very different: “And it collapsed and was completely ruined” (v. 27). The conditions are identical; the foundations are not. Jesus is not describing two different climates, but two different ways of responding to him. God sends his word to us through Jesus as a gift meant to give life. When that word is received with faith and obedience, it becomes a foundation as firm as rock. When it is heard but not lived, the person remains unanchored and exposed when testing comes.
Lord Jesus, help us not only to call you “Lord,” but to listen to your words and do the will of your Father, so that our lives may rest on you as a sure foundation. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The Holy Bible, New American Bible, Revised Edition (2011).
- Bernard Orchard et al., A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture (1953).
- Faculty of the University of Navarre, The Navarre Bible: Matthew (Four Courts/Scepter).
- José Enrique Aguilar Chiu et al., eds., The Paulist Biblical Commentary (2018).
- Raymond E. Brown et al., The New Jerome Biblical Commentary (1990).
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