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.” 28 When Jesus finished these words, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount with a serious warning and a clear invitation. Calling him “Lord” is true and good, but words alone do not make a person his disciple. The one who enters the kingdom of heaven is the one who does the will of the Father (v. 21).
Jesus speaks of “that day,” the day of judgment (v. 22). Some will point to impressive religious works: prophecy, exorcism, and mighty deeds done in his name. These can be real gifts from God, but they are not the same as holiness. A person may appear religious and still fail to live in obedience, love, and justice. Jesus looks deeper than outward signs. He looks for a life that belongs to the Father’s will.
The words “I never knew you” are severe (v. 23). In Scripture, to be known by the Lord means more than being noticed. It means living in communion with him. Jesus rejects those who use his name while living as “evildoers,” or workers of lawlessness. Their outward claims are contradicted by the life they chose.
Jesus then gives the image of two builders. The wise man hears Jesus’ words and acts on them. His house stands because it is built on rock (vv. 24-25). The foolish man also hears, but he does not act. His house falls because it is built on sand (vv. 26-27). The difference is not whether each man heard the words of Jesus. Both heard. The difference is whether the words of Jesus became the foundation of life.
The storm in the parable shows that every life will be tested. In the land where Jesus taught, sudden rains and floods could wash away a weak foundation. In the same way, trials, temptations, and judgment reveal what a person has built upon. A life built on Christ’s teaching can endure because it rests on the rock of obedience to him.
This passage also completes the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus has taught his disciples how to live as children of the Father. He now makes clear that his teaching is meant to be practiced. The Christian life is not only hearing, admiring, or speaking religious words. It is receiving the words of Jesus and allowing them to shape daily conduct.
The crowds are astonished because Jesus teaches with authority (vv. 28-29). The scribes handed on received interpretations, but Jesus speaks with his own authority. He does not merely explain the way of life. He is the Lord who calls people to follow it.
Lord Jesus, help us to hear your words with faith and to act on them each day. Build our lives on the rock of your teaching, and keep us faithful to the will of the Father. Amen.
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Sources and References
- The New American Bible, Revised Edition. Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011. Matthew 7:21-29 and notes on Matthew 7:21, 7:23, 7:24, 7:28, and 7:29.
- Hahn, Scott, and Curtis Mitch. The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010. Pages 19-20, notes on Matthew 7:22, 7:24, and 7:29.
- Casciaro, José María, gen. ed. The Navarre Bible: New Testament, Expanded Edition. Dublin: Four Courts Press; New York: Scepter Publishers, 2008. Pages 70-71, notes on Matthew 7:13-27 and 7:28-29.
- Brown, Raymond E., Joseph A. Fitzmyer, and Roland E. Murphy, eds. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice Hall, 1990. Page 647, paragraphs 50-51.
- Aguilar Chiu, José Enrique, Richard J. Clifford, Carol J. Dempsey, Eileen M. Schuller, Thomas D. Stegman, and Ronald D. Witherup, eds. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. New York: Paulist Press, 2018. Page 924.
- Collins, John J., Gina Hens-Piazza, Barbara Reid OP, and Donald Senior CP, eds. The Jerome Biblical Commentary for the Twenty-First Century. Third Fully Revised Edition, with a Foreword by Pope Francis. London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2022. Page 1186.
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