That is certainly an impressive sandcastle, isn’t it? It actually won an award. I wonder how long it took to make? There is one problem with it. It’s not going to last. Eventually there will be a king tide or a serious storm and all that hard work will be gone in seconds. That’s OK, I guess. There are things in life that aren’t meant to last. Like ice cream, rainbows … and sandcastles built on the beach.
However, there are things in life that you wish would last. Like real love, true beauty … and let’s face it, you yourself. You want to be able to stand against the tides and the waves and the storms that you know will come. Jesus illustrated this with this story,
Matthew 7:24–27 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.”
I know that some of you understand exactly what Jesus said, because you have had your house destroyed by storm or flood. Many of us haven’t.
Jesus didn’t really live on the seashore. The Sea of Galilee is a lake, and not subject to tides like the ocean. But I kind of think if Jesus had grown up in Australia, near the sea; if Jesus had built sandcastles, perhaps His illustration would have been about sandcastles instead.
How many people in this world spend their lives building things that will not last? Things like big houses, big cars, businesses, reputations, image? But Jesus tells us to build on the rock – the things that will last forever. That’s why He tells us to listen to His words and put them into practice.
Jesus is that rock. The gospel is His word to us about what He has done to make sure that we, and all those things that are truly good in our lives, will last forever with Him in joy and peace. It tells us how by putting faith to work that can be a reality in our lives.
Some sandcastles are very impressive – but what Jesus has built for you is even more impressive. Don’t listen to the weekend sandcastle builders; their work will fade away. But the work of the Lord stands forever.