“Why
do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Luke 6:46-49
Luke 6 [39.] He spoke a parable to them. “Can the blind guide the blind? Won’t they both fall into a pit? A disciple is not above his teacher, but everyone when he is fully trained will be like his teacher. Why do you see the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye, but don’t consider the beam that is in your own eye? Or how can you tell your brother, ‘Brother, let me remove the speck of chaff that is in your eye,’ when you yourself don’t see the beam that is in your own eye? You hypocrite! First remove the beam from your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck of chaff that is in your brother’s eye. For there is no good tree that produces rotten fruit; nor again a rotten tree that produces good fruit. For each tree is known by its own fruit. For people don’t gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings out that which is good, and the evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings out that which is evil, for out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks.
Luke 6 [46.] “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do the things which I say? Everyone who comes to me, and hears my words, and does them, I will show you who he is like. He is like a man building a house, who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock. When a flood arose, the stream broke against that house, and could not shake it, because it was founded on the rock. But he who hears, and doesn’t do, is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream broke, and immediately it fell, and the ruin of that house was great.”
Meaning:
These are the closing words of the Sermon on the Plain. Jesus has spoken of blessing and woe, love for enemies, mercy, humility and the fruit of a good heart. Now he asks his hearers what they will do with all they have heard, and he ends with a picture of two houses and a flood.
- “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord’”
“Lord” was a title of respect, and in the Greek Scriptures it was the word used for God himself. Repeating it, “Lord, Lord”, shows warmth and eagerness. Yet Jesus asks why people would call him Lord and not do what he says. To call someone Lord is to promise obedience. Words without obedience are empty. Matthew records a stronger form of the warning: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven; but he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 7:21).
- “Comes to me, and hears my words, and does them”
Jesus describes three steps of discipleship. First, coming to him. Second, hearing his words. Third, doing them. Many people come and listen; the difference lies in the third step. James puts it simply: “But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves” (James 1:22). Later in Luke, Jesus says that his true family are “these who hear the word of God, and do it” (Luke 8:21).
- “Who dug and went deep, and laid a foundation on the rock”
Luke’s version stresses the hard work of the wise builder. He “dug and went deep”. In Palestine many streams were dry for most of the year, and the flat sandy ground beside them looked like an easy place to build. But when the winter rains came, a dry wadi could fill in hours and sweep away anything built on the surface. The wise man took the trouble to dig down through the soil until he reached bedrock. That took time and effort, and no one could see the foundation once the house was built. But when the flood came, his house “could not shake”.
Scripture often calls God a rock: “Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer” (Psalm 18:2). Paul wrote, “For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11).
- “Without a foundation… and the ruin of that house was great”
The second builder may have built a house that looked just as fine. The difference was hidden until the storm. Then the stream broke against it and “immediately it fell”. Jesus does not promise that his followers will escape storms; both houses faced the same flood. The difference is what stands at the end. The flood points to the trials of life and finally to God’s judgment. Matthew’s account ends the same way: “it fell—and great was its fall” (Matthew 7:26-27).
The Significance of Luke 6:46-49
- Obedience is the proof of faith
Calling Jesus Lord is the beginning of faith, not the end. Real faith shows itself in doing what he says, day by day, in small and large matters.
- Build before the storm comes
The time to dig a foundation is before the flood, not during it. Building our lives on Jesus’ words in ordinary times prepares us for the crises that will come.
- Hidden work lasts
Much of the work of obedience is unseen, like a foundation under a house. Prayer, honesty, forgiveness and mercy may go unnoticed, but they keep a life standing when trouble comes.
Cross-References:
Matthew 7:24: "Everyone therefore who hears these words of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, who built his house on a rock." Matthew’s account of the same parable.
James 1:22: "But be doers of the word, and not only hearers, deluding your own selves." Hearing must lead to doing.
1 Corinthians 3:11: "For no one can lay any other foundation than that which has been laid, which is Jesus Christ." The only sure foundation.
Psalm 18:2: "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer" God, the rock of his people.
Conclusion: Jesus ends the Sermon on the Plain by asking why people call him Lord and do not do what he says. Those who come to him, hear his words and do them are like a man who dug deep and built on rock, whose house stood firm in the flood. Those who hear and do not obey are like a man who built without a foundation, and their ruin is great. Faith that calls Jesus Lord shows itself in obedience, and only a life built on his words will stand.
PIB Scriptures are derived from the World English Bible