Luke 6:49Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The Lord also shews us that faith profiteth a man nothing, if his manner of life be corrupt. Hence it follows, But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man, that without a foundation, built an house upon the earth, &c.

The dwelling of individuals who disregard the commands of the Lord inevitably collapses, and the ruin of that dwelling is severe. The downfall of those who listen yet fail to act is significant, for the one who neither listens nor acts sins with less difficulty, whereas the one who hears but does not act incurs a heavier sin.

But Lordship both in name and reality belongs only to the Highest Nature.

Now this long discourse of our Lord, Luke begins in the same way as Matthew; for each says, Blessed are the poor. Then many things which follow in the narration of each are like, and finally the conclusion of the discourse is found to be altogether the same, I mean with respect to the men who build upon the rock and the sand. It might then easily be supposed that Luke has inserted the same discourse of our Lord, and yet has left out some sentences which Matthew has kept, and likewise put in others which Matthew has not; were it not that Matthew says the discourse was spoken by our Lord on the mountain, but Luke on the plain by our Lord standing.

But lay your foundations upon a rock, that is, lean upon the faith of Christ, so as to persevere immoveable in adversity, whether it come from man or God.

This is not then the word of man, but the Word of God, manifesting His own birth from the Father, for He is the Lord Who is born of the Lord alone. But fear not the duality of Persons, for they are not separate in nature.

Or, He teaches that the obedience to heavenly precepts is the foundation of all virtue, by means of which this our house can be moved neither by the torrent of pleasures, nor by the violence of spiritual wickedness, neither by the storms of this world, nor by the cloudy disputations of heretics; hence it follows, But the flood came, &c.

The flood approached, and without delay, it fell apart; the damage to this structure was severe. This is further clarified in the text. A rupture signifies a breakdown or disintegration.

Lest any one should vainly flatter himself with the words, Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh, as if words only and not rather works were required of a Christian, our Lord adds the following, But why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? As if He said, Why do ye boast of sending forth the leaves of a right confession, and shew forth no fruit of good works.

Verses 21 to 23 act as a bridge from the previous discussion on false prophets to the concluding encouragement; within this transitional passage, the rationale is provided for why it is essential not only to heed Christ’s teachings but also to act upon them. Identifying oneself as a Christian does not guarantee salvation. Indeed, many who operate in Christ's name and seek to aid others may experience manifestations of divine authority, such as prophetic gifts and miraculous works, including the expulsion of evil spirits. Yet, at the Final Judgment, even among these individuals, some will hear the Lord declare, "I have never known you," meaning they were not acknowledged as His own.

Christ concluded His powerful message by emphasizing that the strength and vitality of His disciples would lie in their faithful adherence to the New Covenant teachings. “Whosoever therefore heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rain came, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and rushed upon that house: and it fell not, because it was founded upon a rock. But whosoever heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain fell, and the rivers overflowed, and the winds blew, and came upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall thereof” (Matthew 7:24-27).

The Lord Jesus Christ, desiring to engrave His teachings more profoundly in the hearts and minds of His listeners, concluded the Sermon on the Mount with a striking analogy: Everyone who hears My words and acts upon them will be compared to a wise man who built his house upon a rock. When the rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, it did not collapse, for it was founded on solid rock. Conversely, anyone who hears these words of Mine and does not put them into practice will be likened to a foolish man who built his house upon the sand. The rain fell, the floods came, and the winds blew and crashed against that house, and it fell, and great was its fall. According to St.