ODJ: crooked house

January 17, 2014 

READ: Matthew 7:21-29 

Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it . . . builds a house on solid rock (v.24).

Wobbly, woozy, unsteady. These words all describe the appearance of the Crooked House—the most photographed house in all of Poland. One observer commented that the structure looks as if it is “melting or sagging from exhaustion”. Designer Szotynscy Zaleski purposely created the exterior to feature few straight lines and the result is an architectural ode to a funhouse mirror.

Jesus spoke about a house that was destined to fall down. He said rain, flooding and winds would cause this building to “collapse with a mighty crash” (Matthew 7:27). He pointed out that the structure would fail because it was built on sand. Sand is unstable—water easily washes it away and wind quickly scatters it into the air.

Like sand, the world around us is constantly changing. Technology soon becomes outdated. Friendships spark and then cool. Fashion and music groups glimmer with fickle fame. Allowing these things to shape our lives leads to instability. If we’re not careful, we can let them replace Jesus as the foundation of our lives.

When we consistently take in Jesus’ teachings, but don’t live them out (v.26), we begin walking on unstable foundations, leaving behind the bedrock of living by His truth. We’re “only fooling [ourselves]” if we only listen to God’s Word, but don’t obey it (James 1:22-23).

Fortunately, Jesus said, “Anyone who listens to my teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock” (Matthew 7:24). If you long for a life that’s able to withstand torrents of trouble and the winds of change, remember that you can have stability through Jesus. With His help, you can shrug off the world’s influence and build your life on His rock-solid truths. —Jennifer Benson Schuldt
› Genesis 27:1-40