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I live in Northern California where we frequently experience earthquakes and mud slides. We know the consequences of a shabby foundation. When the earth shakes, the house vibrates right off its moorings, often collapsing in a heap. Sometimes things not fastened down, like a water heater, will break its gas line and a disastrous fire starts.

Then there are the rains of winter when whole hillsides give way and envelop those below in a heavy, invading mud. Often houses built on the top of sandy hills, where Californians seem to like to build, slowly come sliding down the hill only to end up as a pile of rubbish below.

Our parable of Jesus tells of similar circumstances. Carpenter Jesus knew well the results of poor foundations. No doubt he had seen the contrast when what had been dry, pleasant, summer stream beds became raging torrents in the winter. He had seen with his own eyes the lazy man's way of building. In order not to have to carry heavy boulders up the hill and not to have to dig down to the solid rock for foundation, they built on the flimsy, soft sand of the valleys called "wadis."

In fact, Matthew tells the story of the builders constructing the house in two different locations: one sandy, one on rock; Luke says it was the same location with one built on top but the other dug down to rock. Either way, the traditional teaching is the same.

We need good foundations for rough weather when it comes. And it does come into all our lives. We live in a very imperfect world with other imperfect people. And often how and where we live is in accordance to the principles and laws of nature.

So some of the storms for which we need a strong foundation might be that sudden terminal illness is discovered in us or our loved ones, or
-- when one of our children bitterly disappoints us with his or her behavior;
-- when a spouse is unfaithful;
-- when we lose our job or status;
-- when a friend circumvents our relationship;
-- when a neighbor disgraces the neighborhood;
-- when someone lets us down whom we had been counting on; or
-- when a significant other walks out without warning.

We need a solid, rock-grounded foundation to hang onto to survive the threatening storm when the floods of winter come. Like sheer walls for earthquake protection in California where I live, we need something which doesn't give way when our lives are shaken right down to the very foundation.

Out here in earthquake and mudslide country, one thing which is essential for our security is to bolt the side walls to the foundation. This is something which has been omitted in years gone by. Now the building codes require it. Those life-securing bolts for a dependable foundation might be such as:
-- a faithful prayer life which keeps us in tune with God's will for us;
-- regular worship here in church where others can help us foundation build;
-- continued growing in our knowledge of Christ and his word;
-- close fellowship with others who have weathered the storms of life well;
-- lifestyle priorities which are based on other's needs rather than on our own gratification and happiness;
-- a ministry we carry out in our daily lives where we live, work, and play.

Of course we can't avoid some of life's worst and most violent storms, but for the most part what we can do is prepare ourselves for the bad weather and learn the ways to get through.

I once saw the heavy trailer, of a tractor-trailer combination, parked on an asphalt parking lot. Those metal wheels which crank down to free it from the tractor were sinking deeper and deeper into the asphalt and may have already gone all the way through. The driver had thought it looked like a solid foundation on which to park the trailer -- but not so. There are many such thin foundations into which we will sink. Check your foundation.

I believe the reason Jesus put this story about weak foundations in his teaching is expressed in verse 24: "Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man...."

It's an idea that's just beginning to mature in my own beliefs about God. Doing what one hears is the way we really come to own and believe what we have been taught.

Let's take this to a radical conclusion: the one who witnesses to someone else much better believes what he has said. The preacher who preaches the gospel better owns that gospel. The teacher who instructs others on discipleship better understands the call by Jesus to be a disciple. The Christian who actually prays for his or her enemies knows the wisdom in that admonition. So does the one who actually turns the other cheek.

James understood this when he wrote, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says... not forgetting what you have heard, but doing it -- he will be blessed in what he does" (James 1:22-23).

And Paul understood it also. He wrote to the church in Rome, "For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous in God's sight, but it is those who obey the law who will be declared righteous" (Romans 2:13).

So it is by doing, as well as hearing, that we "batten down the hatches" for life's inevitable storms.

In order to understand Jesus' teaching to be kind to each other, we must go out and be kind. As we do this, we'll have a much deeper meaning of it. In order to comprehend Jesus' teaching of going the extra mile, we must start on that second mile this week. We'll understand as never before.

Many years ago preachers retold this parable as a warning about the judgment and as preparation for eternal life. They claimed we needed to get ourselves ready for the return of Jesus and the decisions about ourselves and lives beyond the grave.

I'm not sure that ever was the main reason for the story. After all, this was told before the sacrifice of our Savior on the cross and his resurrection from the Easter tomb. It was before he returned in Spirit on Pentecost to be with us now.

So our fate in judgment is not dependent on the retrofitting of our foundations by hearing the law and keeping it. It is our acceptance of the grace-gift of salvation accomplished for us by the one who was telling the parable in the first place.

Now the good foundation is baptism and faith in a Savior who wants to see us through all kinds of weather right into eternal life with him. Our foundation is the rock of Christ and it is secure. We just ought live like it as a grateful response.

Perhaps a weak foundation built on sand in our day should be those who judge the church of Jesus Christ without hearing it. It seems like our culture and times are full of people who ignore or ridicule the church without really knowing it. They have heard some televangelist or have seen a television or movie portrayal of clergy or church and based their opinion about the lack of relevance on that.

There are many who believe you have to leave your brains at the door to be a believer. There are many who believe Christianity is for the feminine or the weak or only the misfits of society. They have decided, without really hearing. Jesus claims here, "... everyone who hears these words of mine... is like a wise person..." (Matthew 8:24).

There is another side to this parable -- let's call it the flip side. As a record or tape has one side on which the popular tunes are cut and on the other side are the more minor and less well-known melodies, so perhaps are the parables of Jesus. Examining the flip sides gives us a fresh interpretation and yet another teaching for discipleship. Sometimes they pack a punch even stronger than the first side!

For this one, the other side of the story may be that we almost always place ourselves as the wise person with the strong foundation. But are we? Perhaps not.

We are better described as the foolish whose house most often comes tumbling down from life's storms. Our situation is better described as one of those who need to rebuild. The storms come, the water rises, and down comes our houses which we thought were so secure.

There are many ways we can rebuild after one of our life's disasters. It's times like that when the congregation ought to surround, comfort, give encouragement to get us back on our feet again. There are always some of us who are in need of help with rebuilding. We can do that by praying for each other. We can do that by offering God's love at a time we may feel very unloved. We can do that by standing close to the one who has suffered loss. It doesn't always require profound words or great financial contributions. It just calls for our presence through which God's Holy Spirit comforts, guides, and brings healing.

Rebuilding after the loss suffered in the storm of life is grief-filled and painful. But we ought not have to ever do it alone. In fact, again and again we can rebuild even though again and again life tears us down -- the foundation, our Christ, remains firm.

There is something else here. I wonder if while this foolish builder was not digging down to a solid rock foundation or just building in a sandy summertime "wadi," did anyone warn him of his mistake? Should not someone have intervened? Wasn't there a family member or friend who could have warned him?

This also is our task as disciples. We who know the instability of the river bed ought to share that information with those who do not know it. We must find a way to convince them to change the location to higher, more solid ground:
-- to one addicted to wealth;
-- to the person basing life on what can be accumulated;
-- to those who are going deeper and deeper into drugs or alcohol;
-- to those who trample on others to get power.

Let our lives as lived here be a warning sign to such as these: "Don't build here, ask me for another site."

The utility companies will come to mark your yard for location of electric, phone, and cable lines with their little red and yellow flags or paint from a spray can before you dig down to build or plant, so we must mark out the dangers for others who are preparing to build.
-- Son, it is very dangerous to have unprotected sex.
-- Daughter, be careful building your life on good looks alone.
-- Brother, beware the perversion of your personality by giving in to racial hatred.
-- Mother, it doesn't work to buy friendship.

Greed will devour you, jealousy will distort and spoil.

I remember at one of the Indy 500 races, a driver came in for a pit stop and crashed into his own pit crew. Someone had moved the red flags which mark where the driver should start putting on the brakes. We live in a time when the flags have all been moved and sometimes have been removed altogether. We need to mark again where the brakes need be applied. It's the same place where the builder must be careful about building.

This calls for a whole network of support groups in our congregation which will advise and counsel each other about building lives. It means, more importantly, help for rebuilding after the storms we all face from time to tragic time.

While in Amsterdam, I noticed how crooked many of the homes (especially around canals) are. They are braced with large logs up the front of the building. Perhaps that's the best image of how our building goes. We do have the Christ to support our flimsy structures.

For us who live in California with earthquakes and mud slides, it's an all too real parable. We know the value of sheer walls, plates bolted to foundations, and cross-the-wall studs support. And hopefully we know also the value of warning others about the sand, having help with rebuilding, doing as well as hearing, and preparing for the floods which do come.