Building on the Sand

The man built his house on sand. His insurance company refused to give him insurance. “You are uninsurable,” they said. “You have built your house on sand in the flood-plain, and it will collapse in a big storm.”

The man only fretted for a few days, however, because a friend told him of a government program that provided insurance for people in his situation. “Isn't it wonderful,” he said, “to live in a country that cares. There was a time when I would have been called a fool for building my house upon the sand, but we are so much more enlightened now.”

One day a big storm came. The house shuddered and shook, and finally came crashing down. But all was well. The government-backed insurance agents came in, settled all the claims. Not only was he paid for his house, but his neighbors who had followed his example had their claims paid, too.

Across town, the houses had withstood the storm, because they had been built on the bed-rock. When the people received their tax bills that year, they were appalled at the increased amount. “What happened?” they complained.

“There were a great many claims to settle because of the storm,” they were told.

“I said they were foolish to build their houses down there,” said Calvin Luther as he went to bed that night. “But I guess we're the fools.”

(See Matthew 7:24-27)