A story about listening to and doing what Jesus says
(From the Gospel of Matthew, Chapter 7, verses 24-27)

One day a crowd of people came to hear what Jesus had to say about God. Jesus talked with them for a long time. After a while, he wondered if they had been listening, so he told this story:

"Once there were two friends. Each of them wanted to build a house.

"One person was very smart. She knew her house would last a long time if she built it on solid ground, far from the river that sometimes overflowed its banks and flooded everything. So she took her time, looking for just the right place to build on. Finally, she found a level spot on the top of a hill. It was a long walk from town, but that was OK. It took a while to get all her building materials all the way from the town and up the hill, but it was worth the work. It was a great spot for a house!

"The other person wasn't as smart. In fact, he was foolish and lazy. He wanted to build his house quickly and not work too hard. He chose the first level spot he found. He didn't notice that it was right next to the river. He didn't notice that the ground was sort of sandy and wet. He liked the fact that it was close to town. He wouldn't have to cart all his building materials too far. It seemed like a great spot for a house!

"Not too long after both of them finished building their houses and moved in, a big storm came. It poured for many days. The wind was very strong, making big waves on the river. Finally, the river overflowed its banks and flooded the man's house, destroying it completely. The woman looked out her window at the top of the hill. She watched her friend's home fall apart."

When Jesus was done telling his story, he sat quietly for a minute. Then he said to all the people around him, "If you listen carefully to everything I have been telling you about God, and how much God loves you, and how God wants you to take care of each other, then you are like the woman who built her house on solid ground. But if you don't listen to what I say and don't live the way God wants you to live, then you are like the man who built his house on the sandy ground."

Questions to pray and think about:
Have you ever wondered if people are listening to you?
Have you ever seen or heard of a house destroyed by strong wind and rain?
How do you think the man felt after his house was destroyed?
How is doing what Jesus teaches like building a house on solid ground?

* Adapted from Back in the Days of Jesus: Gospel Homilies for Children (Matthew), Living the Good News, Inc. (1996)

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